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Polish Housewife

Polish recipes served up with tidbits of folklore, customs, and history

Christmas

Polish Almond Crescent Cookies (Migdałowe Półksiężyce)

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Polish Almond Crescent Cookies (Migdałowe Półksiężyce), Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, they’re all delicate, rich nutty bites of shortbread. I found this recipe on the Polish food blog Raspberries and Cream.

The blogger, Ewen, says this recipes makes only two dozen, so go ahead and just plan on making a double batch. I have to agree; they’re rather addictive. They’ll keep in a sealed container for a week or so, but they may not last that long.

Polish Almond Crescent Cookies (Migdałowe Półksiężyce) coolies on a an enraved silver platter

Polish Almond Crescent Cookies for Christmas

This is a typical kind of Christmas cookie. On an another blog, I saw a similar recipe dubbed Advent crescents. I love to bake ahead of time for Christmas, freezing cookies, so I can put together trays with a nice assortment of holiday goodies for colleagues, hostess gifts, and for our family on Christmas morning.

For sturdy cookies like peanut butter blossoms, chocolate chip cookies, etc., I just put them in gallon size freezer bags and pop them into the chest freezer in the garage, but with something as fragile as Polish Almond Crescent Cookies (Migdałowe Półksiężyce), I’ll pack them carefully in layers into plastic containers before freezing.

Polish Almond Crescent Cookies (Migdałowe Półksiężyce) Delicate, Rich, Nutty Shortbread #polishhousewife #Poland #Polish #christmas #cookie #almond

What to do when your cookies aren’t perfect

My delicious cookies turned out differently than expected. They ran and spread more than they should have. While we will still eat them and enjoy them, here are things I’ll do the next time to try to improve the outcome. Let me share them in case someday you need these tips too.

  • I will bake one test cookies rather than putting a whole tray with two dozen cookies in the oven.
  • I only chilled my dough for 15 minutes. I will give it more time in the fridge (I’ve increased to 30 min in the recipe below, maybe it needs to be an hour
  • If chilling doesn’t fix it, I’ll work a little more flour into the dough, increasing the ratio of flour to butter and sugar because butter and sugar are the parts of the mix that make a cookie spread

I’m pretty confident the outcome will improve, but I hope you have perfect results the first time.

Smacznego!

Lois

I participate in an Amazon affiliate program which means that if you shop via the links below, Amazon sends me a few cents.
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Polish Almond Cresent Cookies (Migdałowe Półksiężyce)`

  • Author: polishhousewife
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A crisp almond shortbread cookie perfect with a cup of tea or a for a Christmas cookie tray

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, soft
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for finishing the cookies
  • pinch salt
  • 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup ground almonds
  • 1/4 cups toasted, chopped almonds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F
  2. Combine butter with almond extract and 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  3. Add salt, flour, ground almonds, and toasted chopped almonds
  4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or foil, chill 30 minutes
  5. Shape rounded teaspoons of dough into crescent shapes
  6. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, they should still be light, but just beginning to brown
  7. Cool two minutes before carefully removig from cookie sheet, dust or roll in powdered sugar

Keywords: Polish almond cookie christmas

Herbata Góralska Polish Highlander Tea

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One area that everyone raves about is Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains in the southeast of Poland. It’s all about the great outdoors. In the summer, everyone treks down there to hike the beautiful green mountains.

In the winter, snow sports rule. Many folks who visit Zakopane mention having Herbata Góralska Polish Highlander Tea. It’s  often referred to as tea laced with vodka.  Reader, Mage, is one of those who sampled Highlander Tea in Zakopane and asked if I had a recipe for the delicious tea. A little research and now I do!

The recipe may be a well kept secret. While there are many mentions of Herbata  Góralska Polish Highlander Tea and many photos of snow bunnies enjoying a mug of Highlander Tea, I found only one recipe online, and that was on polki.pl.

It’s seems like each cook puts a personal spin on traditional recipes. So if you and your family have a variation of Highlander Tea, please share it in the comments! I’m curious and want to hear about your experience with the winter beverage.

I’ve adapted the recipe a bit by doubling the amount of tea added. The original proportions are 2 parts vodka to 1 part tea. You can, of course, adjust to your own taste.

