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Polish Housewife

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

Polish Desserts

Truskawka z bitą śmietaną i bezy (Polish strawberries, whipped cream & meringue)

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Truskawka z bitą śmietaną i bezy (Polish strawberries, whipped cream & meringue) is something I first sampled at Elzbieta’s home, my dear Polish friend with whom I’ve had so many fun culinary adventures. Spending the day in Swarzędz with Elzbieta always meant sharing at least one meal together and maybe a bike ride or paddling around the lake. One memorable day, Ela put together a delicious dessert made of diced strawberries, crumbled meringue kisses and whipped cream. Minimal ingredients and preparation provided maximum taste!

These are flavors and textures popular around the world. Think Pavlova, only easier. This recipe is also known as Eaton Mess, a dessert thought to originate at Eaton College in the late 1800s. I will contend that there was a Polish cook in the kitchen. 😉

I’m using purchased meringues, so this can literally be prepared in just a few minutes, rinse and dice strawberries, whip some cream, tu jest, there it is!

Truskawka z bitą śmietaną i bezy (Polish strawberries, whipped cream & meringue) need to be part of your summer! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. If I’ve tempted you to make this, please rate the recipe 5 stars in your comment. Dzieki! xxx

Smacznego!

Lois

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Truskawka z bitą śmietaną i bezy (Polish strawberries, whipped cream & meringue)

  • Author: polishhousewife
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Description

The flavor and texture of Pavlova without all the work!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 – 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (to taste)
  • 1 cup of diced strawberries
  • 1 cup of meginue kisses, crushed

Instructions

  1. Whip chilled cream with vanilla and powdered sugar until soft peaks form
  2. Option A: layer cream, then strawberries, and then crumbled meringue into individual serving dishes
  3. Option B: Combine cream, berries, and merginue, scoop to serve

 

 

Wuzetka – WZ Ciasto – Polish Chocolate Cream Cake

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Wuzetka – WZ Ciasto – Polish Chocolate Cream Cake, which I have also heard described as a cream filled pie (no!), gets its name from the street that housed the bakery that was the first to make the creamy chocolate treat in the early 1940s. The bakery was located on Warsaw’s East – West route, East – West in Polish being Wschod – Zachod. Other professional bakers began to make the eye-catching cake, and home bakers joined in too.

Wuzetka - WZ Ciasto - Polish Chocolate Cream Cake

It’s two layers of a light chocolate spunge, soaked in syrup and filled with stabilized whipped cream and topped with chocolate ganache. YUM! Some recipes will have you bake two thin cakes, some will have you bake one and split it. To a certain extent, it depends on the kind of pans you happen to have. I was afraid my 8 inch square would be too small, so I baked one thin layer in an 11 x 15 inch jelly roll (cookie sheet with raised edge) pan and cut the cake down the middle of the pan to get my two layers.

This is one of those many cakes, so popular in Poland that you’ll see cut with geometric precision. My knife work isn’t that precise. I figure that I can always trim the edges to get clean straight lines even if it’s not a perfect cube.

We served this cake for Father’s Day. I’m sure you’ll find an occasion that will be made even more festive by serving Wuzetka – WZ Ciasto – Polish Chocolate Cream Cake, and while mine was very tasty, I know yours will be better. I say that with no false modesty. Your WZ cake will be better because you won’t forget the baking powder!

Smacznego!

Lois

 

 

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Wuzetka – WZ Ciasto – Polish Chocolate Cream Cake

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
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Description

A Polish chocolate cake filled with cream and topped with ganache!

