Easter Basket Recipes
For information on preparing a traditional Easter Basket, click here.
CHRIN (Beets with Horseradish)
8 (15 ounce) cans whole beets, drained
2 (4 ounce) jars prepared horseradish
Finely grind the beets and drain (the juice can be saved for soup)
Add the horseradish and mix well. Refrigerate.
For an Easter basket, take one of the empty horseradish jars, remove the labels, wash and sterilize, and fill with the mixture
HRUTKA (Easter Egg)
1 dozen eggs
1 or 2 tsps vanilla
1 quart milk
½ cup sugar
Combine all ingredients in a large pan. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture curdles. Lie a colander with cheesecloth and pour in mixture. Pick up cheesecloth and twist the top of the cloth until mixture shapes into a ball. Tightly tie the open end with string, placing the string very close to the top of the ball. Hang over sink until cool. Remove cheesecloth, wrap, and refrigerate.
Note: the whey from the hrutka can be saved and used for making pascha bread. To save, place the colander over a large pot before pouring the mixture into the cheesecloth.
PASCHA (Easter Bread)
makes 4 round loaves
3 cups scalded, or enough scalded milk added to whey from hrutka to make 3 cups
½ tsp salt
6 beaten eggs
½ cup lukewarm water
½ cup sugar
1 cup melted butter
½ large cake of yeast, or 2 packages of dry yeast
12 to 14 cups flour
In a large bowl, combine milk, sugar, salt, butter and cool until lukewarm. Save 2 tablespoons of the eggs and add the rest to the milk mixture. In a separate bowl, crumble yeast in water and let stand for 10 minutes. Combine the two mixtures. Add flour, about 2 cups at a time, until the dough can be handled.
Knead on a floured board for 15 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, grease the top and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours. Punch down, let rise a second time for 45 minutes.
Shape into four balls and place into greased pans. Let rise. Add a little milk to the 2 tablespoons of eggs and brush the tops of the balls. To promote a finished glazed look, brush the tops several times prior to removing the balls from the oven. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.
Note: If desired, before shaping dough into balls, save 1 cup of dough and shape into designs (crosses, etc.) and place on top of the unbaked paschas. Place aluminum foil on top of the paschas during baking to prevent scorching.
KOLBASSI
Place one package of kolbassi in a pan, cover with water, and boil for 45 minutes.
Variations:
1. After boiling, place kolbassi into a baking pan, sprinkle with brown sugar and honey. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees
2. After boiling, drain kolbassi; add 1 pound drained sauerkraut. If desired, add 5-6 tsps sugar. Reheat until hot
QUICK PREPARE BUTTER
Place 1-2 cups heavy whipping cream into a blender. Blend. After a few minutes, yellowish butter will separate from milky buttermilk. Drain the buttermilk and save for other uses.
Add ½ cup of very cold water and blend again. Discard the wash water. Place the damp butter in a large covered jar or pot and shake. Empty the excess water and repeat until most of the water is removed. Work the butter into the desired shape.
Note: should produce about half as much butter as the amount of cream used.
Other Recipes
PAGACH
10 cups flour
2 yeast cakes (or 2 packages dry yeast)
2 sticks margarine
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 ½ cup. milk (or more If necessary)
Knead all together until well blended as for bread dough. let rise to double in size in warm place. Punch down, let rise once again, Turn out on floured board, separate into 8 or 10 portions. let rise until light. With rolling pin flatten enough to place about 1 cup of filling in center of each mound of dough. Bring dough up over mound and pinch together to shape a round ball. Let rest about 1/2 hour with filling then carefully roll out as thin as you want it. Place on cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown then butter on both sides. Rounds should be about 14 Inches in diameter or as thin as you like them.
Filling: Fried cabbage or potato and cheese.
MUSHROOM SOUP (MACHANKA)
Wash dried mushrooms. Soak overnite. In morning cook mushrooms in the water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook slowly for 2 hours or more.
Zaprashka (Soup thickening)
Brown 1 chopped onion in 2 tablespoons salad oil, add browned onion to mushroom soup. To remaining oil add 2 tablespoons flour slowly, brown and then add to mushroom soup to thicken. Cook for a few minutes and serve hot.
CARAWAY SOUP
3 tablespoons oleo
1/2 cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
3 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons flour
Melt shortening in heavy saucepan. Add chopped onion and cook over low heat until lightly golden. Add salt, flour, and caraway seeds. Blend and cook one minute. Add water and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened. Serve at once.
MUSHROOM STUFFED CABBAGE
1 head cabbage (about 3 pounds)
1 large can sauerkraut
1 cup ground mushrooms (either canned, dry or frozen)
1 cup rice (uncooked)
2 tablespoons oleo
1 medium onion
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
For Sauce as Brown Gravy
1 tablespoon shortening
1 tablespoon flour
Cut core out of cabbage to loosen leaves. Place cabbage into boiling water for a few minutes. Remove leaves, cut away the thick rib from cabbage leaves. Fry the onions In the oleo until soft, add to mushrooms, rice. Season to taste. Place about 1 tablespoon in each cabbage leaf and roll. Drain sauerkraut, use about half the kraut In the bottom of the pot. Arrange rolls over the kraut, cover with remaining kraut. Fill pot with water, to top of the rolls. Cook slowly for about 2 hours.
Sauce: Brown flour in shortening. Add about a cup of water. Bring to a boil, then pour over the cabbage rolls. Cook for just about 5 more minutes.