Na Zdrowie!

Lois

PS – you may want to take the shortcut suggested by a reader and just add a shot of cherry liqueur to your tea.

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Herbata Góralska Polish Highlander Tea

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Yield: 2 quarts
  • Category: Beverage
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Tea leaves with vodka from the Polish mountains

Ingredients

  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 8 black tea bags
  • 6 tablesonns raspberry syrup
  • 4 cups vodka
  • 1/2 cup rum
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Juice of one lemon

Instructions

  1. Add tea bags to boiling water
  2. Steep 10 minutes before removing the tea bags
  3. Add raspberry syrup, vodka, rum, sugar, and lemon juice
  4. Stir until sugar disdolves
  5. Bottle and store for two months (this is from the Polish recipe, we enjoyed the same day)
  6. Serve warm

 

Homemade Barszcz & Krokiety

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If you enjoy these recipes for homemade Barszcz and Krokiety, how about sharing the love and passing this post along to your friends? 

Barszcz and Krokiety, Polish comfort food for a winter day!

Barszcz

Traditional Barszcz is a popular soup throughout Central and Eastern Europe. This winter soup which is rumored to have healing properties is spicy and tart. Not spicy as in heat, but lots of garlic. The tartness comes, in this case, from lemon juice and offsets the natural sweetness of the beets.

I’ve found the flavors are even better after a day or two. It makes great sipping in the evening. The original recipe calls for meaty soup bones. My market didn’t have any, so I bought some very meaty beef short ribs.

Barszcz and Krokiety, Polish comfort food for a winter day

All the wonderful ingredients go into a pan. After a good long simmer, everything is strained out and the broth is served.

Barszcz

Krokiety

I’ve made this combination, of homemade barszcz and krokiety, twice. The first time, I made proper herbed crepes, what the Polish would call pancakes, and used the meat from the ribs to make krokiety or croquettes, a common side to accompany barszcz. The meat was mixed with sauerkraut, onion, and mushroom – all finely diced, and bound it together with a cup of bechamel sauce. This filing went into herb crepes; the rolled up little bundles were browned in oil. On Christmas, Eve krokiety will not include meat.

The second time I made this, I was no longer a lady of leisure. I’m now working 40+ hours a week, and as much as I enjoy cooking, I do try to minimize the time I spend on my feet. This time I tried a shortcut  that worked out very well.

I bought a package of egg roll wrappers and used them inplace of the crepes. The filling also included half a cup of diced sauerkraut and enough bechamel sauce ( I made half of this recipe and had a bit to spare.) to bind everything together. The Polish style egg rolls were dipped in beaten egg and then bread crumbs before frying.

This made about 35 egg roll croquettes. They’re delicious with Barszcz or maybe with a mushroom gravy over the top.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Barszcz

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
  • Yield: Approx 8 servings
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A tart and spicy winter soup to warm the soul!

Ingredients

  • 4 large or 6 small beets, peeled and halved
  • 1 pound meaty beef bones
  • 1 medium carrot, trimmed and peeled
  • 1 medium parsnip, trimmed and peeled
  • 1 large onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 leek, white and green parts, trimmed, halved lengthwise and rinsed
  • 1 long celery stalk
  • 3-4 dried mushrooms
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large pinch of dried marjoram
  • 6 peppercorns
  • About 12 cups odF water, depends on the size of your pot
  • Juice of 1 lemon, or about 4 tablespoons
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Add the beets, beef bones, carrot, parsnip, onion, leek, celery, mushrooms, garlic, bay leaf, marjoram, and peppercorns to a Dutch oven or stock pot
  2. Add enough water to the pot to cover the ingredients
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about two hours
  4. Skim off foam as it appears
  5. Strain the soup through a colander
  6. If it tastes watery, cook it down a bit to concentrate the favors
  7. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper, it should taste garlicky and tart
  8. Serve the clear, hot soup in bowls or cups for sipping

 

 

Trufle Czekoladowe Chocolate Truffles

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Want to recreate the Wawel Trufle? (affliliate link*) Trufle Czekoladowe Chocolate Truffles are rich, creamy, and decadent. They’re also so incredibly easy to make. I whipped up a batch this week to share with my colleagues. I mixed them up one evening in about five minutes. The chocolate molten mass needs to chill overnight, so the next evening I shaped the chocolate into little balls and rolled them in cocoa powder.

