Culinary inspirations from Culinary Muse

Passport & Plate - Traditional Polish Easter cake

Poland | Tuesday, March 11, 2014 | 3 photos

Ingredients
*Flour- 500g
*Caster sugar- 175g
*Butter- 250g (real one, unsalted)
*Egg yolks- 4 hard boiled and 2 raw
*Vanilla extract- 2 teaspoons
*Coca powder- one, generous spoon
*Marmalade- of any fruit you like, to spread between cake layers
*Pinch of salt

 

How to prepare this recipe
- Put sieved flour, sugar, vanilla extract, grated hard boiled yolks, raw yolks and salt in a big bowl. Add chilled and finely chopped butter and vigorously knead the dough. Don't knead too long, because it'll loose its crunchiness.

- Split batter into 3 even parts, add cocoa powder into one of them and knead fast. Wrap them with foil seperately, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

-Line a flat baking pan with parchment paper. Roll one ball of light dough 5mm thin. Cut it in nice rectangular shape, you can use chopping board as stencil. Keep all dough you cut off, you'll need it later for top decoration. Put this square on a baking tray and spread marmalade on it. Do the same thing with another layer- brown and light one, with marmalade between layers.

-On the top of the cake make floral-like decoration, using the rest of the cake and dried fruits or all sorts of nuts. Be creative!

-Finish the top with whisked egg, spread it with brush delicately.

-Bake it for 20 minutes in the oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius.

 

The story behind this recipe
This particular Easter cake has very interesting story behind it. "Mazurek"- because that's called in Poland, came to this country probably in XVII century from Turkey. It quickly became polish tradition. Back then it was treated as a reward for presistent people, who ended their religious fast. Any self- respecting housewife to keep honor of her household, had to make most beautiful Easter cake, with best decorations on top. Her "mazurek" had to steal the show and overshadow bakings of other neighbours of course! Now Polish people are trying to keep this tradition and they still make Easter cakes that look like delicious works of art.