Passport & Plate - Poale-n brâu (Romanian traditional pie)
Romania | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 5 photos
Ingredients
Ingredients:
Dough
- 500 g floor
- 100 g butter
- 300 ml milk
- 50 g yeast
- 2 eggs
- 150 g sugar
- ½ tea spoon salt
- 2 tea spoons of vanilla essence
- 1 tea spoon of rum essence
Stuffing
- 300 g cow cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 50 g cream
- 4 spoons of sugar
- Peel from ½ lemon
- 50 g raisins
For anointing
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 spoon of sugar
How to prepare this recipeWe mix the yeast with one spoon of sugar. We put into a recipient about two spoons of milk and we warm it on low fire. Dissolve then the mixture of yeast and sugar in the warmed milk. We add three spoons of flour and mix the entire composition until we have a small ball of dough. Cover it with a kitchen rag and let it in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until its volume grows double size.
We separate the two eggs into yolk and the egg white. The two yolks will be added to the small ball of dough. We then add the rest of the flour, sugar, salt, the vanilla and rum essence. The egg whites will be then mixed with a fork until we get a fine foam (we could directly add the whole eggs, but mixing the egg whites into a foam makes the dough softer).
We knead everything together. We melt the butter and then we add it to the rest of the dough.
We finally knead the mixture really well, cover the recipient with a kitchen rag and place it somewhere warm (I used the door of the oven) and let it sleep and grow for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, we prepare the stuffing by simply mixing the cow cheese with the cream, the two egg yolks, sugar, peel of ½ lemon and raisins.
On a kitchen countertop anointed with some oil (I used flour instead of oil and it works just perfect) spread the dough evenly and cut it in squares of about 10 cm. Put a full spoon of the mixture in the centre of each square and then bring the corners of the square together (fold it like a small envelope).
We place the small pies on a tray which we have previously buttered (add also some flour on the top of the butter so that the pies don’t cleave to the tray). For anointing, we mix the egg yolks with the sugar and we oil each square really well.
We put the tray into the oven and leave the small pies inside until their colour changes to a warm brown (cca 30 minutes).
Before serving, add powdered sugar and arrange them with care on a plate. Pofta mare (or bon appétit)!
The story behind this recipeRecipe with soul and grandmother
There are certain smells, feelings, images that connect us to our homeland, to our roots regardless of the corner of the world we are living in. Could be a stray of perfume of jasmine that instantly reminds you of your mother who used to grow them in the small garden behind your childhood house. It could be a strong hug from your roommate that reminds you of your father. It could be a blouse that resembles the folk costumes of your home-country. In this particular case, it’s all that together plus a recipe of a traditional Romanian pie that my grandmother used to make when I was a child. By telling you all this, I am activating the time machine. I am a child again.
My grandmother still lives and I am thankful for each moment spent together, but unfortunately she cooks now very little as her state of health is quite fragile. But I still remember the smell of her pies. I have moments when I entirely go back in my childhood years, smell the cherries in her garden again or get pampered with a big cup of cocoa in the morning. Or have the image of her huge pancakes and the moments when I used to invite all the children on my street to get a bite of them. Then she’ll always smile seeing a bunch of hungry, happy kids enjoying at the most her cooking. I remember her hands mixing flour with sugar and eggs, with cinnamon, fresh apples and care; my curiosity jumping out of Pandora’s box , the big eyes of the seven years old kid I used to be back then examining each and her every move. My slippery fingers hunting for that moment when’s she’ll turn her head just once and just for a few seconds, long enough for me to steal a bite of the magic potion she was working on.
Well, here goes one of her famous recipes that used to bring all children from the block together. I hope you can feel with me the smell of fresh cheese and raisins, of fresh bakery coming out the oven, of my and your childhood. Here is a bite of Romania.
For you, grandma.