Ingredients

for the cake:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 eggs, seperated
  • pinch salt
  • 2/3 cup sugar

for the syrup:

  • 1/4 cup cherry vodka (option, use 1/4 water if you don’t want alcohol
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

for the filling:

  • 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • 1 quart heavy cream, less 2 tablespoon (reserve for ganache)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla or 2 tablespoons cheery vodka
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

for ganache:

  • 1 cup of chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 tablespooons butter
  • cherries for garnish

Instructions

for the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Sift the flour, corn starch, cocoa powder, and baking powder
  3. Seperate the eggs (be sure that none of the yolk gets in with the whites, the fat will keep them from whipping up), beat the whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form
  4. Cream yolks with sugar for several minutes, until light and fluffy, stir flour mixture into the yolks
  5. Fold in the egg whites, in four small batches
  6. Grease pan (11 x 15) and line with parchment paper, spread batter into pan and bake for 15 minutes or until it springs back when touched lightly in the center, cook, cut into two layers, 7.5 x 11 inches each

for other components and assembly:

  1. place one cake layer on serving platter bottom side up or in parchment lined pan (let the parchment hang over the edge so you can use it to lift the cake out of the pan)
  2. Combine the cherry vodka, hot water, cocoa , and powdered sugar, spoon over the bottom layer of cake
  3. Sprinkle gelatin over 5 tablespoons water, heat just until it dissolves, and cool to room temp
  4. Whip cream with vanilla (or cherry vodka) and powdered sugar until soft peaks form, add gelatin, whip until stiff peaks form
  5. Reserve enough whipped cream to decorate the top, spread the remainder over the bottom layer, top with second cake layer, place it bottom side up, and spoon syrup over the top layer (you may not use all the syrup, but don’t miss any spots)
  6. Place chocolate chips, cream, and butter in a bowl, microwave for 45 seconds, stir until dissolved, heating for a few more seconds if necessary, stir until smooth and shinny, spread over top layer and refrigetate
  7. Before serving, cut into squares and top with a piped star or dollop of whipped cream and a cherry

Wuzetka - WZ Ciasto - Polish Chocolate Cream Cake #polishrecipe #polishfood #polishhousewife #ciasto PolishHousewife.com

Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream)

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I have an important piece of foodie advice for you. When you visit Poland, you must eat ice cream, eat the ice cream at every opportunity. It’s just wonderful. While I’m trying to recreate a Polish ice cream, not too sweet, I can only get so close with this Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream) because I’m using American dairy products. I have nothing against Americnan dairy, but it’s just better in Poland. I’m not sure why. Smaller farms, less commercial production process? Different grass? Happier cows? I can’t say, but I found everything from ice cream to yogurt to cream cheese to just have more flavor.

Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream)

You’ll notice a theme here, the other main ingredient is peaches, in this case from our little Desert Gold peach tree. After peach cocktails, peach barbecue sauce, and peach cake, this batch of peach ice cream finished off the harvest.

Find some yummy peaches and try Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream).

Smacznego!

Lois

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Lody Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Ice Cream)

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 3 hours
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 10 servings
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Description

Smooth and creamy with a light peach flavor

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoonflour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 4 cups ripe peaches, peeled and diced
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon or rum (optional)

Instructions

  1. Whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt until well combined
  2. Over medium heat, warm milk until it begins to steam, very slowly, add hot mixture to the eggs a tablespoon at a time, blending after each addition, as the cold egg mixute begins to warm, you can add a little more with each addition, but don’t rush it, you don’t want scrambled eggs
  3. Once it’s all combined, return to the saucepan, and over medium heat, stirring (from the bottom of the pot) constantly, cook for 15 – 20 minutes, it will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and you should be able to leave a clean trail by tracing your finger over the back of the spoon
  4. Remove from heat, cool, chill at least a couple of hours or overnight
  5. Puree peaches and add to custard, pour into ice cream freeze and process according to manufacturer instructions until firm, add bourbon or rum just before finished (don’t add too much, the alcohol will keep it from freezing)
  6. Move to the freezer for another hour or two before serving

Ciasto Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Cake)

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Ciasto Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Cake) is just one of the many peach recipes I’ve made this week after picking about 5 pounds of peaches from our Desert Gold peach tree last Sunday. This variety ripens early and does well in the desert. The peaches are on the small side, but thet are so juicy and absolutely delicious. I’ve whipped up a peach cocktail and a peach barbecue sauce, and I’m not out of peaches yet!

