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Polish Housewife

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

Easter

Hot Cross Buns Recipe

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I am branching out today from Polish baked goods to an English baked good that I made for the first time while I lived in Poland. I’d sampled the store bought versions of this pastry, and I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. It was the same experience I had with Paczki! Purchased = blah; homemade = YUM! Sitting around our little blue kitchen in Poznan, with no Hot Cross Buns to be found at Piotr i Pawel (our local supermarket), I thought I’d bake some. They were fantastic, a soft yeast bread with a bit of spice, dried fruit, and a cross glazed on top. Homemade is always better and fresher than store bought, and that’s why I want to share this Hot Cross Buns Recipe with you!

If you remember back to the days when you or your children were learning a musical instrument, I’ll bet that one of the first songs played was Hot Cross Buns. It’s an English nursery rhyme set to music, and it involves only three notes, so it’s perfect for beginners.

Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns

If you have no daughters, give them to your sons, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns

That crazy pricing strategy set aside, they’re a wonderful pastry that was traditionally eaten on Good Friday, and of course there are a lot of superstitions and guesses about the history of Hot Crossed Buns. A bun baked and served on Good Friday is rumored not to spoil all year and to have healing medicinal properties. A bun hung on the wall of a kitchen is supposed to protect from fires and ensure all breads turn our perfectly in the coming year.

During Elizabethan times, such spiced breads were only permitted to be sold for burials, on Good Friday, and at Christmas. Violators were forced to give all of their inventory of spiced bread to the poor, but official Hot Cross Buns didn’t appear until the 1700s in London. They can appear in your kitchen today!

I’ve adapted this Hot Cross Buns recipe from Taste of Home and King Arthur Flour.

Smacznego!

Lois

PS — if you think this recipe sounds delicious, please leave a comment and rate it 5 stars, it helps my website get noticed on the Interweb. 😉 Thanks!

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Hot Cross Buns Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 45 min
  • Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 16 buns
  • Category: Bread
  • Cuisine: English
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Description

A soft spiced bread roll with dried fruit and a glazed cross on top for Good Friday

Ingredients

for buns:

  • 1/2 cup mixed candied peel
  • 1/2 dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup rum, brandy, or apple juice
  • 1 package dried yeast
  • 1 cup warm milk, 110 degrees F
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice
  • dash nutmeg
  • dash ginger
  • 3 – 31/2 cup flour
  • 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon oil for egg wash

for glaze:

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Add candied peel, cranberries, and rum (or other liquid) to a covered bowl or small covered pan and heat until warm in microwave or on stove top, set aside to cool
  2. Dissolve yeast in warm milk for 3 – 5 min, mix in egg, butter, sugar, spices (feel free to make changes  to the spices I’ve used according to your tastes, a scant teaspoon in total), 1 1/2 cups flour
  3. Add the peel/cranberries and any liquid that wasn’t absorbed, and enough of the remaining flour to have a sticky dough, knead, continuing to add flour as needed for about 5 minutes
  4. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough, cover with a clean dish towel until doubled in size, about 90 minutes
  5. Punch down the dough, divide into 16 equal portions, roll the dough balls until smooth, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Cover with dish towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes, preheat oven to 375 F
  6. Using a sharp knife or razor blade, gently cut a cross into the top of the dough, brush with egg wash, bake about 45 minutes, cool
  7. Combine glaze ingredients using enough liquid to have a thick glaze that runs just a little, spoon glaze into the cross you cut on the top of the buns

Notes

Some recipes filled the cut cross with shortcrust pastry of a milk of flour and milk before baking, but you know the American palate, let’s go with something sweet, so I’ve used a glaze

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Polish Desserts for Easter

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I know food isn’t the reason for holiday celebrations, but a abundance of yummy dishes certainly adds to the festivities and marks the day as something more than the ordinary.  One of the nice things about having a house full of guests is that you can prepare multiple desserts. It’s so nice to have a choice and even better to have leftovers. Let me share some of my favorite Polish desserts for Easter, mazurki, serniki, bakba, other cakes and cookies.

