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Polish Housewife

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

Polish Desserts

Pierniczki Polish Gingerbread Cookies

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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

★★★★★ 5 from 1 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.

 

 

Rogale swietomarcinskie St. Martin’s Croissants

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November 3, 2017–You’ll find my original post below, which includes links to a lot of interesting info about Rogale swietomarcinskie St. Martin’s Croissants and St. Martin’s Day in Poznan. I’ve updated the recipe this year with a quick and easy way to make a smaller croissant and a smaller batch. I actually prefer my new version. The pastry is tender and light and just the right size!
Much like Champagne (it must come from France), the real rogale switomarchinskie can only be made in Poznan and only by certain bakers, and by law it must be at least 250 grams, or half a pound! This year I made a small batch of the filing, scaling it down for the 1.25 ounce jar of poppy seeds that I picked up at my American supermarket.
I’ve also include a quick video to help you through the piping and rolling process. You cut a little notch on the small part of your dough triangle. This serves two purposes, it helps to distribute the filing throughout the pastry, and it keeps the middle from being too thick, insuring more uniform baking.

Smacznego!
Lois
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Rogale swietomarcinskie St. Martin’s Croissants

★★★★ 4 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 12 mins
  • Total Time: 22 mins
  • Yield: 16
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A quick and easy version of a traditional Polish pastry!

Ingredients

  • small jar (1.25 ounces) poppy seeds
  • 3/8 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped almonds
  • 1/4 cup shortbread cookie crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cans of crescent roll dough

for glaze and topping:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • milk, enough to make a spreadable consistency, it won’t take much
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts

Instructions

  1. Process the poppy seeds, walnuts, raisins, almonds, and cookie crumb in food processor until texture is uniform and fine
  2. Transfer to a small saucepan and add cream, powdered sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt
  3. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly
  4. Remove from heat, stir in almond extract
  5. Cool
  6. Open crescent roll dough and seperate into 16 triangles, make a 1 inch cut into the short part of the triangle (the side where you’ll begin rolling up the dough)
  7. Put the cooled filling into a pastry bag of plastic sandwich bag, snip off the tip or corner to give you an opening that’s about 1/2 inch across
  8. Pipe the filling in a Y shape along the dough
  9. Roll up the dough, giving a horseshoe shape to the roll
  10. Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes
  11. Cool
  12. Combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk
  13. Spread with glaze and sprinkle with finely chopped peanuts
Rogale swietomarcinskie (St. Martin's Croissants)

November 9, 2011–I’ve been wanting to make Rogale swietomarcinskie St. Martin’s Croissants, a local specialty for a long time.  It’s traditionally made for November 11th, St. Martin’s Day.  The first year Ed was in Poland, he told me about them.  The second year, he put one in the freezer for me because I was coming for a visit just a week later.  I began reading recipes online back in August.  So you can imagine how thrilled I was to be invited to a  Rogale swietomarcinskie workshop hosted by the head of the bakers’ guild.  That was so much fun, and I picked up some good tips.  And now I know that if I make thousands, this pastry dough will become a simple matter for me, as it was for the professional bakers.  It wasn’t simple today.

The filing was easy to put together.   I can see myself using this in other ways – in thumb print cookies, in kolachi rather than a canned filling.  The dough was such a chore to prepare that it maybe be prepared less frequently.  The professionals have a giant rolling machine that I would love to have.  I think with that roller, I could be unstoppable – making fresh croissants every couple of days.  I would have to be riding my bike every waking moment that I wasn’t in the kitchen.

Source:  This recipe is adapted from  Regionalna Kuchnia Polska, a cookbook I picked up in the train station and have been translating with the help of google.  

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Rogale swietomarcinskie (St. Martin’s Croissants)

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

A flaky crossiant with an almond poppy seed filling!

Ingredients

filling:

  • 2/3 cup poppy seeds, white poppy seeds prefereable
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 2/3 cup chopped almonds
  • 1/2 cup shortbread cookie crumbs
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • pinch salt
  • 1 tablespoon almond extract

pastry:

  • 7/8 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 packet dry yeast
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter chilled,sliced

egg wash:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • milk or cream, to create spreadable consistency

Instructions

filling:

  1. With a steel blade, process poppy seeds, walnuts, raisins, almonds, and cookie crumbs in food processor until the texture is a coarse meal
  2. Dump the mixture into a sauce pan , add cream, sugar, butter, and salt
  3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, the mixture will still ooze a little
  4. As it cools it will become more firm
  5. Stir in almond extract, cool

pastry:

  1. Heat milk to 110 degrees.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons butter, yeast, and sugar.
  3. Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes, should be foamy.
  4. Add egg yolks.
  5. Stir in flour and salt.
  6. Place in a clean bowl, cover the top of the dough with plastic wrap.
  7. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  8. Roll dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
  9. Top dough with butter slices.
  10. Fold dough into thirds, and roll it out to the original size
  11. Fold into thirds and roll 4 more times (you now have 243 layers of your original butter topped dough)
  12. Cut dough into long triangles
  13. Top with filling, I used my hands and rolled it into ropes 1 inch in diameter
  14. Roll up starting with the short side
  15. Place croissants on baking sheet , cover and let rise 30 minutes
  16. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  17. Combine egg, water, and oil. Lightly brush rolls with egg wash
  18. Bake until brown, about 15 – 20 minutes
  19. Remove from oven and frost with glaze made of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk
  20. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, or chopped peanuts

 

 

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.

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

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

 

Słodkie Placuszki z Jabłkiem – Polish Apple Fritters

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Słodkie Placuszki z Jabłkiem – Polish Apple Fritters are they fritters, doughnuts, or pancakes? By default, I’m calling them fritters. They’re fried in substantial oil, so I think that rules out pancakes, and since the apple slices are mixed in with the dough before cooking, that doesn’t sound like a doughnut, so fritter is the best pastry still standing.

Słodkie Placuszki z Jabłkiem – Polish Apple Fritters

The batter will be on the stiff side, more like a cake donut dough than a runny pancake batter, and it may seem as if there are too many apple slices, but it will all work out. Stir only until the slices are incorporated, you don’t want to overwork the dough. The dough will beautifully puff up around the slices during cooking.

Słodkie Placuszki z Jabłkiem – Polish Apple Fritters

. . . and then there were two.

These Apple Fritters could be served for dessert, breakfast, even a light supper, anytime you want something delicate and just a little sweet. In their book (available from my affiliate link)  From a Polish Country House Kitchen, the authors suggest serving Słodkie Placuszki z Jabłkiem – Polish Apple Fritters with a simple homemade apple sauce on the side. The recipe involves peeling and coring, and coarsely choppking 3 apples. Pour the apples in a microwave safe bowl and cover with water. Nuke for 3 – 6 minutes, until soft and most of the water has cooked off. Mash the apples with a fork and stir in a teaspoon each of sugar and cinnamon.

The fritter recipe is from Przyslij Przepis.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Słodkie Placuszki z Jabłkiem – Apple Fritters

  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 10-12
  • Category: Dessert
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Description

A cinnamon scented batter with apple slices

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (I used Galas)
  • Oil for frying
  • Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, milk, and salt in a bowl using a mixer or wooden spoon
  2. Add sliced apples and stir gently
  3. Heat oil, 1/2 inch deep, in a frying pan over medium high heat
  4. Spoon batter into pan, spreading a bit with the back of the spoon, making fritters that are 3-4 inches across, (you’ll cook multiple batches) cooking both sides until golden brown
  5. Remove and drain on paper towlels
  6. Dust with powdered sugar
  7. Serve warm

 

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

Nalesniki Polish Pancakes

by 9 Comments

Readers Rozia and Stan have requested a recipe for Nalesniki, Polish Pancakes. They’ve been on my to do list for some time, so let me bump Nalesniki to the top this week. If American pancakes are your point of comparison, you’ll find the Polish version, closer to the French crepe. They’re very thin and meant to be filled and folded or rolled, not stacked and covered with maple syrup.

Nalesniki with Jam

Nalesniki can be sweet or savory. I can think of a couple of casual restaurants in Poznan that serve them. Pancake Square and Manekin, both serve Nalesniki almost exclusively. As for the savory versions, think of all the things we put in a flour tortilla or flat bread and call it a wrap. This is the same idea, but a very large crepe-like pancake, will be wrapped around the filling, folded into a neat little package to be consumed with a knife and fork. They’re not as portable as wraps. I’ve always found it mesmorizing to watch someone working the the large round grill, expertly spreading the batter, cooking it to perfection, and then folding with great precision. Fillings might include ground beef with cheese and cream sauce or a bolognese and cheese, or kebab meat and fixins. I’ve also added some chopped herbs to the batter and used the Nalesniki as my wrappers for krokiety or croquettes.