I don’t know about you, may it depends on where one lives, but I’d gotten to the point where I’d stopped buying fresh peaches. I was just so tired of getting home with fruit that was so far from ripe and had no flavor at all. It seemed like baking with canned or frozen peaches was just more of a sure thing. You can imagine how happy I was to find I could grow peaches in Zone 9. I’ve taken to tieing paper lunch bags around the peaches about the time the birds become interested. It protects them for the last week or two while they ripen on the tree. I’m happy to share, but this seems to be the only way to insure that we get a few. I’m sure the birds went through more than an equal amount.

This is a pound cake like recipe, buttery but with a fluffly light texture, topped with sliced peaches. I made sort of a lattice pattern, but you can do whatever you like. Circles, lines, concentric squares. Like most Polish desserts, it’s not too sweet and emphasizes natural flavors, a nice treat after a meal or with a cup of tea or coffee. If you find some yummy ripe peaches, try making Ciasto Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Cake). You won’t be disappointed!

Smacznego!

Lois

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Ciasto Brzoskwiniowe (Peach Cake)

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 40 min
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 - 16 servings
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Description

A simple, delicious cake topped with sliced peaches

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2  cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, (or 1 teaspoon vinegar and milk to make 1/2 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups peeled and sliced peaches
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Beat butter, add sugar and bear for a couple of minutes, add eggs one and a time and beat until light and fluffy, another 3 – 5 minutes
  3. Combine dry ingredients and add to batter alternating with buttermilk and vanilla
  4. Pour into prepared (greased and dusted with flour or use baking spray) 9 x 13 inch pan
  5. Top with sliced peaches and bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and top springs back when touched lightly
  6. Cool, lighty dust with powdered sugar before serving

Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake

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A reader asked if I had a good recipe for Pope’s Cake, something that was new to me. I hope this, Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake, will fit the bill. A little research told me that kremówka (cream cookie), pastry cream sandwiched between two layers of puff pastry, very similar to the French Napoleaon, became famous when Pope John Paul II reminisced about the pastry from a bakery in his hometown of Wadowice.

All of my research and my own experience leads to me make a couple of recommendations regarding the top and bottom crust of the pastry. Poke the puff pastry many times with a fork before it goes in the oven, to let out steam as it’s baking, and hopefully keeping it somewhat flatter. In addition, you might after “forking” the crust, cover with parchment and a cooling rack, a little something to hold it down. You want the light crisp layers, but you don’t want a lot of airy space in between the layers. Or maybe consider making a rough puff pastry, which should give you a flaky crust but with a little less volume, but let’s face it, what could be easier than using frozen puff pastry?

Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake

 

The first batch I baked, I did nothing to, other than roll it a tiny bit, The height, out of the box, was just right for my baking sheets, so I rolled it to be about 1.5 – 2 inches wider. I put it in the oven an didn’t check it for 15 minutes. By that time, it was already puffed up at least 4 inches high, a ridiculous amount for a top and bottom crust. . . insert quick trip to the grocery store. . . the second time I baked puffed pastry, I decided to bake only one sheet, cutting it in half for the top and bottom crusts. Using half a sheet was ideal because it gave me the desired thickness of pastry cream.

I poked the sheets with a fork every inch or so, I put parchment paper and an upside-down cooling rack on top of the poked pastry, removing the “toppers” for the last two minutes to baking to be sure the pastry could dry out. This time, my frozen puff pastry only got to be about an inch thick, a marked improvement, but still a little thick for my purposes. I split it in half crosswise, giving me top and bottom crusts of about 1/2 an inch in thickness. Perfect! Finally!

I’ll tell you that I lost my nerve and didn’t cook the pastry cream quite long enough. When chilled, it wasn’t setting up firm enough to use as a filling in this recipe. So in order to save it, I first added some gelatin by softening a bit of unflavored gelatin in water and then heating until it dissolved, and cooling to room temp. This is the process I use to stabilize whipped cream. I chilled again for a few hours, but it was still too runny. Next, I put it back on the heat and stirred in a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch into about 1/4 cup of water and I whisked this slurry into the custard, cooking it until it was steaming and just beginning to bubble. It cooled over night, and it was finally enough. Whether it was the addition time or the corn starch that made the difference, I can’t say, but I was very relieved.