Polish Desserts for Easter

Whatever combination of Polish Easter Desserts you decide to make, I want to wish you and yours a joyous celebration of resurrection and new beginnings.

Smacznego!

Lois

For more great Polish recipes — subscribe to be notified of new posts in the sidebar under “Don’t miss a post!” or follow me on Facebook.

 

Mazurek Królewski (Royal Mazurek) — a short crust pastry topped with a lattice filled with jewet-toned jam and decoratd with sliced nuts or dried fruit

 

 

 

Kostka Alpejska (Cube from the Alps)

Kostka Alpejska (Cube from the Alps) — a thin chocolate sponge cake with caramel buttercream studded with crushed dried meringue kisses, topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate that many find reminicent of a tiramisu

 

 

 

Sernik - a delicious Polish Cheesecake!

Sernik (Polish Cheesecake) — this version is made with homemade twarog, a farmer’s cheese, and studded with dried cranberries and topped with a berry sauce

 

 

 

Mazurek (Polish Easter Pastry) — a shortcrust pastry brushed with jam and topped with chocolate hazelnut spread and seasonal decorations

 

 

 

 

Mazurek (Polish Easter Pastry) — beautiful individual litte almond cheesecakes wrapped in a yeast crust

 

 

 

 

Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll a must have for Easter and ChristmasMakowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll — a tender yeast dough wrapped around around a poppyseed filling

 

 

 

 

Chruściki, Chrusty Faworki, Angel WingsChruściki, Chrusty, Faworki, Angel Wings — whatever you call them, these twisted little pastries are crisp, lightly sweet with powdered sugar

 

 

 

 

Kolaczki - Polish Cookies

Kolaczki (Polish Filled Cookies) — a rich, soft crust, filled with jam

 

 

 

 

 

Cytrynowa Babka (Lemon Babka)

Cytrynowa Babka (Lemon Babka) — a wonderfully moist lemon bundt cake with lemon glaze

 

 

 

 

Mazurek (Polish Easter Pastry)

Mazurek (Polish Easter Pastry) — a rich shortcrust tart, topped with caramel and seasonal decorations of nuts and dried fruit

 

 

 

 

 

Cytrynowa Babka (Lemon Babka)

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Cytrynowa Babka (Lemon Babka) is a wonderful accompaniment to tea or a bright lemony treat to serve for Easter. I’ve been wanting to make one ever since our friend, Symon, said Cytrynowa Babka (pronunciation) was his favorite.

Cytrynowa Babka (Lemon Babka)

Many babkas  are a yeast bread sort of cake. This one reminds me of a pound cake. The leavening comes from beaten eggs and baking powder, and it’s made with equal weights of butter, sugar, and flour.

Cytrynowa Babka (Lemon Babka)

I’ve tried a traditionally Polish method for preparing the bundt pan — buttering the pan and then coating with bread crumbs (unseasoned, of course). It adds a wee bit of texture to the crust, but I’ve never had a bundt cake release so well, the finish is perfect.

This wonderful moist cake comes from Ciasto.net, a Polish website for homebaked goods.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Cytrynowa Babka (Lemon Babka)

Cytrynowa Babka (Lemon Babka)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 50 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 10 - 12 serving
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A lemony cake for tea or Easter dinner

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs, seperated and at room temp
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablepoon butter, room temp
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • butter and breadcrumbs (or flour) for preparing pan
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, approximately, enough to make a thick, but still runny glaze

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Beat egg yolks with sugar and butter until fluffy, mix in lemon zest
  3. Beat egg whites and dash of salt until stiff peaks form, fold into butter mixture
  4. Fold in flour and baking powder
  5. Prepare an 8 cup bundt pan by brushing with butter and dusting with breadcrumbs
  6. Spoon the stiff batter into pan, bake for 50 minutes
  7. Cool 10-15 minutes, then flip pan onto serving plate to remove cake
  8. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice, beat until smooth, and smooth over cooled cake

Notes

The butter and breadcrumbs worked better than anything else I’ve tried for gettig a bundt pan to release the cake unscathed.

