Ukrainian Christmas Poppy Seed Roll Makovyi Knysh Recipes

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 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.

POPPY SEED ROLL

Steps:

• Put the bread portion in a breadmachine, in order of liquids first, then dry. Putting the yeast in last in a little indent in top of the flour. Set on dough cycle.
• Filling:.
• 1/2 cup poppy seeds, put in grinder, just enough to pop the seeds. Take out and put in a large measuring cup with the 1/4 cup warm milk to soak overnight. Then without straining, mix the rest of the ingredients in with the poppy seed mixture. Mix well.
• When dough is finished, roll out to rectangle with the short side nearest you.
• Spread the poppy seed mixture on top of the dough, try to get the poppy mixture as close to the edges as possible.Roll up as a jelly roll. Place in well-greased deep pans.
• Give a egg wash, and sprinkle surface with poppy seeds and allow to rise. Bake at 350F, for 40 minutes or until a dark golden brown.
• Tip: You have to have the raspberry jam, either seeded or unseeded. It is the secret to the store-bought taste.

UKRAINIAN POPPY SEED ROLL

Steps:

• THE NIGHT BEFORE: Scald with boiling water 2 1/3 cups poppies. I do this about three times. I put the poppies in a large bowl add boiling water and swish them poppies. Wait until the poppies have settled and then pour off the water.
• After the third wash let the poppies stand in hot water for 1 hour.
• Drain poppies through a cheesecloth covered net sieve.
• Air dry in the sieve, preferably overnight.
• FOR THE DOUGH: MIX and KNEAD for about 10 minutes addin 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 all over the rectangle.
• Roll up each rectangle from the long end 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 and brown on top.
• POPPY SEED FILLING: Stir HOT milk into poppy seeds, add the rest of the ingredients in order. Sometimes I add liquid honey for more sweetness. Add to taste.
• Stir until cool.
• When cool fill rolls.

UKRAINIAN RICH BASIC SWEET DOUGH (OSNOVNE SOLODKE TISTO)

Steps:

• FOR THE SPONGE: Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water, sprinkle the yeast over it, and let it stand until softened. Combine with the lukewarm milk and 3/4 cup of flour. Beat well, cover and let the sponge rise in a warm place until light and bubbly.
• FOR THE SWEET DOUGH: Cream the butter with the sugar. Beat the whole eggs and the egg yolks together along with the salt. Combine with the butter sugar mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the vanilla, lemon rind and sponge. Add the flour and knead in the bowl for about 10 minutes. This dough should be soft.
• Cover and let it rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Punch down, knead a few times, and let it rise again. You can use this dough with any sweet filling such as cottage cheese, nut and poppy rolls, filled doughnuts filled with thick poppy seed, jam, or cooked prunes pitted and sweetened.

UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS KOLACH

Steps:

• Dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in water and sprinkle yeast over it.
• Add 1 tablespoon sugar, stir, and let stand 10 minutes.
• Combine yeast with milk, lightly beaten eggs, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, oil, and 3 cups sifted flour.
• Beat until smooth.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until light and bubbly, about 1 hour.
• Mix in remaining flour and knead until smooth and elastic and dough leaves the side of the bowl easily.
• Form into a ball and place in lightly oiled bowl, turning once to oil the top.
• Cover with towel and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.
• Punch down and allow to rise again slightly.
• Divide dough into 3 parts.
• On a floured work surface, divide one part into thirds, rolling each into a rope 8 to 10 inches long and 1 1/2 inch thick.
• Braid together, starting at the middle, and turn ends under.
• Repeat to make other two loaves and place on buttered baking sheets.
• Do not crowd, since loaves will double in size.
• Cover with damp towel and let rise until almost double.
• Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
• Bake in preheated oven at 375 degree F.
• at least 1 hour, until golden.
• Test by rapping the bottom; there should be a nice hollow sound.
• Cool on racks.
• Makes 3 medium loaves.