Pluma Moos ~ cold plum soup

Fruits soups made with fresh or dried fruits, have been a part of the Mennonite cuisine for centuries.  During the winter months, these soups were made with dried fruit.  In the summer, they were made with fruits fresh from the orchard.  We happened to have a long row of Italian prunes on our farm when I was a child and so we often had pluma moos made with fresh plums.  This is still my favorite fruit soup, a nice cold bowl of pluma moos on a hot day is most refreshing.  The Italian prunes are about ready for the picking here's a recipe you may want to try.

• 4 cups Italian prunes, pitted and quartered
• 8 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup corn starch
• 1 package cherry jello (4 serving size)

1. Place prunes in large saucepan and cover with water.  Cook until tender.
2. Mix sugar and cornstarch; add enough cold water to make a smooth paste.  Add to fruit gradually while stirring; allow it to come to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cherry jello.  
4. Cool. Then refrigerate.  
5. Serve cold.

Peach Platz

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of butter or hard margarine
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup of warm water
• 1 package of yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Filling

• 1 can of peach pie filling
• 1 14 oz can of drained peach slices, then mix into pie filling for extra fruit

Glaze

• 1 cup icing sugar
• milk or cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water with the tablespoon of sugar for about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt and cut in the 1 cup of butter and mix until crumbly as you would for pie dough.
3. Add the beaten eggs, along with the yeast.
4. Form into a soft dough.
5. Knead the dough on a floured counter top until you have a nice soft and smooth dough. This does not take long as you want the dough to be tender like pie dough and not like a bread dough.
6. Do not set aside to rise. Instead divide the dough into 2 portions with one portion being slightly larger.
7. Roll to fit into a 11x15 greased pan.
8. Fill with your favorite pie filling. I used peach but also added a 14 oz can of peaches that were drained, diced, and mixed in with the pie filling.
9. Roll out the second piece of dough and cut into strips that you would lay over the fruit in a criss-cross pattern.
10. Cover and let it rise for one hour.
11. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a golden brown.
12. While the platz is still warm, combine the icing sugar with vanilla and enough milk or cream to make a glaze that is thin enough to drizzle over the entire platz.

This is a nice thing to bring to a church potluck or a larger gathering. Not too sweet.

Flash Back Friday ~ Summer Borscht

Summer Borscht is a soup made with Sorrel as it's main flavour.   Fresh sorrel will instantly lose it's beautiful bright green as soon as it hits the hot broth but don't let that put you off from trying this soup.  It is truly delicious.  If Sorrel is not available where you live, you can also use Beet leaves.

Sorrel is one of the first herbs ready to pick from the garden in spring along with chives.

Summer Borscht 

• 1 smoked ham bone or ham hock
• 4 cups  slivered sorrel leaves or beet leaves 
• 1/2 cup of chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup of chopped dill
• 4 - 6 potatoes, cubed
• 8 cups of water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• hard boiled eggs

1. Put the water and the ham in a large pot and bring to boil.
2. Simmer for a few hours. Remove the bone.
3. Add the vegetables and cook until tender.
4. Add the meat back into the pot.
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Before serving, take a bowl of soup out of the pot, and slowly add the sour cream, then add it all back to the pot or let everyone put their own sour cream into their bowls.
7. Chop up hard boiled eggs into soup. 

Pishky (Russian Rollkuchen)

This is my mother Nadia's version of Rollkuchen that my family grew up with. We call them Pishky. There are some variations in the ingredients.

• 4 cups flour
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3 eggs (beaten)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• vegetable oil to fry the Pishky in

1. Make well in center of flour. Mix sour cream, beaten eggs, salt, sugar, and orange juice.
2.  First blend the soda in a tablespoon of hot water then add it to the wet ingredients. Mix into flour and knead the dough.
3.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut in strips. Then cut strips on the diagonal about 4″ long and cut a slit in the center of the 4″ length. 
4. Fold the top of the piece through the hole and up again. Fry in oil until golden brown on both sides.
5.  Before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar.