 

Mazurek Królewski (Royal Mazurek)

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One thing I learned visiting Polish friends after Easter is that everyone makes Mazurek, and their Eastertide guests get to sample! Mazureks are highly decorated, short crust tarts. It’s also a dance, a type of music, and even a surname, but my favorite Mazurek is the pastry. Last year, I made two for our Easter celebration, one topped with a chocolate hazelnut spread, the other with caramel. This year, I’m trying out Mazurek Królewski (Royal Mazurek). This recipe is based on one I found on MniamMniam.pl. according to Grzegorz, the Polish food blogger, this sweet is for more than just the holidays.

Mazurek Królewski (Royal Mazurek)

Grzegorz suggests drizzling the finished tart with a glaze. I was lazy and just dusted it with powdered sugar, but the next time I make it, I will leave it plain. For me the royal aspect of this tart is all about the colorful jams. I don’t want to do anything to mute the jewel-like colors. Next time, they will shine!

In my mind, I was going to create a geometric masterpiece, a lattice of wonderful straight lines without a patch in sight. That was before I met the crust. It’s a little temperamental, with a mind of its own. Even though I used a ruler, I had to accept to a more homespun look for my lattice.

Speaking of amazing lattice tops (in my dreams), have you checked out lokokitchen on instagram? Her pies are works of art!

I hope this jewel top Mazurek will be part of your Easter celebration.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Mazurek Królewski (Royal Mazurek)

  • Author: Polish Hhousewife
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 x 8 inch tart
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A lattice topped, short crust tart finished with jewel toned jams

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 10 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 hard boiled egg yolks, pushed through a sieve
  • 1 raw egg yolk
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 egg for egg wash
  • raspberry and apricot jams
  • sliced or slivered almonds for optional garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F, and spray a nonstick 12×8 inch tart pan (with removable bottom)
  2. In the food processor with steel blade, grind almonds, set aside
  3. Add butter to the processor bowl and pulse until light, add the sugar, pulse
  4. Add the flour, sieve egg yolks, the raw egg yolk, the groud almonds, and the salt
  5. Process until well combined, but don’t over mix
  6. Roll out 2/3 of the dough to line pan, it should be about 1/3 inch thick, you may need to piece and patch
  7. Roll out remaining 1/3, cut into strips, about 1/2 inch wide, and criss-cross over crust to make a lattice
  8. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash, bruch over pastry
  9. Bake about 30 minutes, until golden brown, cool
  10. Fill in between the lattice with warm jam, add almond slivers or slices (optional)

Kostka Alpejska (Cube from the Alps)

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here’s a side view of Elzbieta’s cake – a slice of the cube

My friend Elzbieta made Kostka Alpejska (Cube from the Alps) as one of her Easter cakes along with Mazurek a few years ago, and I was lucky enough to sample it during an Eastertide visit to her home. Cube from the Alps or Alpine Brick depending on your translation is a thin cake of chocolate sponge, topped with a caremel buttercream into which you’ve added small little baked meringue kisses (beza). The whole thing is then topped with stabilized whipped cream and shaved chocolate. It makes for a striking presentation.

Kostka Alpejska (Cube from the Alps)

Kostka Alpejska (Cube from the Alps) is sweeter than most Polish desserts, making it just right for the American palate. Maybe you’ll want to add Kostka Alpejska (Cube from the Alps) to your Easter menu this year!

Smacznego!

Lois

 

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Kostka Alpejska (Cube from the Alps)

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
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Description

Reminiscent of tiramisu, this layered dessert is sweeter than most Polish pastry

Ingredients

for the cake:

  • 4 eggs, seperated
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/4  cup coffee liqueur
  • 1/2 cup seedless blackberry preserves

For the frosting:

  • 14 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 14 ounce can Dulcede Leche (or a can of sweetned condensed milk that you have submerged in boiling water for 3 hours, you’ll have to keep adding water, but the milk will caramelize)
  • 1/4 cup Ajerkoniak (I substituted Bailey’s Irish Cream)
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee
  • 8 ounces dried meringue kisses
  • 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
  • 16 ounces heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 340 F
  2. Grease a 9 inch x 13 inch pan
  3. Beat egg whites for 2 – 3 minutes, slowly add sugar and beat 3 minutes more
  4. Beat in egg yolks
  5. Sift together cocoa and flour, add to fluffy egg mixture in 3 small batches, mix until just combined
  6. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly, or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
  7. Cool
  8. Combine the coffee liqueur with 1/4 cup water and brush over cake
  9. Warm the blackberry preserves until thin and brush over cake