Trufle Czekoladowe Chocolate Truffles

I’d seen truffles rolled in colorful nonpareil sprinkles, so I tried that with one because I liked the look, but after tasting it, discarded the idea. The hard little sprinkles were overpowering. Their crunchiness distracted from the creamy texture of the chocolate. It just wasn’t worth it to get the pop of color.

I have a bit of the filling left, and will try dipping it in tempered chocolate or a melted chocolate bark. This will take more time. It won’t be so quick and easy, but will more closely resemble the Wawel treats. I’ll update to let you know if it’s worth the trouble.

I flavored my truffles with brandy, but you could use rum, or a flavored liqueur. I think a homemade cherry vodka would be nice.

For gifting, I popped a truffle into a mini white muffin cup and put four into a three inch paper mache box with a lid. I found a dozen on Amazon (affiliate link*).

I have received little truffles like this from the chef at the end of a meal, and it always feels like a very special treat. Now you can make your own special treats too.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Trufle Czekoladowe Chocolate Truffles

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Yield: 60 1-inch truffles
  • Category: Dessert
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Description

A creamy chocolate candy with a hint of brandy

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • cocoa powder or metled bark for dipping

Instructions

  1. Heat the chocolate, cream, and butter in the microwave for 1 minutes, stir
  2. Heat an additional 45 seconds, stir, chocolate should be melted and mix easily with cream
  3. Add the vanilla and brandy
  4. When smooth and well combined, cover and refrigerate overnight
  5. Scoop and roll into balls, 1/2 – 1 inch in diameter
  6. Roll in cocoa powder or dip in tempered chocolate or melted bark
  7. Keep refrigerated until shortly before serving
*Affiliate link – means that Amazon pays me a small percentage of any purchases made via the link above. Your price is still the same. It helps to offset the cost of running this website.

Polish Gingerbread Cake Ciasto Imbirowe

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In making this Polish Gingerbread Cake Ciasto Imbirowe, I’m giving you muplitle options, and I hope that doesn’t make it too confusing. You could just make two plain loaves of gingerbread cake and stop there or, possibly brush the top with melted jam and decorate the top of the loaf with dried fruit as you’ll see on Moje Wypieki.

I wanted to recreate a commercial pastry that we used to buy at the Zabka, a Polish convenience store, near our apartment in Poznan. It was a package with little petit fours sized cakes that were filled with jam and marzipan and covered in chocolate, absolutely addictive!

Polish Gingerbread Cake Ciasto Imbirowe, filled with apricot jam and marzipan, enrobed in chocolate ganache

I have a mini bundt pan (six little cakes), so I used that in place of one of my loaf pans. I wanted to try putting the jam and marizpan directly into the batter, but I wasn’t sure that would work. My Plan B was to slice the cakes horizontally, brush with melted jam and add a thin layer of marzipan before covering with chocolate ganache.

So I filled three of my mini bundt pans only half full of batter, then I made a coil of marzipan about the size of a pencil and added that along with little dabs (about a teaspoon in total) of jam. Then added more batter to cover the filling.

The three remaining mini bundts I left plain in case I needed to make these according to Plan B, thinking that my jam and marzipan might run out and stick to the pan, making the cakes impossible to remove.

That didn’t happen, all six cakes cake out nicely. The other half of my batter went into a loaf pan. The batter rises a lot, giving a rustic split to the loaf as it bakes. Still inspired by my gingerbread petit fours, I trimmed the loaf cake until it was a nice rectangle, which I finished off according to Plan B. Using some of the leftover marzipan to make holly leaves.

Polish Gingerbread Cake Ciasto Imbirowe, filled with apricot jam and marzipan, topped with chocolate ganache!

I’m happy to report that baking the marzipan and jam into the batter was successful. The jam and marzipan flavors stayed distinct and unique. I’ll do all of my gingerbread cakes this way in the future becuase it’s easier and the end result flavor-wise is the same.