MUSHROOM SOUP
7 cups fresh mushrooms (chopped)
3 quarts water
1 quart sauerkraut juice
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 small onion
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
Cook mushrooms in water about 1 hour. Brown butler and onion; add flour and brown well. Add sauerkraut juice and boil this for 5 minutes. Add to soup and boil ½ hour longer.
GREEN SPLIT PEA SOUP
1 pound dry green split peas
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
Soak peas in coin water overnight. Drain and add 6 to 7 cups water, onion and celery. Bring to a boil, skim the starch that comes to the top from time to time. Lower heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Stir to prevent sticking. Add more water for desired thickness. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Zaprashka
(Prepared sauce and soup thickening)
4 tablespoons salad
4 tablespoons flour
In a medium skillet, heat oil, add flour gradually and stir constantly until browned. Add to soup mixture and stir well.
Note: 1 pound baby lima beans (dry) may be substituted for the peas.
PIROHI
1 cup flour
1 egg
about 4 tablespoons water
Mix flour and egg with enough water to make a soft dough; knead well. Roll out on floured board until thin. Cut into squares. Place 1 teaspoon filling on each square. Fold In half, making a triangle. Pinch edges well to keep filling inside. Drop into boiling salted water and cook until they rise to surface. Cook 5 minutes longer. Rinse in colander with hot water. Drain. Pour melted butter over pirohi and serve.
Cheese Filling: 1/2 cup dry cottage cheese, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon butter, pinch salt. Mix together. Potato Filling: 1 large potato cooked and mashed. Add 1 tablespoon butter. (Optional· grated cheese to taste). Lekvar may be used as filling. Cooked sauerkraut may also be used as filling. Drain and rinse sauerkraut In cold water. Brown diced onion In shortening, add sauerkraut. Cook for a few minutes.
BREAD FOR CHRISTMAS EVE
1 package dry yeast
½ cup lukewarm water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons sugar
6 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons salad oil
Dissolve yeast in warm water with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Set In warm place to rise. Sift 6 cups flour In deep bowl, add 2 cups warm water, 4 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons salad oil.
Knead well and set aside to rise. When double in bulk, punch down, let rise second time until double. Punch down. Divide dough in two. Shape one part into round bread, cover and let stand 20 minutes. Punch down and reshape. Place in greased pan. Allow to rise until double in bulk. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
Note: The second part of this dough will be used for Bobalki.
CHRISTMAS EVE BOBALKI
Use other half of above dough for bobalki. Knead and roll on floured board Into rope. Cut and roll into balls about 1 inch In diameter. Place on floured pan, let rise 15 minutes. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until just slightly brown. Cool, then place In deep bowl, pour boiling water over just to soak a little. Drain in collander. Place in serving dish, heat honey with a little water, pour over bobalki.
Mix ½ cup ground poppy seed and 1/4 cup sugar and then add to bobalki. Let stand several hours in cool place (or refrigerator) for several hours before serving.
Note: Some bobalki are served with sweet cabbage or sauerkraut. Sautee cabbage or sauerkraut with onion in salad oil, then mix with bobalki.
NUT ROLLS
8 cups flour
2 cups milk (scalded)
4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 large yeast or 3 envelopes dry yeast
½ pound butter
½ pound oleo or crisco
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Dissolve yeast in 1 cup lukewarm milk. Stir well. Add sugar, shortening and salt to the rest of the milk and cool. Beat egg slightly and add to mixture, then add the yeast mixture to the rest of the lukewarm mixture. Pul half of the flour in a bowl and add the above mixture a little at a time. Mix well. Add remainder of flour to make soft dough using just enough flour to knead without sticking. Cover. Let rise to double in bulk.
Keep in warm place. Takes about 2 hours to rise. Knead down a little to get out puffiness. Divide into 6 parts and let stand 10 minutes. Roll out and spread with nut mixture. Roll tightly and place on greased baking sheet and let rise about 1 hour and bake in 350 oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Brush each roll with slightly beaten egg before baking. Brush with melted butter after baked.
Nut Mixture
4 pounds nuts (ground)
4 cups sugar
1 stick butter (melted)
1/4 cup milk (enough to moisten nut mixture)
CHEESE OR PRUNE KOLACHI
Use same ingredients as you do in the nut roll recipe (above). Roll ½ inch thick; cut into 2 ½ inch triangles. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling in 1 triangle, fold towards middle. Place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise until it doubles. Beat egg while and spread on dough. Bake at 350 for ½ hour. Take out of oven, rub with butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Fillings: Use lekvar out of the can or cook prunes and mash them and sugar to taste.
Cottage cheese – Dry. Add 1 egg sweetened to taste and add a pinch of salt, mix together.
CHRISTMAS BREAD
1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups scalded milk
1 cup warm water (NOT HOT)
2 packages dry or compressed yeast
2 eggs, beaten
8 cups flour
1 cup seedless raisins
Put sugar, shortening, salt and scalded milk in a large bowl; stir until shortening melts. Cool to lukewarm. Pour warm water into small bowl; sprinkle or crumble in yeast, stir until dissolved. Add eggs and yeast to lukewarm milk mixture and blend. Add 2/3 of flour and beat until smooth. Gradually add remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Add raisins and turn out on floured board and knead until smooth and elastic; place in greased bowl. Brush with melted shortening, cover, and let rise in warm place until it doubles (about 1 ½ hours). Punch down; divide into 3 equal portions. Shape into 3 round loaves; let rise again until it doubles. Brush with beaten egg. Bake In hot oven for 10 minutes at 450 then turn to 350 and continue baking for 45 minutes or until golden brown.