My kids loved to have these hot out of the pan when they would come in from playing in the snow.

These are great right out of the pan and for a few hours but after that, they aren’t as wonderful. Make small batches that you’ll gobble up quickly is my recommendation. The other thing you can do if you have more than you want to eat right away is to make a french toast casserole for breakfast with the leftovers.

Roll Kuchen

• 2 cups of sour cream
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• oil for deep frying

1. Combine sour cream, egg, oil.
2. Add the flour with baking powder and salt.
3. Knead together till you have a soft dough.
4. Flour the counter well and roll out to about a 1/4 inch.
5. Cut into strips, twisting them is optional.
6. Deep fry in a pan with about 2 inches of hot oil.
7. Let the oil come to the desired temperature, on your stoves medium setting. This takes a few minutes.
8. Do a test one, the dough should bubble at the sides, and be browned in matter seconds. Turn the roll kuchen, fry til you have the desired color. DO NOT leave the pan unattended at any time!

The first time that I had this particular recipe is when our friends came to visit us while we were camping. They have a very light and soft texture as opposed to a very thin and crispy one, and don't taste greasy at all. I just love these plus they taste great with jam too!

Rollkuchen

 
Rollkuchen are a tasty, deep fried pastry that are a wonderful accompaniment to cold watermelon on a hot summer day.  How well I recall childhood picnics with big tubs of fresh Rollkuchen.  Let's just say that eating them is rather like eating peanuts...you can't stop at just one! Sometime over the years, Rollkuchen became paired with Roger's Golden Syrup (definitely a Canadian thing) on my table; they make a great team!

My mother-in-law made the best flaky, crispy Rollkuchen. Mine never quite measured up, so I have always made the thicker, softer variety and they have become a family favorite. Hers were all uniform in shape; mine are rather 'free-form'. Each recipe seems to differ slightly but I've never met a Rollkuchen I didn't like!

Rollkuchen

• 5 - 6 cups / 1150 - 1350 ml flour
• 3 teaspoons / 15 ml  baking powder
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup / 250 ml sour cream
• 1 cup / 250 ml milk

 

1. Combine 5 cups / 1150 ml  flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Beat eggs, sour cream and milk together and add to dry ingredients
3. Continue to add flour to form a soft dough ... usually about 1/2 cup more.
4. Allow the dough to chill for an hour or two before rolling, for easier handling.
5. Divide the dough in half and roll out quite thin on a floured board ... if you prefer them soft, then not quite so thin.
6. Cut strips of dough about 2x4 inches / 5x10 cm ... with two slits cut in center of each.
7. Stretch the pieces somewhat before dropping into the hot oil.
8. Fry in deep hot oil over medium heat until golden on one side. Turn and brown the other side.
    

The rollkuchen puff up beautifully while cooking and are really mostly air pockets by the time they are ready to eat. A totally a healthy choice!  Who am I fooling?

Serve with cold watermelon and Roger's golden syrup.  Grilled farmer sausage is also a nice touch!

Rollkuchen

Every Mennonite recipe book needs at least a few different recipes for Rollkuchen. . .and that way when you are out of ingredients for one of the recipes. . maybe you'll have the ingredients for another. . . This recipe is my mother in laws. . .and I've been making it this way. . .for 31 years. . .with no complaints.

Rollkuchen

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3 farm fresh eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3 cups of flour

1. Mix these ingredients together and knead into a ball.
2. Wrap the dough up and refrigerate it for a few hours.

Letting it sit makes it so much easier to roll out.Rolling it thin, makes a crisper roll kuchen and leaving it a bit thicker makes for a softer roll kuchen. No doubt you'll be making them a few times in summer, so you can experiment on how you prefer them.
Because the dough is rich, its very easy to work with. No sticking problems.Cut the dough into about 3 -4 long strips and then cut across to make rectangular shapes.
Cut 2 slits in the middle of each so that they don't become one big balloon in the hot fat. You can also cut one slit. . .and pull the dough through. . .for a change.
Heat some fat up in a large pot. I use Canola Oil.
When the fat has little bubbles coming to the surface, it is likely hot enough, but put in a small piece of dough to test it. It should start to bubble around the dough quickly and rise to the surface.
Put the fried rollkuchen on paper towels to cool. Serve with Cold Watermelon. ..and some Rogers Syrup on the side.

