Polish Recipe
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Apple Raisin Cake ( Placek z Jabtkowy z Rodzynkami)
1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened 4 eggs 1 3/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon baking soda 2/3 cup raisins 2/3 cup chopped walnuts 3 large apples, pared, cored and sliced
Cream the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift in the flour and spices into batter. Gradually add the remaining ingredients. Turn into a buttered and flour-dusted loaf pan and bake for 1 hour at 325 F, or until done. If desired, sprinkle with confectioners sugar just before serving
Individual Oyster Souffle’s (Dolki z Ostrygami)
1 quart oysters 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup butter 2 cups half and half salt to taste 6 egg yolks, beaten 6 egg whites
Chop oysters coarsely and drain. Make a roux of the flour and butter. Gradually add the half and half, stirring constantly. Stir in all the ingredients except the egg whites. Remove from heat. Whip the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the other ingredients. Spoon mixture into 12 greased, individual ramekins. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Pickled Mushrooms (Grzyby Marynowane)
Cook these delicatessen dainties ahead of time for a better melding of flavors, and to allow yourself more time for the preparation of last minute recipes. 2 pounds fresh mushrooms 2 finely chopped onions 1 cup water, salted 1/2 cup vinegar, or to taste 4 bay leaves 1/4 cup peppercorns 1 tablespoon allspice Combine all the ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes. When cooled, remove the mushrooms to glass containers for storage in the refrigerator until needed. If storing for any extended length of time, be sure to use sterilized jars and caps.
Summer’s Potage (Potrawka Letnia)
2 1-lb. cans sliced beets 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 cups buttermilk 1/2 cup sour cream salt to taste 1 small cucumber, peeled and quartered 1 hard-cooked egg, peeled and quartered 2 tablespoons chives
A Polish gazpacho!! Place beets in blender, one can at a time. Blend until smooth. Blend remaining ingredients in a third whirl. Chill until frosty.
Pickled Mushrooms (Grzyby Marynowane)
Cook these delicatessen dainties ahead of time for a better melding of flavors and to allow yourself more time for the preparation of last minute recipes. 2 pounds fresh mushrooms 2 finely chopped onions 1 cup water, salted 1/2 cup vinegar, or to taste 4 bay leaves 1/4 cup peppercorns 1 tablespoon allspice.
Combine all the ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes. When cooled, remove the mushrooms to glass containers for storage in the refrigerator until needed. If storing for any extended length of time, be sure to use sterilized jars and caps
New Potato Dumplings (Knedelki z Kartoli)
6 boiled potatoes, peeled and riced 3 tablespoons finely choped parsley 1 cup flour 3 eggs 1/2 cup bacon bits and drippings
Mix all ingredients except bacon. Form small balls with your hands, then drop the dumpling balls in a large kettle of boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until they rise to the top of the water. Cook only a few at a time. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon. Keep completed dumplings warm until all are cooked, then drizzle the bacon bits and dripplings over the dumplings just before serving.
Easter Baba (Babka Wielkanocna)
1 envelope dry yeast 1/2 cup light cream or half & half 1/3 cup sugar 2 cups flour 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon grated lemon 1 tablespoon melted butter 1/2 cup raisins.
Dissolve yeast in cream. Combine with half the sugar and flour and let double in size. Add all the remaining ingredients except the raisins and knead until smooth. Add the raisins, while continuing to knead. Grease and dust baba pan with flour. Place dough in pan, cover with a clean cloth, and leave ina very warm, draft-free place wntil doubled in size. Bake at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes. When cool, remove from pan and drizzle with icing.
Baba Icing Lukrowa Babka
1/2 cup confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon rum or lemon juice
Mix well and lightly drizzle over the baba. Easter isn’t Easter without a selection of mazureks, which are a sort of chewy cakelike cookie square. Choose one or several of the following recipes.
Potatoe Pancakes – Placki Kartoflane
6 potatoes 1 cup milk 4 tablespoons butter 3 eggs, separated dash nutmeg salt to taste
Boil potatoes and mash. Combine with milk and egg yolks. Sprinkle in nutmeg. Whip egg whites until stiff and fold into potatoe mixture. Saute’ in butter until golden brown.
Polish Jelly Doughnuts Paczki
1 ounce melted butter
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce rum
1 quart water
1 quart eggs
1/2 quart sugared eggs yolks
1/2 ounce salt
4 1/2 ounces milk powder
1 pound granulated sugar
1 pound, 10 ounces shortening
1 pound cake flour
9 1/2 pounds high gluten flour
1 pound yeast
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Mix all ingredients, except vegetable oil together in a large mixer fitted with a dough hook for 11 to 12 minutes or until dough reaches 78 degrees F. Set dough aside to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
Divide and round dough into golf ball-sized pieces, put onto sheet pan and proof until the balls grow to around the size of soft balls, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Preheat a fryer to 360 degrees F.
Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Cool. Using a piping bag fitted with a plain tip, fill with your favorite preserves and top with powdered sugar.
