Witamy!
Strawberries are a favorite fruit in Poland and the number of recipes for strawberry dishes could stretch from Belarus to Germany or from the Baltic Sea to Slovakia - many times over. Here in central Virginia, where we now live, the first crops of strawberries are just being picked.
We visited a near-by farm yesterday and got their first harvest, picked just hours before we arrived. In fact we got these berries before the local farmers market had any, so we really lucked out. On the way home Laura asked if I had any requests for the berries and I chose her strawberry pie in a nano-second because it is absolutely to die for and super-easy to make. Truth be told the recipe below is not a heritage Polish recipe but it is Laura’s heritage recipe which she has tweaked and perfected over time.
As soon as we got home, we wanted to taste-test the farm-berries against some berries we had bought at the grocery store just the day before. These were imported from California, and while they looked picture-perfect on the outside, that’s where the similarities ended. Both samples were cut in half – the imported berries were quite pale in the center and the farmer’s berries were deep red throughout. We bit into each and rolled the fruit around our taste-buds, just like a fine wine. The “shipped-in” berries were rather bland and did not have that intense strawberry flavor simply because they were picked before their time. But the farmer’s berries on the other hand, were juicy and had that bright sweet flavor that let us know they were still on their stems just earlier that morning. There’s an obvious moral to this story…if you have access to a berry farm or a farmers’ market, it’s well worth the extra pennies to buy berries that are totally satisfying.
Laura’s Strawberry Pie
(serves 8)
1 9-inch baked pie crust (homemade or purchased)
2 quarts fresh strawberries
3 tablespoons corn starch
½ to 1 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of the berries)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon butter
Wash the strawberries and remove the hulls. Mash enough of the strawberries to make one cup. Put the mash with one cup water in a 1-quart or larger glass measuring cup. Add sugar ¼ cup at a time, mix and taste until you achieve the desired sweetness.
Microwave the strawberry mixture on high for 4 to 6 minutes or until the mixture is boiling. Watch carefully so the mixture does not boil over.
Soften the corn starch in a couple of tablespoons of water and whisk quickly into the strawberry mixture. Microwave the mixture another 2 to 3 minutes on high or until mixture thickens. Stir in the butter.
Let the mixture cool completely. Cooling may take 30 minutes or longer.
Arrange the remaining strawberries, either whole or sliced, in the baked and cooled pie crust. Pour the cooled strawberry glaze mixture evenly over the top of the berries. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours, before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.
Smacznego!
Have you planned your big Easter meal yet?
Traditionally it’s a mid-day, room-temperature feast served after church. Our menu has been pretty much the same for over a century, dating back at least to Peter’s great grandparents in Warsaw in the early 1900’s. The menu has been honored through six generations, including Peter’s emigration to Canada in the 1950’s, through our marriage, kids, and a 5-year old grandchild. Lucy already has an adventuresome palate, is learning to cook, and last year loved some of the Easter dishes. This year she’ll try more and learn to love the rest before long.
For the last month or so we’ve been tracking the Polish food blogs and Polish Facebook groups and checking out everyone’s favorite recipes. They all look wonderful. Some highlight the creative spin of contemporary cooks and each is a part of someones’ family tradition whether handed down through many generations or just one. But as you know, our focus is on heritage recipes and preserving the traditional dishes and flavors of many generations past.
So here we want to share with you a very traditional recipe for a Polish Easter cheesecake. It’s absolutely delicious, a perfect ending for your Easter meal, and not hard to make if you follow the recipe exactly.
Yields 32 portions
Crust
1/3 cup butter
1¾ cups flour
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
3 tablespoons sour cream
¾ cup seedless raspberry jam
breadcrumbs
Using the paddle attachment of a standing mixer, cut the butter into the flour until it forms coarse crumbs. Mix the egg with sour cream and add, then add the sugar and baking powder. Mix until all the ingredients come together into a soft dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out 2/3 of the dough to fit a 9x12-inch pan, buttered and sprinkled with bread crumbs. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. The crust will be only partially baked. Remove from oven and cool. Spread the raspberry jam over the partially baked crust.
Note: if you wish to make a traditional decorative lattice on top of the cheesecake, reserve the remaining third of the dough and keep it cold until you are ready. If you’ve chosen to forgo the lattice, use the entire dough ball in the baking pan.