Sorrel Moos

My Mom cooked this moos (we pronounce it mouse) in spring as soon as the sorrel would be ready to cut. And the wonderful thing was that sorrel grew fast and it would soon be ready for another cutting. She would alternate between cooking moos or summa borsht, sorrel is used for both. Either one tastes wonderful, the moos is especially delicious paired with something savory.
My sister Norma,  asked Mom for the recipe and of course Mom didn't have a written recipe so one day Mom cooked the moos and my sister measured the ingredients as Mom threw them in the pot. I am so glad she did.
Now I have my own row of sorrel plants in the garden and since they are a perennial they come up year after year and I get many cuttings all summer long. I freeze the extra to use in winter.

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups raisins
• 4 cups sorrel leaves, chopped
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch  
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups sugar, I have reduced this by 1/2 cup and it was sweet enough
• 1 cup whipping cream

1. Boil water and raisins together for 10 minutes.
2. Add chopped sorrel leaves and bring to a rolling boil.
3. Stir in cornstarch and milk which have been whisked together.
4. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
5. Add cream and bring mixture to a rolling boil.
6. Remove from heat and cool.
7. You can eat it hot or cold, I like it both ways.

Buns and Platz

Memories of Saturdays growing up, always remind me of how my Mom would cook a big pot of soup, bake a batch of fresh buns and usually she would take part of the dough to make a platz or, as we called it, Streuselkuchen. My husband's side of the family called it Riebelplatz. Our middle daughter, as a pre-schooler, announced one day, "Mommy, it's easy to make Lieberplatz . . . all you need is dough, plums and crumbs!"
Now that I'm not baking for a family on a regular basis, and we don't eat a lot of white buns, I have taken part of the dough to make cinnamon buns as well. We have been pleasantly surprised how yummy they turn out even with less sweetness. So I'll leave you with a variety of goodies to try with one dough.

Ingredients for dough:

• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 cups very warm water
• 10-11 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons instant yeast

Method:

1. In small pot, melt butter and heat milk until warm.
2. In large mixer bowl, beat eggs, adding the sugar and then the oil.
3. Stir in all liquids – warm water, milk and butter
4. Add 4 – 5 cups flour and instant yeast, mixing well
5. Switching to dough (hook) attachment on mixer, add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time.
6. Turn dough into a larger bowl to rise, giving it a few more punches if needed.
7. Cover with a tea towel and plastic bag and rise about 1 – ½ hours

To make plain buns:

1. Use about ½ of the dough to make 15-18 buns. Shape into buns by taking a handful of dough at a time and squeezing bun shapes between thumb and forefinger. 
2. Place on greased cookie sheet, cover with tea towel and plastic and let rise 1 hour. 
3. Bake at 400° F for 20 min. Cool on wire racks.

Note: I slice the buns before freezing them. This makes it easy to make sandwiches quickly when they are still frozen, especially when I did school lunches.

To make Cinnamon Buns:

1. With greased hands, pinch off a large piece of the rest of the dough and roll out on floured surface. 
2. Spread with about 2 Tbsp melted butter and 1 cup brown sugar mixed with 1-2 tsp cinnamon.
3. Roll up jellyroll style and cut into 1” slices. Place on greased or parchment paper lined pan.
4. Cover and let rise 1 hour and then bake at 350° F for 20 min or until golden.
5. To ice: mix about 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, 1 Tbsp soft marg or butter and enough milk to make a nice spreading or drizzle consistency.

