Mazurka Recipes

MAZURKAS (POLAND)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
• For the cookie: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, at medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat well, and then scrape down the sides.
• While mixing on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 batches. Scrape down the bowl between each addition, and mix until just blended.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake until light golden brown with spots of darker golden brown and darker edges, about 30 minutes. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the fruit: Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together in a small saucepan. Whisk in orange juice until mixture dissolves. Stir in the fruits and candied orange peel. Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring often; continue to cook, stirring until thickened into a compote, about 3 minutes more. You should be able to draw the spoon along the bottom of pan and see the pan with no liquid seeping back. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the nuts and lemon zest.
• Spread fruit evenly over the top of the cooled crust.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake mazurkas until golden brown around edges and fruit sets but is still slightly glossy and jewel-like, about 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
• Cut, using an oiled knife, into 24 bars. Serve.

RASPBERRY MAZURKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Mix flour, brown sugar, oats, coconut, and walnuts together in a bowl. Pour melted butter over the flour mixture and mix. The mixture should clump together easily when compressed.
• Press about half the flour mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with a layer of raspberry preserves. Finish by topping with the remaining flour mixture, patting lightly to complete the 'crust.'
• Bake in preheated oven until browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting to serve.

MAZUREK KRóLEWSKI: POLISH ROYAL MAZUREK RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• By hand, stir in almonds, zest , flour, making sure to measure flour correctly , and the two hard-cooked egg yolks.
• Add raw egg yolk, salt, and cinnamon, and mix into a smooth dough. This entire process, from step 1, can be done in a food processor, if you prefer.
• Place dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 F. Cut off 1/3 dough and return, wrapped, to the refrigerator. Roll out 2/3 dough and place on an 8-inch-by-11-inch tart pan with a removal bottom or a small sheet pan. Pierce or "dock" the dough with the tines of a fork.
• In a small bowl, make an egg wash by whisking together the 1 whole egg with 1 teaspoon water.
• Roll out remaining 1/3 dough and cut into 1/4-inch strips. Arrange strips lattice-style over dough. Brush lattice strips with the egg wash.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp.
• Allow to cool completely. Place pastry on a serving plate and spoon fruit preserves alternately into the open spaces of the lattice work. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.

MAZUREK (POLISH EASTER CAKE)

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons butter, sugar, and egg in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in mashed egg yolks. Add flour, ground almonds, and lemon zest. Knead into a dough. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out 2/3 of the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle the size of the baking sheet. Lay onto the prepared baking sheet. Roll remaining dough into finger-thick rolls. Press dough rolls onto the cake in a diamond-shaped pattern. Brush rolls with beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Pour 1/4 cup water into a saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin powder on top. Let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Place over low heat; stir constantly until granules are completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Heat cherry and apricot preserves in 2 small pots over low heat until hot. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Mix half of the dissolved gelatin into each flavor. Alternate filling the diamond shapes of the cake with the 2 different flavors. Arrange sliced almonds and candied cherries into flower shapes on top.

MAZURKA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in raisins, plums and walnuts; toss to coat evenly. In a bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Stir about a third of the egg whites and vanilla into flour mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites. Transfer to a 9-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray., Bake at 300° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool. Cut into squares.

MAZURKI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray.
• Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
• Prepare all the chopped fruits and candied orange peel, and set aside.
• For the cookie:
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, at medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat well, and then scrape down the sides.
• While mixing on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 batches. Scrape down the bowl between each addition, and mix until just blended.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake until light golden brown with spots of darker golden brown and darker edges, about 30 minutes.
• Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the fruit:
• Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together in a small saucepan.
• Whisk in orange juice until mixture dissolves.
• Stir in the fruits and candied orange peel.
• Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring often; continue to cook, stirring until thickened into a compote, about 3 minutes more. You should be able to draw the spoon along the bottom of pan and see the pan with no liquid seeping back.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the nuts and lemon zest.
• Spread fruit evenly over the top of the cooled crust.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake mazurkas until golden brown around edges and fruit sets but is still slightly glossy and jewel-like, about 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
• Cut, using an oiled knife, into 24 bars.

MAZUREK MIGDALOWY OR ORZECHOWY (ALMOND OR WALNUT MAZURKA)

Steps:

• Sift 2 cups flour and sugar together into a deep mixing bowl.
• Use a spoon to push the egg yolks through a fine sieve into the flour mixture; mix well.
• Add the almonds, vanilla, and cream to flour mixture; and beat in 1/2 lb of butter, a few tablespoons at a time.
• Knead with your hands until dough is smooth and can be formed into a compact ball.
• Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Grease a large cookie sheet with the remaining tablespoon of butter; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, tipping from side to side to cover completely and evenly.
• Turn the sheet upside down and tap on the bottom to shake off any excess flour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4" thin and place on buttered cookie sheet, using fingers to spread dough so it completely covers the bottom of the pan.
• Brush entire surface with egg, then sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds, gently pressing them into the dough (or if you used walnuts in the dough, you may prefer to use the meringue topping: if you do, beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating continuously; spread over the dough instead of the egg and nuts).
• Bake until pastry is golden brown (20-25 minutes).
• Remove from oven, and with a lightly buttered knife, cut into 2"x1" bars.
• Carefully transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

MAZURKA WITH APRICOT TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Cream butter until fluffy. Sift together flour, sugar, and salt and add to butter, alternating with the egg yolks. Beat until well mixed. Carefully stir in almonds and citrus zest.
• Pat dough into two 10-inch buttered and parchment-lined cake pans.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
• For the Apricot Topping: Heat jam gently. Add liqueur. Strain warm glaze through a fine sieve and spread atop cooked mazurka.

MAZURKA BAR

Steps:

• 1. Adjust an oven rack one third up from the bottom and preheat oven to 325 degrees
• 2. Place the flour, salt and sugar in processor. Cut in 1/2 inch butter cubes with pulse mode until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the coconut, oatmeal and walnuts, pulse to blend. Add the 1/4 cup of melted butter, pulse again.
• 3. Place about half ( 2-3 cups) of the mixture in an unbuttered 8-inch square cake pan. Press evenly with your fingertips. Cover with a piece of wax paper and with the palm of your hand, press against the paper to make a smooth, compact layer. Remove wax paper.
• 4. Spread raspberry jam in an even layer over the pastry, staying 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the edges. Sprinkle the remaining pastry evenly over the filling. Recipe says to repeat wax paper thing but I haven't done it.
• 5. Bake4 for 60 to 70 minutes until the top is barely semi firm to the touch.
• 6. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes or so; be sure to cut around the sides to loosen from the pan before cutting and serving.