The only reason I see to go to the trouble of rolling out the marizpan and sandwiching it with jam and gingerbread is if you’re after the visual image of the perfect line of contrasting filling as you cut into the cake. There is a pleasing aspect to the look.

gingerbread cakes filled with jam and marzipan topped with ganache

Don’t think I wasted the dome I sliced off of the loaf cake. We’ve done a little nibbling and I think the dinner party we’re hosting on Saturday will feature Sauerbraten, a German pot roast seasoned and thickened with gingerbread!

Smacznego!

Lois

 

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Polish Gingerbread Cake Ciasto Imbirowe

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 2 9x5 loaves or 12 mini bundts
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A dense cake-like gingerbread that is extra delicious paired with marzipan, jam, and chocolate ganache

Ingredients

  • 1 cup honey (or golden syrup)
  • 1 cup stong coffee
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa

for optional filling

  • 4 ounce tube marzipan
  • apricot or plum jam

for ganache topping

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Comgine honey, coffee, butter, and spices in a saucepan, heat just enough to let butter, remove from heat
  3. Spray pans with baking spary (the one with flour works best)
  4. Combine eggs, and brown sugar, slowly add in the warm honey mixure with the mixer running
  5. Add baking powder, flour, and cocoa, mix until well combined
  6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pans, the batter is very thick
  7. If you’re adding marzipan directly into the batter, only add half of the batter to the pan, add marzipan and jam (a coil of marzipan made from a 1/3″ slice and approximately a teaspoon of jam in a mini bundt, for a loaf pan, use 5-6 times this amount distributing throughout the loaf pan, avoiding the edges) and then top with remaining batter. I filed my mini bundts to just 1/2 inch below the top, they domed over the top of the pan giving a nice tall mini bundt with a slightly rounded bottom when it’s turned upside down)
  8. Bake about 30 minutes for mini bundts, 45 minutes for loaf pans. You can test for doneness by pressing gently on the top of the cake, it should feel firm and spring back or a toothpick inserted in the top should come out clean
  9. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and cool completely on a wire rack
  10. If you want to add a filling, but didn’t bake it into the dough. slice the cakes into two layers
  11. I trimmed my loaf cake to get a flat top and straight, not flared sides
  12. Roll out the marzipan to about 1/8 inch thickness, cut to the shape of your cake
  13. Heat jam, brush the jam onto what will be the middle of the cake, the top of the bottom layer, the bottom of the top layer, add the thin layer of marzipan on top of the bottom layer and add the top layer, creating a marzipan sandwich

for ganache

  1. Heat the cream and chocolate (about 1 minute on 50% power in my microwave), stir until glossy and smooth
  2. Let the ganache cool for a few minutes to about 100 F (or while you’re preparing the filling)
  3. Spoon ganaache over the top of your cakes
  4. If desired, color leftover marzipan for decoration

 

Dried Fruit Kompot or Kompot z Suszonych Owocow

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Dried Fruit Kompot or Kompot z Suszonych Owocow is often one of the twelve traditional dishes for Christmas Eve or Wigilia in Poland. After simmering dried fruit, spices, and sugar or honey, the “broth” is strained off to served as a holiday beverage.

The remaining, now re-hydrated fruit can be served as a stewed fruit, with yogurt, on oatmeal, or, I believe, some even serve it with pasta. I have to tell you, that I fixed this out of curiosity even though I didn’t expect to like Dried Fruit Compote. I half expected the fruit and liquid to taste like the canned fruit cocktail of my childhood. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Dried Fruit Kompot or Kompot z Suszonych Owocow, an elegant non-alcholic beverage for the holidaysI used in order of descending amounts: dried cherries, prunes, dried apples, dried cranberries, dried apricots, and it was delicious. The liquid (fruit broth) kompot was delicious, the fruit itself was wonderful, the spices really added to the taste without being overpowering. YUM!

So easy to make! Dried Fruit Kompot or Kompot z Suszonych Owocow serve this Polish classic as is, or with oatmeal or yogurt, or even with pasta!

Dried Fruit Kompot or Kompot z Suszonych Owocow for Christmas Eve

In the interest of complete disclosure, I have never experienced a traditional Polish Christmas Eve meal or even Kompot z Suszonych Owocow until I made this batch. At a recent Girls Night for drinks and nibbles, the group asked me what Christmas was like in Poland.