I hope your Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake turns out perfectly!

Smacznego!

Lois

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Kremówka Papieska or Papal Cream Cake

  • Author: Polish Housewife
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Description

A rich vanilla pastry cream sandwiched between crisp puff pastry, a favorite with Saint John Paul II

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 vanilla bean or 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup corn starch
  • 1 cup butter
  • powdered sugar for decorating

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F, divide frozen puff pastry into two equal pieces, poke at 1 inch intervals with a fork, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, top with parchment, and an upside down cooling rack, bake for 15 minutes, remove top parchment and cooling rack, bake at least 2 minutes more or until golden brown, cool
  2. Pour milk into saucepan, slice vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds and add to milk (or vanilla extract) heat almost to boil
  3. In a bowl beat egg yolks and sugar until light yellow and fluffy, add corn starch and mix until well combined, very slowly (a spoonful at a time in the beginning) add hot milk, stirring constantly
  4. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until very thick, some say it should coat the back of a spoon and running your finger through it should leave a clear path, cool to room temp covered with plastic wrap, pushed down on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming
  5. When completely cool, whisk in softened butter
  6. Depending on the height of the puff pastry, either use one piece as the bottom crust or spilt one and use the bottom half, spread with pastry cream, cover with the second, top half and press gently, use a spatula to smooth out the sides, refrigerate overnight
  7. The next day cut into rectangles with a light sawing motion, not with pressure
  8.  Before serving, generously dust with powdered sugar.

 

 

Babka Maślana z Rumem (Butter Rum Pound Cake)

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The last time I made Babka Maślana z Rumen we had just returned to Poznań. If you think this sounds delicous, please let me know it the comments and rate it ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐.

Babka Maslana z Rumem

We both returned from the states a couple of days ago – Ed from the Ryder Cup in Chicago, me from Arizona and parts west.  We’ve almost recovered from the jet lag, but decided to stay in Friday night.  We were tempted to go out looking for dessert, but I chose instead to whip up one of Ed’s favorites, this butter rum flavored pound cake, or as they would call it in Poland Babka Maślana z Rumen.  It’s been out of the oven for two hours, and one quarter of the cake is gone.  This could be dangerous.  Maybe it is wiser to go “out” for sweets!

I think you’ll love the butter-rum flavor of Babka Maślana z Rumem. Check the recipes notes for the Polish trick to a perfect release on your bundt cakes!

Smacznego!

Lois

 

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Babka Maslana z Rumem (Butter Rum Pound Cake)

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 25 min
  • Cook Time: 60 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A moist baking powder babka topped with a butter rum sauce

Ingredients

for the cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1teaspoon vinegar & enough milk to make 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla

for the sauce
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon rum extract

Instructions

  1. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time
  2. Combine dry ingredients and add to batter alternating with buttermilk and vanilla
  3. Pour batter into a lightly buttered 9 x 5 loaf pan or a small bundt pan. (I sprayed the pan with Baker’s Joy this time.  It’s the only time I’ve ever had a bundt cake come out of the pan perfectly!)
  4. Bake for approximately one hour at 325 degrees
  5. Cool the cake for 10 minutes, remove from pan
  6. While cake is cooking, combine all of the sauce ingredients, heat until the sugar dissolves
  7. Poke holes in the bottom of the cake and spoon the sauce over the bottom.  (I removed the cake from the pan because I’ve had trouble getting it out when the sauce cools and sticks to the pan.  I used a very long decorating tip to fill the cake with rum sauce from the bottom.  A basting needle would be a good tool too.  About half of the sauce was squirted into the bottom of the cake, the other half was drizzled over the top.)

Notes

Another alternative to keep your bundt cake from sticking to the pan, butter the dish and then dust with bread crumbs!

 

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

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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.