To make Platz:
Ingredients:

• fruit, jam or pie filling
• 3 tablespoons butter, room temp
• ½ cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar

Method:

1. Grease any shape of small - medium pan you like. You can use a round spring-form pan, a 9x13" pan or a cookie sheet. Spread or pat your left over dough into pan by hand. It will rise some, so it doesn’t have to be high – about ½ - 1 inch – some prefer a flat platz and some a high platz. Let it rest about 20 – 30 min.
2. Spread with cut up fruit, such as plums or apricots and sprinkle with just a couple of Tbsp of sugar. I used canned cherry pie filling. My mom often just spread it with just a beaten egg for moisture, then topped it with crumbs.
3. For Crumbs: Mix butter into flour and sugar with pastry cutter. Squeeze a handful at a time and sprinkle on fruit or jam. If you find the crumb mixture too dry, mix in a Tbsp of cream, and then squeeze into crumbs as you drop onto the fruit.
4. Let rise about ½ hour. Bake at 375° F for about 30 min. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. This is one of our favorite Sunday morning breakfast treats. To keep crumbs crunchy, don’t cover. If you freeze it, uncover to thaw.

This recipe can also be used for Zwieback or pizza crust. (not pictured)

Obstkuchen (Platz)

I have made this platz many times and it's a favorite here. It is also a nice size to bring to potlucks. My g'daughter came to see me today and I thought it was time she learned to make platz. She claims she doesn't like to cook or bake but as you can see she did a great job!

• 2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 egg

1. Sift dry ingredients together and with a pastry blender mix in the butter. Add the cream and slightly beaten egg and mix well.
2. Pat out on a greased 10 x 15 inch pan. (approx) Wet hands to do this as the dough may be a bit sticky.
3. Put on a layer of any of the following fruits: cherries, plums, apples, apricots, rhubarb, blueberries or any fruit in season..frozen fruit works too. My g'daughter used rhubarb.

Top with crumbs:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup butter, very soft

1. Mix well with a pastry blender..it will be crumbly. If you want coarser crumbs just mix in a bit of cream. Sprinkle thickly over the fruit.
2. Bake in at 375º for 30 minutes.
3. Cool 10 minutes and drizzle icing over the top. (optional)
4. It is also very good served warm with ice cream.

Oma's Glazed Chocolate Cookies

I'm so excited to share about the wonderful day I had with my Mom yesterday. My family has been telling me for a long time that I NEED to learn how to make Oma's chocolate cookies and Perishky! I bake pretty well anything else, but I've played ignorance with some of her specialties because I just want to enjoy them when she makes them.
It was so cute how she was almost giddy about me taking pictures of her while she was doing what she knows how to do best! I'll post the cookies first. The Perishky are coming later . . . Oh, and these cookies are the best cookies to take camping because they keep so well. Feel free to ask questions because I may have missed something.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 2 egg yolks (save whites)
• 5 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon soda
• ½ cup cocoa
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup whipping cream

Glaze

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 egg whites

Method:

1. In a stand mixer, mix butter and sugar, beat in yolks and then honey.
2. Add combined dry ingredients alternately with milk and cream. ( you can use light cream instead of milk and cream)
3. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. 

4. Divide dough into quarters. Roll each quarter into a 20 - 24 inch roll (snake) and slice into aprox 1 inch pieces to roll into balls.
5. Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake at 375° F about 12 -13 minutes.
6. Remove to wire rack to cool.  Frost with sugar glaze.

Sugar Glaze - This is a bit tricky but a fun challenge. With experience you learn exactly what to look for as you cook the syrup. Be prepared to focus on glazing the cookies as soon as the glaze is ready.  You can't let it sit.  Have wax paper lined cookie sheets ready. If you want to test this procedure, you can do half the recipe and cook twice. Use a small pot if doing half the recipe.