I confessed that we always came home to Tucson for Christmas with our family, so I hadn’t experienced it first hand, but from what I know of it, the huge family celebration involves decorating the tree on Christmas Eve, a little straw underneath the table cloth to remind everyone that Jesus was born in a manger.

dried fruit kompot served in a cut glass bowl and the liquid served in wine glasess

The meal is not eaten until the first star is seen, it consists of twelve (to represent the apostles) meatless dishes, including at least one soup. The soup(s) might be beet and/or mushroom. There may be a couple of fish dishes, herring is popular, and Jewish style carp. Makowiec, poppy seed roll is a popular dessert for Wigilia. After this feast, a midnight mass takes us from Advent to Christmas.

Quick and easy; Dried Fruit Kompot or Kompot z Suszonych Owocow, a Polish classic, to eat or drink!

Whether you drink or eat your Dried Fruit Kompot or Kompot z Suszonych Owocow, I think you’ll love it.

Smacznego!

Lois

 

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Dried Fruit Kompot or Kompot z Suszonych Owoców

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Category: Beverage
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Dried fruit and spices create a favorful winter drink

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds dried fruit, any variety
  • 1 cup sugar, or less to taste
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 cloves
  • 3 whole allspice

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer, cover
  2. Simmer for 20 – 30 minutes
  3. Cool
  4. Strain to serve as a beverage
  5. Serve fruit with or without liquid

 

Cranberry Orange Babka or Babka Zurawina z Pomarancza

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When I was baking my way through a cake cookbook, a cake a week, Ed would often take cake to work while we were in Poland. One week, he was working at the other F-16 base in Poland, near Lask, so this group got to sample the weekly baking.

Tradition at this smaller base included all the pilots gathering for a tea break, so my contribution was perfect. The Polish pilots said the cake reminded them of a babka; they then went on to tell Ed that babka referred to a pretty girl.

Actually, it means grandmother. The yeast cake, which is usually baked in a bundt pan, is said to resemble a grandmother’s skirt, but I do appreciate their attempt to flatter the cook.

Cranberry Orange Babka or Bakba żurawina z pomarańczą - a wonderful tart sweet yeast bread, perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

Cranberry Orange Babka or Babka żurawina z pomarańczą is only the second babka I’ve made; it seemed like the perfect flavor combination for this time of year.

The recipe is adapted from the King Arthur website. With fresh and dried cranberries, the little red jewels, żurawina, are the predominate flavor. The yeast dough is light and tender, the perfect medium to convery the cranberry orange jam like mixture.

Whether you identify as a pretty girl or a grandmother, or a pretty grandmother (handsome grandfather?), I hope you’ll enjoy cranberry orange babka zurawina z pomarancza.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Cranberry Orange Babka żurawina z pomarańczą

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 3 hours 45 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Total Time: 4 hours 30 mins
  • Yield: 1 loaf
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A colorful and tart yeast bread

Ingredients

for the dough:

  • 1/2 cup lukewarm milk (110 F)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 egg egg
  • 3 tablespoons softened butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

for the filling:

  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Pour warm milk into a bowl, sprinkle with dried yeast and sugar
  2. Stir, let sit about 5 minutes, it should begin to get frothy
  3. Add egg, butter, vanilla, 1 teaspoon orange zest, flour, and salt, stir and knead until everything is incorporated into a smooth dough
  4. Lightly grease a bowl, put dough into bowl and turn over (to lightly grease the top), cover and let sit in a warm spot until doubled in size, 60 to 90 minutes
  5. Make the filling while the dough rises by adding orange juice, brown sugar, and all the cranberries to a saucepan
  6. Cook over medium low heat until the fresh cranberries begin to pop and the texture becomes jam-like
  7. Remove from heat, stir in buter, orange zest, and cinnamon, cool
  8. Roll out the dough to form a 12 inch x 14 inch rectangle
  9. Spread the cranberry mixture over the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch near one of the short ends bare
  10. Roll up the dough starting from the opposite side, pinch the edge without filling to seal the roll
  11. Slice in half lengthwise, place both halves next to each other with cut sides up, twist the two pieces around each other, keeping the cut sides up (if you study my photo, you’ll see I forgot this step)
  12. Pinch the ends together and place in a greased 9 inch x 5 inch loaf pan
  13. Cover and let rise in a warm place until it just begins to get higher than the pan
  14. Preheat over to 350
  15. Bake for 45 minutes (internal temp 190 F), loosley tenting with foil after 30 miinutes to keep it from getting too dark
  16. Rub the top with butter after baking to keep the crust soft
  17. Cook in the pan for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack
  18. Slice to serve