Frosting and assembly

  1. Beat the butter until light and fluffy
  2. Add the dulce de leche, ajerkoniak and instant coffee, beat until light and fluffy
  3. Crush meringues, and stir into the caramel buttercream
  4. Spread over the cake and chill
  5. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons water
  6. Warm in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the gelatin, cool
  7. Beat cream until soft peaks form, continue to beat while slowly adding sugar and vanilla
  8. When the beaters are leaving a track in the cream, add the gelatin
  9. Spread the whipped cream over the buttercream layer
  10. Use a microplaner or a box grater to shave chocolate over the cream
  11. Refrigerate until ready to serve, cut into small cubes

Notes

If you don’t want to be one of those bakers with a dozen liqueur bottles on the shelf (not that I see anything wrong with that, but it gets expensive), mini-bottles are just the right size for this recipe. Total Wine and More is a great source for mini-bottles of just about everything.

Using dissolved gelatin to stabalize whipped cream is a great trick. It will keep the cream from seperating and getting runny if you need to make it in advance.

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. 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.

 

 

Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll

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Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll, is very popular in southwestern Pennsylvania where Ed grew up. My mother-in- law would often make Makowiec and similar rolls with a nut or apricot filling. It’s a must have for Easter and Christmas in Polish homes, but it’s not saved for these special occasions. You might see it offered regularly for drugie śniadanie, second breakfast.

Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll a must have for Easter and Christmas

Janet recently asked on the PH Facebook page if I had a Makowiec recipe, which prompted this post. This recipe is adapted from OlgaSmile.com, a popular Polish food blog.

Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll a must have for Christmas and Easter

Makowiec, especially this truly Polish version, isn’t very sweet, so American palates may prefer it with a little glaze poured over the top to add a little sweetness to each bite.

Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll a must have dessert for Christmas or Easter pastry

Like all traditional recipes, every family will put their own spin on Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll. You’ll find variations in the recipe notes.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll a must have for Easter and Christmas

Makowiec Polish Poppy Seed Roll

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Yield: 2 rolls
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A soft yeast bread wrapped around a poppy seed filling

Ingredients

  • for the dough:
  • 1 cup (250 ml) milk
  • 4 teaspoons (15 g) sugar
  • 2 packets (14 g) yeast
  • 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • for the filling:
  • 10 ounces (300 g) poppy seeds
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 2 egg whites
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • for glaze (optional);
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk

Instructions

  1. Cover the poppy seeds in boiling water and let sit for a few hours or overnight
  2. Heat the milk to 110 F (43 C), pour into a large bowl
  3. Stir in the sugar and the yeast, let sit for 5 minutes
  4. Stir in the flour, salt, egg yolk, butter, and vanilla, kneading my hand to work in all of the flour
  5. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let rise until doubled in size about 90 minutes
  6. While the dough rises, strain the water from the poppy seeds using a paper towel lined colander
  7. Grind the poppy seeds in a spice (clean electric coffee grinder) or a food processor, you’ll get the best results with a spice grinder, but you’ll have to process in batches
  8. Mix sugar, butter, egg whites, honey, ground raisins (process in your spice grinder or just add to the food processor and mix) and almond extract
  9. Punch down the dough, and divide in two
  10. Roll each piece into a 14 inch x 10 inch rectangle
  11. Spread half of the poppy seed filling in each rectangle, avoiding the edges
  12. Roll up (on the long side), pinching to seal the dough, tucking the end underneath and pinching to keep the filling from leaking out
  13. Place the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down
  14. Cover with dish towel and let rise 35-40 minutes
  15. Preheat over to 350 F (175 C)
  16. Brush with egg beaten with oil, bake for 35 minutes
  17. Cool
  18. (Optional) stir milk into powdered sugar and pour/drizzle over the rolls
  19. Cut into 1/2 inch slices

 

Żurek (a Polish Rye Soup)

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The Żurek was the first Polish food I sampled in Poznan, as you can see from this post back in October 2009, recounting our visit to Restauracja Ratuszova, a fantastic place for traditional dishes in the Stary Rynek. Before I describe it, let me say that Żurek is delicious and a hearty soup, but it will sound most unusual to Americans. I can’t think of a comparable soup made in the states.