1. In a medium glass bowl, beat egg whites until almost stiff and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil. Once the liquid looks clear and bubbly even while stirring, set timer to 3 minutes.  Boil between low and medium heat, stirring occasionally to keep sugar from crystallizing on the sides, until liquid is just a mass of tiny bubbles and syrup-like when you drip it from the spoon. ( 3 minutes is a good mark - you can adjust time once you have figured out your stove, pot etc * see note in next paranthesis) 
3. Immediately pour syrup into beaten egg whites, with beater on, and continue beating for a few minutes, until thick and wavy.
4. Scoop some glaze up with your hands and coat each cookie, first bottom and then top.(*If syrup is cooked too little the glaze will be very easy to spread, but harder to dry. If syrup is cooked too long, the glaze dries quickly and doesn’t go on as smooth. It may help to wet your hands)
5. Place on waxed paper lined cookie sheets, not touching each other, until glaze dries. Slightly undercooked glaze may take up to 24 hours to dry. Leave cookies uncovered until they are no longer tacky.

Store cookies in ice cream bucket in a cool place or freeze. This recipe yields 7 - 8 dozen. Gauge baking time by their size. If you have less than 80 cookies, they will be larger and need an extra minute or two to bake. You want them to taste moist and cake-like, but if they "cave" once cooled, they are under baked.

Some ways you  may be able to salvage glaze that has not turned out perfect:  If it is too thin (runs off the cookies, beat it for a few more minutes, adding a tablespoon of cornstarch. If, while you are icing the cookies, it dries too quickly and becomes grainy, beat in a tablespoon or two of water. If nothing works, just start again. =) ... but remember that even cookies that don't look perfect, still taste amazing.

(My mom adapted this recipe from the Mennonite

Treasury Cookbook, (1962) page 171)

Shnetchi (biscuits) - Flashback Friday

For flashback Friday I am bringing back my shnetchi recipe. 

These shnetchi are very good served with jam, honey, or Roger's Golden Syrup. This recipe was passed down from my Dad. He told me to always use whipping cream, although I sometimes use buttermilk and they turn out great too. My Dad used to have a shnetchi booth at the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum during Pioneer days. His booth was called 'Uncle Knals Shnetchi'.

• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 eggs, well beaten

1. Mix dry ingredients together.
2. Cut in butter with pastry blender until crumbly.
3. Make a well in dry ingredients, add cream and beaten eggs.
4. Using a fork stir together just until mixed. Don't overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.
5. Gather dough into a ball and pat out on counter to desired thickness, 3/4" to 1" thick.
6. Cut with round biscuit cutter or whatever shape you want.
7. Place on pan and bake in a 400º oven for 15 minutes or until golden in color.
8. Yield: 9 - 12 shnetchi

Rührei

Mennonite Scrambled Eggs. Rührei is what we called them when I was a kid. This was never a breakfast meal at our place, but rather a quick lunch or supper. I'd all but forgotten about them until yesterday when I was looking through the fridge to see what I could fix in no time flat, and rührei came to mind. This is a creamy version of scrambled eggs...rather like a cross between an omelet and a pancake. It pairs well with ham or sausage...sprinkled with freshly ground pepper and served with salsa for a little zip.

Rührei

• 6 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter 

1. Mix flour and milk into a smooth paste.
2. Add eggs and salt and mix well into a thin batter.
3. Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat.
4. Pour in egg mixture.
5. Cut and stir with spatula until completely cooked through...and until golden brown if desired.
6. Serve hot. 

Enjoy!

 

Large Basic Platz Mix

This Platz mix can be used as a base mix for near any kind of fruit Platz, muffin mix or coffee cake. Having the dry ingredients pre-mixed with the butter is a time saver when you need to make something quick for coffee or dessert. This amount makes about 13 cups of mix and will yield about 4 recipes, depending on what you make. The total recipe would serve 48 - 50. For more variations on how to use this mix check here.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups flour (I use unbleached)
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cold butter

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients and use a grater to grate in the butter, like cheese.
2. Stir well, if too chunky, use pastry blender to stir and finish it up.
3. Store in refrigerator for up to three months.