Herbed Nalesniki Krokiety Wrappers

A common sweet filling for Nalesniki is jam. Spread the pancake with plum jam, roll it up and you have dessert! Another great idea would be to spread with Nutella and add sliced bananas, fold into a nice rectangle or fold in half and half again for a triangle. Another option would be to thin a soft white cheese like twarog, ricotta, or marscapone with a little cream, add a handful of rasins, and a litte sugar. After wrapping your nalesniki around this sweet cheese filling, you could put it back on the grill to brown the crepe and soften and warm the cheese. You might also try adding half a cup of cocoa powder to the batter to make chocolate pancakes. It’s such a versitle recipe, just waiting for your creative input.

Source: From A Polish Sountry House Kitchen, available on Amazon via my affiliate link

Smacznego!

Lois

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Nalesniki Polish Pancakes

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 60 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
  • Yield: 15 pancakes
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

Thin crepe-like pancakes with sweet or savory fillings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup flour
  • pinch salt
  • vegetable oil as needed

Instructions

  1. Combine the yogurt, eggs, water, flour, and salt until smooth
  2. Cover and refrigerate for a minimun of 20 minutes or up to two hours
  3. Brush a small frying pan with oil, place over low heat
  4. When the pan is heated, add about 1/4 cup batter, tilt to help it spread
  5. Cook over low heat for about 2 mnutes
  6. Lift up one edge and flip
  7. Cook for 2 more minutes
  8. Adjust as needed, adding a spoon of water if the batter is too thick, adjust the heat if it’s cooking too fast or too slow
  9. Stack the pancake and cover
  10. Serve with desired filling

 

Kolaczki (Polish filled cookies)

by 32 Comments

Recipes know no borders, Kolaczki are popular in Poland as well as Czech Republic, Russia, Austria, Denmark, and probably more places. As you might expect there multiple spellings for this pastry, but Kolaczki seems the most Polish to me.

Kolaczki - Polish Cookies

Normally, I’d expect to see these on a Christmas cookie tray, but I made them recently, as things are starting to warm up in Tucson because I needed a breakfast pastry to share with new friends.

Earlier this year, Ed and I heard about a small group of people who gather at one of the bars in downtown Tucson early on Sunday mornings to watch Premier League football (soccer) from the UK.

The time difference does make for early matches in our time zone. Let’s just say that at 8:00 AM on a Sunday morning, there is no traffic; we have no trouble finding a parking place.

We found the most wonderful community. Small but tightly knit and very inviting. European football doesn’t have a huge following stateside, but these die hard fans support our local, semi-pro team, and on Sunday mornings, they get together to watch the big guys.

People will ask who we’re rooting for, but we don’t really have a favorite in the Premier League. It’s just fun to watch a good match, the more scoring the better.

Kolaczki - Polish Cookies

As I said, the customers and the bartender are very hospitable, every Sunday, someone stops to pick up donuts or cookies on their way. The box gets passed around the bar, and if you’re still hungry, about 9:00, they’ll serve breakfast to go with your coffee.

After a few weeks, Ed suggested that I bring something the following week. Thanks to all of you who chimed in on the PH facebook page when I asked about your favorite flavor.

In the end, I made apricot, probably the most popular response and cranberry because I had a big Costco sized bag in the pantry. A couple of recipes in particular inspired this baking: Allrecipes and The Spruce.

I cooked the dried fruit in a little water with a squirt of lemon juice and just a smidge of sugar until if was soft, then I blitzed it with an immersion blender. You could also use a canned filling or jam if you’re pressed for time.

The hard part was getting them to stay folded over while baking. I’m a pretty experienced baker and I was surprised by how stubbornly many of the Kolaczki opened up like a blooming flower while baking. It was a pity, but we had to eat those. I couldn’t take imperfect baked goods!

I’m sure I’ll be making these again.

Smacznego!

Lois

The Amazon links below are affiliate links, meaning Amazon sends me a few cents if you make a purchase

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Kolaczki - Polish Cookies

Kolaczki (Polish filled cookies)

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Polish Housewife
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Polish
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Description

A rich pastry with fruit fillings

Ingredients

For the pastry:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups butter
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling

  • 3/4 cup dried apricots (or other dried fruit)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Cream the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy
  2. Stir in flour and salt
  3. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour
  4. Preheat oven to 350
  5. Roll out the dough by first dusting the surface (mat or counter top) with sugar
  6. Roll to 1/4 inch and cut into 2 inch squares
  7. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each square
  8. Fold over opposite corners and seal well
  9. Bake for 15 minute or until corners just begin to brown
  10. Cool and dust with powdered sugar

For filling:

  1. Add apricots and water to a saucepan
  2. Add 2 tablespoons sugar
  3. Simmer until apricots are tender, about 15 minutes
  4. Mash or puree with immersion blender

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.