Zurek

I wish I could tell you where to get or how to make this bread bowl. This photo is from the Polish restaurant I mentioned.

The Żurek broth is made with soured rye flour. Think sour dough starter, but thinner in consistency. If you live in Poland, you can pick up a bottle of zakwas (the sour liquid) at any market, but when you live in Arizona, you have to make your own, and that’s what I did. It’s not difficult it just takes a little advance planning. You’ll need to start this 5 days in advance.

ŻurekŻurek is a traditional Easter breakfast dish in Poland. The soup will include a spicy white sausage, to celebrate and mark the end of Lenten fasting. I’ve been told that Żurek served during Lent will be served without all of the meat, but ordering it in restaurants, I never noticed a difference based on the liturgical calendar.

 

What you can bet on is that there are limitless variations of this soup, by region, by family. Earlier this year, someone on Facebook rigorously critiqued one of my soup recipes because I had used celery and that wasn’t traditional. The thing is, I could easily point to at least half a dozen food blogs written in Polish that include celery or celery root in this soup. Maybe her mother or grandmother just didn’t like celery. A new tradition is born. I knew what I was writing was legit, but it felt like she was calling me a fraud. Blogging, it’s not for the faint of heart. 😉

A reader similarly took Anne Applebaum and Danielle Crittenden to task when a newspaper published their Żurek soup recipe which they also referred to as Biały (White) Barszcz. The reader said the two soups were not the same, and that Anne Applebaum should know better. You can find their cookbook here (via my Amazon affiliate link).

zurek

Olga Smile a popular Polish food blogger says that in her family, it was considered White Barszcz if they added cream, white sausage, marjoram. Without these, the plainer version, they considered Żurek, but even Olga says the distinction is fluid. I don’t know enough to weigh in on this argument, so I’ll leave you with this recipe and say add or subtract to your heart’s content, which to my mind is normal when making soup.

Smacznego!

Lois

PS – speaking of fraud, a few hours after my knee replacement surgery, I noticed that the photo of my bean soup post on facebook wasn’t loading the way I wanted, so I replaced it with a photo and a seperate link. My friend, Gosia, said that’s probably delicious, but it’s not bean soup. She’s right, it was this photo of zurek. I blame it on the drugs! 🙂

Amazon sends me a few cents if you make a purchase via the links above

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Zurek

Żurek (a Polish Rye Soup)

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 90 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 6 - 8 servings
  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A hearty soup with a sour broth often served in elaborate rye bread bowls

Ingredients

for zakwas (the sour liquid):

  • 5 tablespoons rye flour
  • Crust from a slice of rye bread (optional)
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 5 allspice berries

for the soup:

  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 pound Polish sausage or brautwurst, sliced
  • 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • 1 large parsnip, sliced
  • 1/2 celery root, peeled and diced
  • 6 – 8 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoon horseradish (fresh grated or jarred)
  • 2 tablesppons cream
  • hard boiled eggs

Instructions

for the zakwas (the sour liquid)

  1. Add the flour and crust (if you’re using it) to a large jar
  2. Add the water, garlic, bay leaves, and allspice
  3. Mix thoroughly, as it sits, it will seperate with the flour sinking to the bottom
  4. Cover the jar with a paper towel or kitchen towel (I like to secure it with a large rubber band)
  5. Let sit for five days, giving it a swirl daily to mix

for the soup:

  1. Brown the bacon and sasage in a Dutch oven
  2. Add the onion, carrot, parsnip and celery root
  3. Add water and bay leaf and garlic, simmer for 40 minutes
  4. Add the potatoes and marjoram, cook until the potatoes are tender
  5. Add 2 cups of the zakwas (strained or flour mixed in, your choice) if you want the soup more sour, add the remaining zakwas
  6. Season with salt and pepper
  7. Add horseradish and cream
  8. Return to a boil and remove from heat
  9. Serve by garnishing with hard boiled egg, halved, quarted, or diced

Notes

Some cooks will make a broth with the soup veg and discard the vegetables before proeeding. I prefer to eat them. Fiber is good for you.