 For Basic Platz:

• 3 cups mix
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups sliced fruit
• crumbs made from 1 cup mix and 2 - 3 Tbsp cream

1. In a small bowl, whisk egg with fork and add buttermilk. Add to dry mix in a larger bowl , stirring with a fork until blended.
2. Spread into greased 9x9 inch pan and cover with sliced plums, apricots, apples or finely chopped rhubarb. Sprinkle with about 2 Tbps of sugar if desired or cinnamon sugar for apples.
3. Top with crumbs using your hand to mix them.
4. Bake at 350 F for 35 - 40 minutes.

Peppernut Buns..Spiced Buns

These are our favorite 'Easter buns'..not quite a hot cross bun and not quite paska. This recipe is from the Mennonite Treasury with a few changes. My Mom always made these for Easter and I have continued the tradition. They are a family favorite.

• 2 tablespoon yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 cup scalded milk
• 1/2 cup shortening or butter
• 1/2 cup Roger's golden syrup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper,  freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon anise
• 4 3/4 cups flour

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of water, let stand 10 minutes. 
2. Scald milk, add shortening, sugar and syrup stirring until dissolved.
3. Mix flour and spices and add to warm milk mixture.
4. Knead 5 minutes until dough is soft and smooth. Allow to rise until double.
5. Form buns and place on pan. Let rise until double. This dough may rise a bit slower so it's a good idea to have a warm kitchen.
6. Bake at 400º for 12 minutes.
7. Ice and decorate with colorful sprinkles.

Plumi Moos

I chose this recipe for this Easter weekend because Plumi Moos was often served along side a ham dinner on Easter Sunday in many Mennonite homes. This may bring back some memories around your family Easter table. I remember eating this at my Grandma Janzen's house. You can serve this 'fruit soup' warm or cold. It's a really nice addition to a potluck or buffet table. 

Ingredients:

• 10 cups water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup prunes, cut in half
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup dried apples, diced
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, cut in half
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Method:

1. In a large pot bring water. Add all the chopped fruit. Turn to a slow boil and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Shake together cornstarch and remaining water until you have a smooth paste. Stir into water and fruit. 
3. Add remaining ingredients and continue cooking at a slow boil until fruit is soft, and the moos begins to thicken slightly. The total cooking time should be no longer than 30 minutes.

Plumi Moos can be served immediately, or re heated later. You can let this fruit soup cool down and then place in a sealed container in the fridge to get really cold. A nice serving suggestion is to place moos in a large glass serving bowl with little fruit nappies to dish it into. 

Easter in Ellen's Kitchen

Today in my kitchen we are preparing our Easter Bread. What many of you call Paska we call Kulich. This is my mom’s Russian Easter Bread Recipe that I quartered because the amount she would make is quite daunting for me. We have cut it in half in years past. Now what you need to know about my mom and recipes is that she ends up tweaking them from year to year so this recipe is for her Kulich from 2001. I have a 2009 and 2012 recipe, too. This one was easier to quarter. My dear mom passed away from this earth in September of 2013 so I cherish her tweaked recipes. This always seems to be an all day process in my kitchen and while the dough is rising have some lunch or tea with your baking crew and when the bread is safely cooling go out to dinner and celebrate another year of your success in making Paska/Kulich. My baking crew this year will be my sister and adult kids. Here's some of last year's crew.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon sugar
4 egg yolks
1 egg
1-1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup half and half
1/2 ounce apricot brandy
1-1/2 teaspoons powdered vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
Zest of half a lemon
About 2-1/2 lbs of flour, sifted (about 7 cups)
Vegetable oil to coat the rising dough
6 to 7 one pound or two pound cans for baking. You can use loaf pans or large muffin tins if you don’t have the cans to bake them in.