Paczki for Fat Thursday (Tlusty Czwartek)

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We ate Paczki for Fat Thursday when we lived in Poland, but this is the first year that I’ve made my own. Like everything else, homemade is always better. If I’m perfectly honest, I couldn’t understand the fuss about store-bought Paczki. It’s probably because I was, based on the appearance, expecting an American doughnut. I found the pastry itself too dense and bread-y and the jam too scant. Now that I’ve had homemade, I know that all of you who have enjoyed mama’s or babcia’s paczki were holding out on me!

Paczki for Fat Thursday

My own Paczki? The outside is crisp; the dough is rich and delicate, like an orange scented brioche. The jam, in my case orange marmalade, really is just an accent. As I said, homemade is always better! So with the last week of Karnawal approaching, let me urge you to make your own paczki for Fat Thursday.

Paczki for Fat Thrusday

Although I’ve doubled the flour used, I’ve used the recipe from Polish Cookery, the translation of Uniwersalna Ksiazka Kucharska (the Universal Cookbook, published in the early 1900s) by Marja Ochorowica-Monatowa, which bills itself as Poland’s best-selling cookbook adapted for American kitchens. This was the first of my many Polish cookbooks. It’s translated and adapted by Jean Karsavina, originally published in 1958. I have to agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Karsavina’s remarks in the preface:

Poland, like France, is a country where people really know food. One can stop at a peasant home in the country, a wayside inn, a modest restaurant in a working-class neighborhood, and be served a meal with remembering. Good food is tradition. Polish hospitality is legendary.

Gone from the original book in Polish are the recipes for Roast Boar’s Head and Turkey Garnished with Two Dozen Roast Field Thrushes, and the original author’s assertion that the book’s purpose was to “give brides a knowledge of how cooking is done, so that they may supervise the servants properly.” This was essential, Ms. Montowa says because, “everyone knows how apt servants are to cheat, especially if the lady of the house makes no attempt to interest herself in planning menus or fails to check bills and accounts. If,” she tells us, “there is time on one’s schedule for singing lessons, piano practice, water coloring, and fine embroidery, surely there is also a half-hours each day which can be made available for one’s housewifely duties. . .” It’s a long way from my great-grandmother who was raising 10 children, homesteading with her cattle-ranching husband in the Arizona Territory at the time. 😉

paczki with powdered sugar

Whether you are supervising the staff or making your own pastry in homage to a pioneer ancestors, I hope you’ll give Paczki for Fat Thursday a try this year, especially if you’ve never had homemade. Give Karnawal a good send off. My friend Klaudia tells me the nicest and most traditional jam to use it a rose jam, but you can certainly use other fruit jams or marmalade.

Smacznego!

Lois

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Paczki for Fat Thursday (Tlusty Czwartek)

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

A brioche-like, jam filled pastry eaten to mark the last week before Lent

Ingredients

  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 cups boiling milk
  • 1 packet of dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup lukewarm milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean pod, split and scraped
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • flour, jam, deep fat for frying

Instructions

  1. Stir 1 cup flour into boiling milk
  2. Remove from heat and beat until smooth
  3. Cool
  4. Dissolve yeast in the 1/4 cup milk
  5. Add to the four mixture
  6. Stir and let stand half an hour
  7. Cream egg yolks and sugar, add vanilla and orange rind
  8. Stir into the dough when it begins to rise
  9. Add remaining flour and butter and beat until it forms a sticky dough
  10. Cover and let stand 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size
  11. Turn out on a floured board, knead just a few times
  12. Divide dough in half and roll to 5/8 inch thich
  13. Cut out circles
  14. Place a teaspoon of jam, the fruit only, not runny syrup, on half of the circles
  15. Cover with remaining circles, press edges together
  16. Cover and let rise again
  17. Fry a few at a time in deep fat, 340 -345 F for about 4 minutes, taking care not to burn the dough
  18. Drain and serve rolled in powdered sugar, granulated sugar, or glaze

Notes

This cookbook layers the jam between two cutouts. If you have a long pastry tip, you could also pipe jam into paczki after frying.

 

pinterest paczki