Some cooks will cook the potatoes seperately before adding to the soup. I wanted them to cook in the soup, the starch adding thickness to the broth.

 

Sausage in a Jar (Biała Kiełbasa w Słoikach)

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Many of our friends in Poznań grew up in rural villages and still have family on a farm. Specials occasions such as Easter or a wedding call for slaughtering a hog. We were often the reciepiants of homemade pate and sausages made for these celebrations. My favorite? White sausage in a jar (biała kiełbasa w słoikach)! It’s delicious paired with a good bread.
Sausage in a jar

Major Demel was one known to send us treats like sausages. When Ed told him that I especially liked his white sausage in a jar, that I would have a little bit everyday. Major Demel sent a warning, that I should be sure to have a little vodka with it to protect my liver!

When we weren’t the lucky reciepiants of white sausage in a jar, I could buy it on Saturday morings at Bio/Green (organic) market in Plac Bernardyński. There was an organic butcher that set up shop in a little refrigerated truck. He always had the longest line. Seriously, people would wait for 30 or 40 minutes to buy from this butcher. Thinking back, I don’t remember anyone cutting in front of us in line. Which makes this unique as queing up experiences go in Poland.

I’ve always wanted to find a recipe for white sausage in a jar (biała kiełbasa w słoikach), so that I’d be able to make it myself when we returned home. A search of the internet and I found several recipes to translate. As I read through the ingredients, I realized that the flavors are the same as smalec. You’ll find garlic, salt, marjoram, and pork. The sausage is just more meaty.

Sausage in a Jar

 

The cooking process described in Polish recipes calls for heating the sausage inside the jar three times. It is commonly accepted in Poland that after being cooked three times, that the sausage in a jar in shelf-stable and can be kept for months without refrigeration. The process is known as Tyndallization. Heating will kill bacteria, but not the spores. Leaving the jars at room temperature between heating allows the spores to germinate into bacterial cells which can be destroyed by a subsequent heating. I don’t know a lot about canning, but this doesn’t seem to match modern American thinking on the subject.

I will play it safe and refrigerate my sausage since I’m make a small amount and have room in the refrigerator. I probably shouldn’t worry. I’ve heard stories about my grandmother cooking sausage when they butchered a hog on the ranch. She would pack the cooked meat in a barrel and then pour melted lard over it to fill in any space and seal out any air. I suspect the barrel was kept in the root cellar for months. A long way from modern refrigeration. I faced a similar challenge when I made ajerkoniak. When putting bacteria up against grain alcohol, I trusted the Polish advice and left it in the cupboard.

I’m not sure what it is about this sausage that makes it different for me. Maybe it’s because it’s cooked very slowly, in a very moist environment. I realized one morning as a was warming up some of this sausage to serve with fried eggs for breakfast that it, in appearance anyway, resembled Spam. Spam, the nemmisis of every camping trip I took as a child. Don’t let that put you off. There’s something about using good cuts of meat and delicious spices that set the two worlds apart!

Smacznego!

Lois

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Sausage in a Jar

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Yield: 4 pint jars
  • Category: Main
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Description

A wonderfully seasoned preserved pork

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds pork
  • 1 pound bacon
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon spoon marjoram
  • 2 teaspoon black pepper
  • A few sprigs of marjoram or thyme