 

Pierniczki Polish Gingerbread Cookies

by 10 Comments

Toruń, Poland, home of Nicholas Copernicus, is one of many European cities that claims to have invented gingerbread. One story goes that woman had consumed a little too much mead and made the happy mistake of adding honey and spices to bread she was making.

The city, which is one of the few in Poland not damaged during World War II, even hosts a Gingerbread Museum. When we spent the night in Toruń on a Thanksgiving road trip, the hotel left individually wrapped gingerbread cookies on our pillows.

After seeing the beautiful gingerbread figures available at most festivals in the Stary Rynek (Old Market Square) in Poznan, I wanted to buy some wooden gingerbread molds to bring home with me. They’re not easy to find. I found my first at a gingerbread shop in Gdansk (they only had two and my friend bought the other for her daughter), subsequent wooden molds were purchased at a wonderful souvenir shop in Toruń (I wish I had the address), and finally,

I bought a large reversible mold (man on one side, woman on the other) in an antique store in Amsterdam, so I guess technically this one would be a speculaas mold. I think the large size be striking to use in holiday decorating.

gingerbread houses

I’ve made gingerbread in the past. I used to make three gingerbread houses every Christmas for our daughters to decorate. My American recipe uses molasses. The Polish recipe I used for inspiration, from Moje Wypieki, uses honey and is a little softer than what I’ve worked with in the past.

The finished texture is light and lovely. One change that I will make next time is to reduce the baking soda. I hope with less leavening, the details from the mold will be more distinct after baking.

This is the first time I’ve used the gingerbread molds, which I have seasoned previously with mineral oil. It was fun to try them out. After rolling the dough, I patted and pressed it into the molds, which I lightly dusted with powdered sugar to be sure the gingerbread would release. It worked like a charm.

 

Pierniczki Polish Gingerbread - easy to prepare without a mixer! #gingerbread #christmas #cookies #polish #poland

I trimmed the pattern before baking, using a combination of a pizza cutter, a little pasta cutter, and the corner of my metal spatula. My royal icing piping isn’t precise enough to accent the lines in the molds, so Ed had the good idea of speading icing on the relief and then wiping it off, almost as if I were antiquing furniture. It highlights the pattern better. I may also leave them plain in the future.

Pierniczki Polish Gingerbread Cookies Pierniczki Polish Gingerbread Cookies

In addition to my wooden molds, I tried out two large Christmas cookie cutters and made a bunch of little hearts. I piped a little royal icing on the larger cookies and the molded gingerbread, but I left my little hearts plain, but you could certainly sprinkle them with coarse sugar or sprinkles before baking, or coat with a thin glaze after baking.  Traditional pierniczki should look rustic, not too perect. It would be a great baking project for kids.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Pierniczki Polish Gingerbread Cookies

★★★ 3 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 50 little cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A light, crisp, spice cookie

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup honey (spray the measuring cup with oil and the honey will pour out easily)
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/4 cups flour (you might like to try rye flour)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. In a saucepan, heat the honey, butter, and brown sugar over medium heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves
  3. Remove from heat
  4. Stir in egg
  5. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cocoa, and salt
  6. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, about 1/4 inch thick
  7. Cut into sharpes or press into prepared molds
  8. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet, about 8 minutes

 

Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings

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Known by many names, meaning ribbons or dried twigs, Chruściki, Chrusty, Faworki, Angel Wings, whatever name they go by, these little powdered sugar treats appear en masse the last week of karnawał, just before Lent.

