Ukrainian Christmas Poppy Seed Rum Cake Makovyi Torte Recipes

UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS POPPY SEED RUM CAKE MAKOVYI TORTE

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Pour boiling water over seeds, let stand for 5 minutes, pour off water and repeat.
• Drain well.
• Grind with steel blade in processor until seeds release milk and turn white.
• Butter a 9 inch springform pan and dust it with ground almonds. (This may be done in advance.) Best to butter parchment paper to cover bottom of pan and sprinkle with ground almonds.
• Place poppy seeds and honey in a large bowl.
• Separate eggs.
• Add room-temperature yolks, one by one, to the mix, beating until thick.
• Stir in grated almonds and lemon zest.
• Beat egg whites until satiny but no dry.
• Fold a little into the mixture, then fold in the rest, until no white shows.
• Pour mixture into pan, rapping it gently to release air pockets, and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
• Do not open oven door or disturb the cake while baking.
• Cool slowly, not in a draft.
• Run a sharp knife around the sides, then slowly release the spring.
• Run a knife under the bottom and cool on rack.
• TO FILL CAKE: Cover work surface with double sheets of wax paper.
• With a sharp knife, make a small incision around the torte to mark where it should be cut in half.
• Make horizontal cuts at four equidistant points, then gently pull a long thread through the cake to cut it into two layers.
• Sprinkle bottom layer with 2 or 3 tablespoons of rum, and evenly spread rum butter filling about 3/4 inch thick.
• Cover with top layer and press gently.
• Cover the sides with the rest of the filling.
• Refrigerate overnight wrapped in foil.
• TO ICE CAKE, cover work surface or a lazy susan with wide double-strength foil.
• Apply a third of the icing to sides with a spatula, pulling from the bottom up.
• Wipe spatula occasionally to avoid pulling crumbs, and dip in hot water to smooth out ridges.
• With the rest of the icing, smoothly cover the top.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 days.
• Run a sharp knife around bottom to release icing from paper.
• Slide the torte onto one hand, pull off the remaining paper and gently place torte on serving platter, taking care not to crack the icing.
• Yields about 20 slices.
• Keeps well in refrigerator.
• Serve at room temperature.
• RUM BUTTER FILLING: (Rumova masa) This is an excellent cream, the base of which may be used with different flavors.
• Here, rum is used.
• It is used as a filling for the poppy seed torte.
• This filling can also be used as icing.
• Cream butter until light, add sugar a little at a time, rum, and cream.
• Beat until very fluffy.
• WHITE ICING: Bila Shklytsia.
• This hard icing dries quickly and forms a lovely cover for a torte.
• It cures hard, not fluffy.
• Place 2 cups sugar in a bowl and add cream and vanilla.
• Mix well, gradually adding the rest of the sugar.
• Add a little more cream if too stiff.

UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS KUTYA ( KUTIA)

Steps:

• In a medium pot, combine wheat kernels and milk.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 3 hours.
• Add more liquid as necessary to keep kernels covered.
• Scald the poppy seeds with boiling water, drain, and add lukewarm water to cover.
• Soak 30 minutes, drain and grind in a food processor.
• Set aside.
• Drain water from wheat kernels and keep 1/2 cup of the liquid.
• Add the honey to the liquid and mix well.
• Mix kernels, honey, ground poppy seeds, almonds, apricots, raisins, and salt.
• Bake in a 2-quart casserole dish, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Kutia may be served warm or chilled, and sprinkled with cinnamon, but it is best when prepared several days ahead of time in order for the full flavor to develop.
• Kutia can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

UKRAINIAN KYIVSKY TORTE

Steps:

• Beat the 12 egg Yolks until light and beat in the sugar gradually (a tablespoon at a time).
• Beat until lemon colored, light and fluffy.
• Fold in the bread crumbs and the nuts.
• Beat the 12 egg whites until stiff.
• Lighten the nut mixture with a bit of the egg whites and then genly fold into the mixture the rest of the whites.
• Butter 2 deep layer pans 9 or 10 inch springform pans (shallow pans may cause the batter to run over in the oven) with soft butter and sprinkle with fine bread crumbs.
• Regular pans can be used, in this case use parchment paper for the bottom of pan and grease the paper also.
• Bake in a 325 F.
• oven for about 30--35 minutes.
• Test cake with a toothpick in the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is done.
• Cool for 10 minutes and gently with a knife go around the cake to loosen and gently invert and place on a cake rack.
• Fill and frost the cake with the filling.
• If you wish more layers cut each cake in half and fill so that you will have 4 layers.
• FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FILLING AND ICING: Over simmering water in a double boiler add 1 cup HOT strong coffee and add the chocolate, mixing well to melt.
• In a separate bowl-- Beat the 5 egg yolks until light and set aside.
• Blend 2 1/2 Tablespoons of the flour in the remaining 1/2 cup COLD coffee and blend well until smooth and free of any lumps.
• Add the flour mixture to the whipped egg yolks and mix well.
• Add this mixture whisking quickly to the melted chocolate (in the double boiler) and cook until thickens stirring frequently for about 10 minutes.
• When mixture has thickened set it aside to COOL.
• Beat 1 cup unsalted butter with the 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy and gradually beat in the cold chocolate pudding mixture little at a time into the butter and beat until fluffy.

UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS HONEY CAKE MEDIVNYK

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 300-F degrees.
• Generously grease and lightly flour two loaf pans, and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, prepare the batter: Cream the butter and sugar together with a hand-held mixer until light and creamy.
• Add egg yolks, one at a time, and continue to beat the mixture after each additional yolk is incorporated.
• Add the honey and sour cream and mix again.
• Beat the eggs whites in a small mixing bowl until stiff peaks form.
• Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• Fold the flour mixture and the egg whites, ALTERNATING EACH MIXTURE (flour and then egg whites), into the cake batter.
• Fold in the raisins and walnuts.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
• Remove the cakes from the pans and place on a wire rack to cool.
• Slice and serve slightly warm.
• Serves 10 to 12.

KOLATKI/KOLACKI (UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES VIA CZECHOSLOVAKIA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest.
• Stir in flour, creating stiff dough.
• Mold dough into hamburger-size patties and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
• Roll patty out 1/8-1/4 inch thick, preferably on chilled marble or glass cutting board.
• Cut dough into 2 1/2 inch squares.
• Place squares on cookie sheet (ungreased is OK).
• In each square, dab about 1/3 teaspoon pastry filling.
• Fold one corner halfway over pastry so that it points to opposite corner.
• With pastry brush, dab egg white onto folded corner.
• Fold opposite corner onto folded corner.
• Press lightly to fix with egg white.
• Optional: Brush egg white over top of cookie and dust with confectioners' sugar.
• Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.

UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS POPPY SEED ROLL MAKOVYI KNYSH

Steps:

• THE DAY BEFORE: Scald with boiling water 2 1/3 cups poppies and drain off the water. I do this about 3 times. I put poppy seeds in a bowl, scald with hot water and wait until the poppies have settled and then pour off the water.
• Let stand for 1 hour in hot water. Drain poppies through a cheesecloth covered net sieve. Let them dry preferably overnight. This way they smell fresh and not dusty.
• Grind in a coffee grinder, or through finest blade of food chopper or if you are lucky to have a poppy seed grinder. I use a large stone Mortar and Pestle.
• FOR THE DOUGH: DISSOLVE: 1/2 cup of warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 package yeast (1 Tablespoon).
• Sift the flour in a large bowl, Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the dissolved yeast. Add around the yeast, the sugar, butter, egg, lemon peel and milk.
• MIX and KNEAD for about 10 minutes and little more flour if necessary. This is a soft dough. Let rise in a greased bowl, covered, for about 45 minutes, till doubled in bulk.
• Punch down and divide into TWO parts. Roll each into rectangle. Spread with Poppy Seed Filling. Roll up each rectangle like a jelly roll. Pinch seams to make edges secure. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover, let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes, brush with egg wash or cream. (I use evaporated milk to brush tops) I like to slash tops lightly about 1/4 inch deep and 2 inches apart all the way up the roll.
• BAKE: preheated oven 350 degree F. for about 45 to 50 minutes or until done. They should be a nice dark brown colour.
• FOR THE POPPY SEEDS: Stir HOT milk into GROUND poppy seeds, add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed. Stir until cool. Sometimes I like it sweeter so then I add liquid honey to taste. I also might add some ground prunes to the mixture. You may cook it for a 5 minutes on top of the stove if you wish but it is not necessary.
• Sometimes I buy ground poppies (NOT in a can) from the German deli. I still give them a good scalding several times to remove the bitterness and dust from the poppies. This is a delightful sweet dough. So good with only one egg. Do try this filling it is one of the best.
• Olga's recipe.

UKRAINIAN GREAT GRANDMA'S PRUNE TORTE

Steps:

• Use vegetable spray to butter 5 round layer cake pans (8-inch pans) and dust with flour, remove excess.
• Cream the butter with the sugar until light. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the extract, salt, and almonds. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Roll each of them between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper to fit the pan, or pat the dough evenly into the pans gently. Bake in a moderate oven 325 to 350°F for 20 minutes, or until delicately browned. Reduce temperature if it starts to get too brown. Remove from the pans while still hot. Cool. Prepare the filling.
• FOR THE FILLING: Cook the prunes in water just to cover until they plump up. Take prunes out of the liquid, pit them and grind them.
• Bring to the boiling point the ground prunes with the 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and prune liquid. Put the layers together with the warm filling. Let the torte stand for about a day (24 hours) before cutting it. Serve in slices.