Best Ukrainian Christmas Poppy Seed Rum Cake Makovyi Torte 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.

PERFECT POPPY SEED TORTE

Steps:

• For cake: In a small bowl, combine the milk and the poppy seed.
• Let stand for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, grease and flour two 9 x 1 1/2-inch round cake pans or line with waxed paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
• Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and the vanilla.
• Beat till well combined.
• Add dry ingredients and poppy seed mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition till just combined.
• In a medium bowl, with a clean beater beat the egg whites till stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center of the layers comes out clean.
• Cool layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.
• Remove the layers from pans.
• Let cool completely on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, prepare the Custard Filling and chill in the refrigerator: In a heavy medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch.
• Stir in the milk.
• Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened and bubbly.
• Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.
• Remove from heat.
• Add egg mixture to milk mixture in pan.
• Bring to a gentle boil.
• Cook and stir 2 minutes more.
• Remove from the heat.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Transfer to a bowl.
• Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill till completely cool, but don't stir.
• To assemble the torte, split each cake layer in half horizontally.
• Place one bottom layer on a serving plate.
• Spread with 1/3 of the filling (about 1/2 cup).
• Repeat for 2 more layers.
• Place last cake layer on top.
• Beat whipping cream and the sugar together till mixture is spreadable.
• Spread over the sides and top of cake.
• Cover and chill up to 2 hours before serving.

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.

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.

POPPY SEED TORTE

Steps:

• Combine milk, poppy seeds in a bowl and let stand for 1 hour.
• Cream butter and sugar together in another bowl.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternating with the poppy seed mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
• Pour into two greased and floured 9" round baking pans.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until clean toothpick test.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
• For filling, combine sugar, sour cream, and yolks and cook and stir over low heat until mixture just simmers around 160°F.
• Remove from heat, add nuts and vanilla.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until completely cooled.
• For frosting, beat butter, sugar, and cocoa until blended.
• Add coffee 1 tablespoon at a time until spreading consistency is achieved.
• Place 1 cake layer on plate, spread with filling. Top with second layer; spread frosting.
• Store in refrigerator.

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.