Homemade Kielbasa Kietbasa Domowa
3 pounds raw pork shoulder, chopped, or coarsely ground, 3/4 pound raw beef chuck, coarsely ground sausage casings, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste, 1/4 teaspoon marjoram, 3 cloves garlic, chopped, 2 teaspoon honey
Combine all the ingredients except casings, and mix well. Saute’ until well done and stuff into casings, forming foot-long links. Refrigerate for 4 days to cure.
Herring Pate’
Vast amounts of herring are fished in the Baltic Sea to the north of Poland. A traditional Polish hors d’oeuvre, Pasta S’ledziowa is usually served with tiny glasses of ice-cold vodka.
Ingredients (serves 4) 2 fresh herrings, filleted 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon creamed horseradish sauce freshly ground black pepper
To serve - 4 slices rye bread 1 small onion, cut into rings 1 red apple, cored and sliced 1 tablespoon lemon juice 3 tablespoons sour cream
1) chop the herrings into pieces and put in a food processor with the butter, horseradish sauce and pepper. Process until smooth. 2) spoon the herring pate’ into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. 3) Serve the pate’ on rye bread, with onion rings and apple slices, tossed in lemon juice. Top with a little sour cream and garnish will dill.
Krupnik - a hot honey-and-spice cordial that brings warmth to any occasion
In a pot, combine 1 cup honey, 1/2 cup water, 1 crumbled bayleaf, one teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel, a pinch of nutmeg, ten whole cloves and two pinches of cinnamon. Bring to boil, reduce heat, skimming off scum and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Strain, discarding spices. Add 3 cups of 100-proof vodka and heat gently but do not boil. Serve immediately.
Pine Box Traditions
A Polish wedding tradition to give a new bride a supply of starter for sourdough rye bread. A combination of tradition and desperation on the part of the bride. It just doesn’t seem fair to add the pressure of making a good bread right out of the gate to everything else the poor girl is juggling. It was once told that the day before her wedding, when she was just a scared girl of eighteen, her mother gave her a carved pine box, just like the one that had sat on a shelf above the kitchen stove all her life.It’s kind of nice, really, thinking of that chain of women, spanning the decades and centuries. Now, the reality of today’s world is that new brides don’t give a hoot about making bread. However, if the breadmaking mood strikes you, here is a recipe with a starter that only takes one night to set up. The process begins somewhat mysteriously. Flour, buttermilk and onion meld together in the beginnings of a hearty bread.
POLISH SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast 1 teaspoon white sugar 2 cups water 1 slice of onion 4 cups rye flour 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon salt 8 cups bread flour 1 tablespoon caraway seed (optional)
The night before making the bread, in a medium sized mixing bowl, dissolve one packet of yeast and the sugar in 2 cups of water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rye flour until the mixture is smooth. Slip the onion slice in. Cover and let stand overnight. The next day, dissolve the remaining package of yeast in the buttermilk. Add the rye flour mixture, baking soda, the salt, 4 cups of the bread flour and stir to combine. Add the remaining 4 cups of bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition ( you may not need to add all of the flour). When the dough has become a smooth and coherent mass, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the caraway seeds on the dough and knead them in until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the volume has doubled. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into three pieces. Form each piece into a loaf and place in 3 lightly greased 9 X 5 inch bread pans. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped.
Here is a recipe from Carol….
In Poland, the Thursday before Lent is known as Tlusty czwartek (Fat Thursday), also known as Paczki Day. It’s traditional to enjoy the yeasty fruit- or custard- filled Polish doughnut known as paczki. The most traditional fillings are made of prune or rosehip marmalade. Since Lent was a time to avoid meat, it was traditional to use up all the lard in frying. Nowadays, vegetable shortening is recommended. My grandmother had a trick to keep the oil from burning. She would cut a fresh potato in half and put it in the pan.
PACZKI
Ingredients: 1 quart warm water – 4 packets dry yeast – 8 cups flour – 2 ounces dry milk powder – 5 ounces shortening – 1 teaspoon salt – 3 eggs – 5 eggs yolks – 1 tablespoon vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon orange extract – 1 teaspoon lemon extract – Additional shortening for frying.
Combine water and 2 ounces of yeast and stir to dissolve. Then add flour, dry milk, shortening, salt, whole eggs and the vanilla, orange and lemon extracts. Once combined, mix in remaining 1 ounce of yeast and egg yolks. Knead until you can form a large, soft ball. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl covered with plstic wrap for approximately one hour, until doubled in size. Then roll the dough into balls the size of an apricot and let them rise again. Heat shortening for frying until it reaches 375 degrees. Once the balls of dough have risen, deep fry them in oil for approximately 4 to 6 minutes, until they are a medium golden brown. Drain the paczki on paper towels. Once cool, fill with custard or fruit fillings, such as cherry, blueberry, apple, pineapple, raspberry, rosehip, marmalade or prune. top with glaze or sugar