Makowiec
(Poppyseed Cake)
Shared by Iara

Filling:
3/4 lb poppyseed
1/2 lb sugar
1 T honey
5 eggs, separated
almond extract to taste
1 t cinnamon
3 oz crushed almonds
1 T flour
Dough:
1 1/2 oz yeast
1 T warm milk
1/4 c sugar, divided
4 c flour, divided
2 eggs, separated
grated lemon rind
1 t salt
1 1/2 c milk
1/4 c butter, melted

Scald poppyseeds and strain in cheesecloth. Grind poppyseeds in blender until smooth. Add sugar, honey, egg yolks, almond extract & cinnamon, blending constantly. Add almonds and blend well. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff. Fold in poppyseed mixture. Sprinkle with flour, mix well. Spread filling over dough and roll as you would a jellyroll. Bake in a large, greased loaf pan for 1 hour at 350F. Cool and frost, if desired.

Dough: Dissolve yeast in warm milk, and add 1 t of sugar and 1 t of flour. Beat egg yolks and remaining sugar until light. Put remaining flour into a large bowl. Make a well in flour. Pour the yeast mixture into the well; cover with flour. Wait for yeast to bubble. Add egg yolk, lemon rind and salt; mix well. Add
milk slowly. Knead dough for 5 minutes and add melted butter, blending it through the dough. Place dough into greased baking pan and cover. Let rise for 2-3 hours. Brush dough with egg whites. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes.

Polish Coffee Cake Cake
Shared by Iara

1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 pint sour cream
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
Topping:
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (pecans, walnuts, whatever)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Cream butter, add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture, beat for 2 minutes. Spoon 1/2 of the dough into a greased and floured bunt pan. Sprinkle 3/4 of topping mixture on to dough. Add rest of dough to bunt pan. Sprinkle on the rest of the topping mixture. Bake in 350 oven for 55 minutes.

Chrusciki
Shared by Iara

6 egg yolks
1 egg
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups  all purpose flour
1 tablespoon whiskey or rum
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
crisco (butter flavored) for frying

Blend the flour, salt, vinegar, egg, egg yolks, and rum or whiskey in a large bowl. This mixture will turn into a dough. Roll out the dough until it's about 3 - 4 millimeters thin. Cut it into rectangle shaped strips about 3 - 3 1/2 centimeters wide and 6 - 7 centimeters long. Make a cut in the center
(length wise) about 1 centimeter long. Bring one end of the strip through the cut in the center of the strip carefully. Preheat electric pan to 350 degrees, and place enough crisco into the pan to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Place the prepared strips into the pan until it turns golden brown and flip them. They should only take a couple of minutes each. Take the pastry out of the pan and sprinkle on powdered sugar.

Babka Wielkanocna Lukrowana
(Easter Baba with Icing)
Shared by Iara

Dough:
1 envelope of dry yeast
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 TBS melted butter
1/4 cup raisins
Icing:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 TBS rum or lemon juice

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 raisins, while continuing to knead. Grease and flour baba pan. Place dough in pan, cover with a clean cloth, and leave in a very warm, draft-free place until doubled in size. Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes. When cool, remove from
pan. Mix well ingredients for icing and drizzle over baba.

Mazurek Cyganski
(Gypsy Mazurek)
Shared by Iara

6 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
6 egg yokes, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped figs
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup raisins
½ cup candied orange rind
1 3/4 cups crushed walnuts
3 TBS grated lemon rind
6 TBS cornstarch

Whip egg whites, gradually adding sugar until meringue forms peaks. Beat in the yolks and vanilla, then combine with the fruit mixture, which has been blended with the cornstarch. Place on greased and floured cookie sheet and bake at 325F for 30 minutes

Polish Tea Cakes
Shared by Iara

1/2 cup butter 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg yolk slightly beaten 1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup flour 1/2 cup fruit preserves (jam jelly)

Cream butter and sugar until light. Add the egg yolks and mix well. Add the flour sifted with salt.
Mix. then roll dough in small balls, dip in unbeaten egg white and roll in nuts (finely chopped). Place on a buttered baking sheet and press down center of each with your thumb or thimble. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove and press down again and return to oven. for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and fill indentation with preserves while still warm.

Easter Basket
Shared by Iara

3 cups of flour
2 packs of dry yeast
1 cup of milk
4 TBS of butter
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg yokes

Combine flour with yeast. Heat milk, add butter, let it melt. Add milk, salt and sugar to flour mixture. Mix well with electric mixer. Form a ball and leave it to rise. On a flat surface, roll 3/4 of dough with rolling pin until you get a 10" square. Cut into 24 strips. Lay 12 strips next to each other, and use the other 12 to weave between them. Cover ovenproof bowl with butter. Place it upside down on a cookie sheet. Place the strips on top of the bowl, cut the ends. Cover the strips with egg yolk. Bake for 45 minutes in 350 oven. After 20 minutes, cover the strips with aluminum foil so they would not burn. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle; cut it into 3 strips (to create a rim for a basket). Braid the strips and place them on a cookie sheet. Cover with egg yolk and bake for 20 minutes. Gently remove basket from a bowl and pin the rim into it with toothpicks

Dried Fruit Compote
Shared by Iara

1 lb. mixed dried fruit
2 cups of water
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
6 whole cloves
1 1/2 cups of sugar

Rinse and soak fruit in 2 cups of water overnight. Add sugar and heat till it dissolved. Add lemon juice, rind and cloves. Refrigerate.