Add yeast to the lukewarm water and milk and sugar in a stainless steel bowl.
Make sure the liquids are lukewarm.
Let this mixture dissolve and sit.
Beat the egg yolks and egg together.
Cream the butter and sugar in the large bowl of a stand-up mixer.
Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture slowly mixing to combine and then beat to incorporate well.
Mix the half and half with the whipping cream and heat until lukewarm, not hot, and slowly incorporate into the creamed mixture.
Mix in the vanilla and brandy.
Add the yeast mixture and the salt and beat with a mixer.
Continue beating and add the lemon zest.
Continue beating and add the sifted flour about a cup at a time.
Once you cannot beat the dough any longer using the mixer, put the dough on a floured surface and start incorporating the remaining flour by kneading the dough.
The dough should be kneaded very well, approximately 10 minutes.
You should knead the dough until you can cut it with a knife and it is smooth without any holes.
Place the dough in a stainless steel bowl.
Take some oil and pour a little on the dough and spread it all over the dough.
Make sure to turn the dough so it is coated evenly.
Cover with plastic wrap right on the dough and a dish towel on top of that.
Place in a warm place away from drafts to rise, (My sister usually puts it into the oven that has been warmed slightly).

While the dough is rising (this can take an hour or longer) prepare the coffee cans (1 lb. and 2 lb. cans are the best) Cut circles the size of the bottom of the cans out of wax paper. You will need four circles per can. Make sure the cans are well greased. Put the 4 circles in the bottom of the cans.

Use a empty and clean coffee can like the ones above. If there is a label make sure to take it off. If the can has a lip at the top you’ll need to use a can opener to cut the lip off the can. I hope these pictures will make the process easier to understand.
Cut sheets of wax paper long enough to line the sides of the can and tall enough to be 2″ above the rim of the can. Use shortening to seal the ends of the paper.

You will take a portion of dough about 1/3 the size of the can. Knead it and form it into a smooth ball that you can easily drop into the can.
Let the dough rise again inside the can until it is at least double in size.
Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown on top.(approximately 30 minutes or more depending on your oven.)
Let them cool slightly in the cans. Remove them from the cans and then cool completely standing up. Some people cool them on their sides turning them often to keep their shape. We found this time that they cool just fine and keep their shape standing up so we didn’t bother with that step!





We got seven loaves from this recipe, some taller and some shorter.

We like to document the better results we get and hope always to improve our techniques from year to year.

To go with this bread my mom always makes a wonderful sweet cheese topping that is formed in a mold in different shapes, Seernaya paska. Our first cookbook has the recipe in it.



When the bread is ready to serve you can make a simple powdered sugar thin frosting to top the bread with and then add sprinkles!

Are you preparing for Easter?

To see Lovella's famous Paska recipe that brought us together and inspired the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog click here.

Hilda's Glums Paska Spread

This recipe is from my friend Hilda. It is a cottage cheese and egg spread to put on Paska. As a young child I didn't appreciate this spread but since tasting Hilda's spread several years ago . .it became strangely addictive.

• 1 - 500 ml container dry cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup room temperature butter
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 small or 2 large hard boiled eggs ..roughly chopped (I make half her recipe which calls for 5 eggs)
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin softened in 1/4 cup warm water

1. In a small saucepan heat the whipping cream and gelatin/water together. Simmer it a few minutes until it has slightly thickened. Don't boil it hard. . just a slight simmer is what you want.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. In a blender or food processor combine all the ingredients.
4. Process until it is is thoroughly combined but still has a bit of texture.
5. Fill a plastic container and put on a lid. ( I like to use a container size that is almost too small so that the lid presses down the spread to compact it slightly. (trial by error is my motto). . or put it in a glass bowl, cover with a plate and put something a little heavy ontop to press down.
6. Chill well .. .and spread thickly on Paska.