Trays piled high with Faworki and Pączki fill the supermarkets and little shops for Tłusty czwartek or Fat Thursday. Faworki are also popular at all kinds of family meal celebrations, Easter, Christmas, and weddings. 

Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings

They are so popular that in areas of the US with large populations from Central Europe; bakeries insist that customers place their Christmas and Easter orders for Faworki in advance.

Like many Polish recipes, the pastry is traditionally fried in lard. You can, of course, use other oils for frying; there will be a slight difference in flavor.

Even though they’re rolled in powdered sugar, the plain, rich dough, is only lightly sweet. While it might not be traiditonal, I think it benefits from the additon of lemon and/or orange zest; it just adds a bit of brightness.

For Christmas or Easter, Polish Angel Wings, Faworki, Chruściki, Chrusty, many names and delicious! #polish #cookies #easter #christmas #polishhousewife

Some cooks will knead or roll and re-roll the dough until it blisters. Being a lazy sort, I didn’t, but it still blistered upon frying. By all standards, this probaly makes a small batch, only 48 Faworki. You can easily double or triple if you’re feeding a crowd.

Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings

What do you call them, Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings?

Smacznego?

Lois

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Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings

Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel Wings

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish HOusewife
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 4 dozen
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Crisp and lightly sweet

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs yolks
  • 3-5 tablespoons heavy cream (or sour cream)
  • 1 tablespoon spirits (I used Soplica, but any whiskey or rum will do)
  • 1/2 teaspon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon citrus zest (optional)
  • lard, for frying
  • powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt
  2. In a seperate bowl, combine the egg yolks, 3 tablespoons cream, spirits, vanilla, and zest if you’re using it
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until the dough comes together, use a little more cream if necessary
  4. Roll out as thin as possible
  5. Cut into 1 x4 inch strips, cutting a slit in the middle of each strip
  6. Pul one end through the slit, to create a twisted appearance
  7. Heat lard to 350 F
  8. Fry in batches, turning to cook both sides, until golden brown
  9. Drain on paper towels
  10. Roll in powdered sugar

Notes

You can freeze the leftover egg whites to save them for a recipe that only uses egg whites.

 

 

Gorąca Czekolada Polish Hot Chocolate

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Have you ever had the wonderful European style hot chocolate? It’s a cross between hot pudding and chocolate ganache. We had a restaurant in Poznan, Cacao Republika, that served Gorąca Czekolada Polish Hot Chocolate.

It was their specialty. They served it many ways; my favorite being with a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur. It was a favorite spot to take visiting family.

two glass mugs of thick hot chocolate with whipped cream and red and white spinkles on a silver tray

We  stopped at Cacao Republika after dinner when my mother, brother, and sister were visiting. When I mentioned to my sister that I was making Gorąca Czekolada Polish Hot Chocolate like we’d had at Cacao Reupblika for a blog post, she looked at me and said, “why didn’t we go there every day?” Um, calories, carbs, whatever you’re counting, come to mind.

Gorąca Czekolada Polish Hot Chocolate, super thick and perfect for a cold day!

If you’re ordering this thick hot chocolate in a restaurant, you’ll know it’s the real thing by the hot chocolate machine, usually sitting on the bar, a glass cylinder with a couple of wands spinning though the molten chocolate mixture, keeping it warm and keeping it moving. A spout at the bottom, drains off the hot chocolate a cup at a time.

It’s a comforting, dense sip of chocolate.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Gorąca Czekolada Polish Hot Chocolate

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Yield: 3-4 servings
  • Category: Beverage
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A super thich hot chocolate, a cross between hot pudding and chocolate ganache

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups milk, divided
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 5 ounces dark chocolate chips
  • 3 ounces milk chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
  • your favorite liqueur (optional)
  • whipped cream to garnish

Instructions

  1. Add 1 1/4 cups milk, cream, and chocolate chips to a saucepan
  2. Warm over medium heat, stirring from the bottom of the pan until chocolate melts
  3. Stir the corn starch into the remaining 1/4 cup of milk until smooth, add to the saucepan
  4. Stir constantly until mixture thickens
  5. Add vanilla or your favorite liqueur, I recommend Bailey’s Irish Cream (optional)
  6. Serve in small cups (it’s rich) and top with whipped cream