Instructions

  1. Coarsely grind the pork and bacon (or do a fine dice on 1/3 of the pork and mix it with the ground meat)
  2. Run the garlic though a garlic press and add to the raw meat
  3. Add the sugar and seasonings
  4. Boil water and let it cool, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to the meat mixture
  5. Pack the mixture into sterile jars, using the back of a spoon to push out pockets of air
  6. Using a clean cloth or paper towel, wipe the tops of the jars to ensure a good seal
  7. Screw on lids
  8. Place jars in a large pot, add water 3/4 the height of the jars
  9. Bring to a boil, simmer for one hour
  10. Cool, leaving jars at room temp
  11. Repeat the cooking procedure the following day, boiling for 40 minutes, again leaving the jars at room temp
  12. Repeat the cooking process again on the third day, this time boiling for 30 minutes
  13. The white sausage in a jar is now ready to store as you wish

 

 

Mazurek (Polish Easter Pastry)

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The word mazurek can be a dance and type of music.  It’s a surname and also one of the traditional Easter cakes in Poland – although it will seem more like a tart to American readers. Let’s take a look at Mazurek (Polish Easter Pastry).

Mazurek (Polish Easter Pastry)

Mazurek starts off with a shortbread-like crust, which may be topped with a layer or combination of layers consisting of fruit jam, dried fruit, a thick caramel, chocolate, or nuts.  Like so many foods in Poland, the tarts are beautifully decorated, in patterns, a pussy willow design (a symbol of spring and used in places of palms on Palm Sunday), or with “Wesolego Alleluja” (Happy Easter) piped in meringue or chocolate ganache.

I got to sample several mazurki when we lived in Poland.  This is the first year, I’m trying my hand making Mazurek (Polish Easter Pastry) for our tradition of hosting an afternoon tea party on Easter Day.

I’m making a rectangular one with a caramel topping, decorated with piped chocolate ganache, sliced almonds, and dried apricots. My second mazurek is egg shaped, topped with Nutella (actually the Jif brand of chocolate hazelnut spread because I find it less runny). The egg shape I’m decorating with pastry cutouts, white ganache piping, and Tic-Tac mints to create a pussy-willow branch.

egg mazurek

The sweet, shortcrust dough is very dry and a little challenging to roll out. If you’re pressed for time, or want to involve children in the process, you might substitute purchased sugar cookie dough (something easy to find in the USA). Slice it, pat it into the pan, and finish according to the recipe instructions. I don’t think anyone will be any the wiser, and you’ll avoid a lot of purist pastry hassle.

Mazurek makes a beautiful centerpiece for your Easter table, and when it’s time to slice into it, you’ll have a delicious dessert!

Smacznego!

Lois

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Mazurek (Polish Easter Pastry)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A decorated tart for Easter

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry:

  • 2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup butter (150g) butter
  • 7 tablespoons (80g) sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons milk

Toppings:

  • heaping 1/2 cup (150g) jam, preferably sour, such as plum, marmalade, or black currant
  • 1 can Dulce de leche (400 or 500g), or can sweet condensed milk
  • almonds, chocolate, dried apricots for decoration

Instructions

  1. If using a can of sweet condensed milk, it should be cooked in a pot of water on a low heat for 3 hours. (The can MUST be covered by water the entire time), this will caramelize the sweetened condensed milk
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C)
  3. Combine the flour, butter, and sugar until uniform
  4. Add in the egg and milk, work the dough until it comes together; it will be crumbly, I used a food processor
  5. Form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap
  6. Refrigerate for at least one hour
  7. Roll out the dough, directly on parchment paper to a rectangle, slightly larger than a 9 x 13 inch pan (my Polish pottery dish was 10.5 x 12.5 inches or 26 x 32 cm)
  8. Trim the dough to the size of your pan
  9. Place the dough, on the parchment, into the pan
  10. If you’re making a free form shape, such as an egg, roll out the dough on the parchment, use two round shapes, one larger than the other to get the rounded top and bottom of your egg, trim using straight lines between the two arcs to create your egg shape, move dough on the parchment to a baking sheet
  11. Roll the dough you’ve trimmed off into long ropes, use these to create a edge around your pastry, dams to hold in the filling, cut out a rabbit or chick for decoration, small items will brown more quickly
  12. Spread jam on the dough
  13. Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown, approx. 25 min, cool
  14. Spread with dulce de leche or caramelized sweetened condensed milk and decorate as desired

Now that you know what a typical Polish mazurek is like, in my next post, I’ll tell you about a another variation on this pastry.