Paska

Paska, Books, Lepps Farms...too much excitement for one week. By now most of us are back in our kitchens trying to prepare our last minute Easter Paska.
We all have our favorites and so we repeat them over and over because our families love them. I'm sure by now, you've all tried Lovella's Paska Recipe, which is the recipe that united us, women, together. Thank-you Lovella for a wonderful tutorial.
But today, I will share with you our family's tried and true version, the one that my kids keep asking me to bake, the one in the big pan that feeds the whole family.
What's most important is, that this keeps bringing traditions and families together.
I highly recommend that you check out Ellen's Paska Spread. I will be making this spread this year. When I tasted it, I realized that my grandmother had made it many years ago and  I could still savor the taste.
Remember, it's only Thursday, it' never to late to make Paska...Keep practicing.

• 1 cup milk (1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup milk)
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 - 10 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 10 cups flour.

Kneading Machine Procedure

1. Heat milk just to a scalding level, then add butter which will melt in the milk.
2. Add 1 cup water to the milk mixture and by now this will have cooled down the hot milk.
3. In mixing bowl blend half of the flour with fast-rising yeast, and add salt.
4. Add liquids and blend for 5 minutes on the lowest setting.
5. Combine sugar and eggs and lemon zest into a mixing bowl and beat for several minutes.
6. Add remaining flour and add egg mixture into the kneading bowl, and knead at a high setting till the dough pulls away from the mixing bowl.
7. Dough texture should remain soft.
8. Let the dough rise in the mixing bowl till doubled in size. Cover with saran wrap and towel.
9. Meanwhile, prepare your baking pans with cooking oil or parchment paper.
10. Shape your dough into preferred pans and let rise again for 1 hour or till doubled in size.
11. Bake at 325°  Buns need 20 minutes, while loaves need about 30-35 minutes. Check regularly that the bread does not get too brown on top.   
12. Ice with your favorite spread.

Here's my favorite icing.  I love this one because you can make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge up to three months. It's also excellent for cinnamon buns.

• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 41/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2/3 cups shortening
• 1 egg
• 21/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Dissolve white sugar in water. Shake or stir frequently. Set aside. Beat remaining ingredients to the consistency of whipped cream. Beat in sugar and water mixture. Store covered in the refrigerator. Will keep up to 3 months.
Most of our family will slice the Paska and spread it on like butter. So take the extra spread along with you. And you must always add many colorful sprinkles.
Meanwhile, let's not forget the real message of Easter in Paska making, but rather focus on who Jesus is; the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.

Paska Buns

Paska (based on the Hebrew word for passover) is a rich, citrussy sweet bread...baked in loaves or rolls of all shapes and sizes and decorated with icing and sprinkles. It is a traditional Easter bread baked by many generations before me. There are enough paska lovers in our family...that I think this tradition will carry on.

Paska was baked the Saturday before Easter in my childhood home, and on Easter Sunday we enjoyed the nicely decorated fresh paska. Though it is often baked in loaf form, we prefer paska buns over here.  They are easy to transport and share with friends and neighbours.  The following recipe uses instant yeast for simplicity.

 

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 small lemon, zest and juice
• 1 small orange, zest and juice
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons instant yeast *
• 7-7 1/2 cups flour , approximately

1. Scald milk and butter in microwave for about 2 minutes. Stir to melt butter.
2. Grate rind of lemon and orange. Then squeeze juice of each.
3. Combine milk, butter, lemon and orange in a large bowl.  
4. Add beaten eggs, sugar and salt.  Mix well. 
5. Combine instant yeast with 4 cups flour and add to liquids.  Beat until smooth.
6. Continue adding flour, one cup at a time until the dough no longer sticky, but still quite soft.
7. Knead for several minutes.
8. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
9. Form small balls (the size of dinner rolls) and place on well greased pans.
10. Allow to rise once more until doubled in size about 1 1/2 hours. 
11. Bake at 325°F for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 
12. Remove to wire racks to cool.
13. Frost with the icing of your choice...and top with sprinkles. 

Yield: 3 dozen paska buns

 * If you have active dry yeast, you might want to use Lovella's recipe, which is very similar to this one.

Yeast doughs that are heavy on milk, butter and eggs tend to rise a little slower.  Have patience!