Cheese Filling
6 eggs
2¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons orange zest
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2½ tablespoons flour
1½ pounds ricotta or farmer’s cheese
½ cup candied orange rind, finely chopped
1 egg white, beaten
Using a standing mixer, beat the eggs with the confectioners’ sugar for 5 minutes at high speed. Add the vanilla, and lemon and orange zests. Combine the cheese with the butter and flour and add to the egg and sugar mixture. Fold in the candied orange rind. Spread mixture over the partially baked crust and raspberry jam.
Bake for 50 to 65 minutes or until the cake is firm. Remove and cool.
To decorate the top with lattice, remove the cake from the oven after the first 30 minutes, or as soon as the filling is firm enough to support the dough strips without sinking.
Form the remaining dough into thin, even rolls (like long straws) and place them diagonally across the top of the cheesecake in a criss-cross pattern. Brush the latticework lightly with a beaten egg white.
Note: for aesthetics, try to lay out the lattice rolls evenly parallel to each other, but don’t worry if they break or don’t quite stretch to the edge. Stretch and seal the breaks and they’ll be just fine after baking – a few imperfections add rustic character to your cake.
Return the cheesecake to the oven and continue baking for an additional 20-30 minutes until the lattice is golden brown and the cheesecake is firm.
Smacznego!
"WesoĊego Alleluja"
Easter comes very early this year and for Poles who are predominantly Catholic, Easter is just as important a religious holiday as Christmas. Easter celebrations in Poland are as traditional and elaborate as Christmas celebrations.
When Peter’s Mother was growing up in pre-war Poland, dining during Lent meant several meatless meals every week. Since they were only occasional fish eaters, entrees were often prepared from: flour, rice, eggs, vegetables, cheese, or fruits. The last week of Lent was spent on serious Spring cleaning, and planning for one of the biggest meals of the year – Easter luncheon.
Since most of the dishes were prepared ahead of time, the meal was served cold, except for the clear Barszcz (beet both) which was reheated on the spot. The table was filled with hams, kielbasa, cold pork roast, vegetables, salads, deviled eggs, and so much more until there was no room for another plate.
Of course the centerpiece was the
sacred lamb (image borrowed from Pininterest) made of butter or sugar, and a plate of beautifully decorated hard boiled eggs.
At one end of the table, or on a separate buffet, were platters of traditional sweets, including tall aromatic Baba's, several types of cheese cake, and of course several varieties of Mazurkas. The Mazurek (singlular) is a flat shortbread cake said to have been originated in the Mazovia region of Poland. They are always decorated extensively and very traditional for Easter. Mazurkas are also traditional Polish folk dances as well as a style of music composed by Frederick Chopin and other Polish composers.
Here is a favorite that has been popular for ages: the Royal Mazurka.
Yields 32 squares
Dough
6 eggs
2 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup boiling water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of one lemon
3¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup almonds, ground
1½ cups butter, melted
butter for pans
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two 9x13 baking pans with wax or parchment paper and butter the paper (note: butter is best since sprays or oils will change the taste).
Beat the eggs with the confectioners’ sugar using standing or handheld mixer at high speed for 5-7 minutes until pale yellow and very light. Mix the water, lemon juice, zest, and almond extract in a small bowl or cup. Add to the egg and sugar mixture in a thin stream while continuing to beat for 3-5 minutes. Combine the almonds with the flour. Fold flour mixture, alternating with the melted butter, into the egg mixture. Mix lightly to incorporate.
Divide batter (approximately 6 cups) and fold into the prepared baking pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges turn golden brown. Watch carefully to ensure edges do not burn.
Cool for about 10 minutes, remove from pans and place on rack to cool completely.
Spread
1 cup apricot jam
Icing
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon warm water
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Mix the water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice with confectioners’ sugar until sugar dissolves and mixture is white, smooth and coats the back of the spoon. Add more sugar if icing is too thin or more lemon juice if icing is too thick.
Spread one cooled cake with the apricot jam. Cover with the second cake. Spread the top with the icing. Allow icing to harden before cutting into small squares for serving.
Cake can be decorated with almonds and apricots.
Note: store in the fridge and serve well chilled to prevent the apricot jam from running.
Smacznego!
