CZECH RECIPES FROM BABINKA’S KITCHEN
See also the Czech recipe page at
http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/7680/eleanor.html
BREAKFAST (Note, I’m calling these Breakfast because I find sweet
pastries good for breakfast, but a European breakfast -- if not bacon
and eggs -- is likely to be what we refer to as cold cuts with bread
and cheese.)
BUCHTY
* 4 cups flour
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1 packet yeast
* 2/3 cup milk [?]
* 1 tsp. sugar, combined with the milk
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/4 cup melted butter
* 1/4 cup oil
* filling: poppyseed paste, apricot preserves plus raisins and nuts,
half-plums, etc.
* powdered sugar for garnish
Combine the milk and 1 tsp. sugar; stir in yeast, wait until foamy
(about 10-20 minutes). Mix in the egg and melted butter.
Add the liquid mixture slowly to the dry ingredients in a
Cuisinart. Process for 1 minute. Let the dough rise in a warm place
until doubled (one-half to one hour?) Knead the dough briefly and
cut into 12 to 15 pieces (according to the size of your pan). Fill each
piece with filling, seal into a ball, and set in a greased pan with the
seal side down. Let rise another half-hour.
Pour the 1/4 cup oil over the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about
40 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.
KOLACHE
* 1/4 kg. (1/2 lb.) flour
* 2+1/2 tsp. baking powder
* 1/8 kg. (1/4 lb.) sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 stick soft butter
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1 grated lemon rind
* fruit filling incl. apple slices, plum or apricot halves, etc.
Blend all ingredients with a dough blade in the Cuisinart.
Smooth into a greased and floured cookie pan. Push sliced fruit into
the dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
APPETIZERS
CRAB MOLD
* 2 cups crab (or tuna, for John)
* 2 to 3 chopped, boiled eggs
* 1/2 cup chopped olives
* 2 Tbsp. capers
* 1 Tbsp. chopped chives or green onions
* 1 envelope gelatin
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 cups mayonnaise
* tomatoes, avocado, lettuce for garnish
Soften gelatin in cold water, then over hot water until dissolved.
(Or just warm the softened gelatin in the microwave for 15-20
seconds.) Mix with mayonnaise, and add to the other ingredients.
Pour into a rinsed mold, chill until firm. Unmold and decorate with
other salad items.
DUMPLING SOUP
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup cream of wheat (less about 1 Tbsp.?)
* 2 Tbsp. dried parsley
* 1/4 cup frozen peas and/or asparagus tips, etc.
* salt, pepper to taste
* 1/2 gallon chicken or soup stock
Mix together all ingredients except the stock and
peas/vegetables. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Drop the mixture,
by small teaspoons, into the boiling stock. Simmer, covered, for
about half an hour, or until dumplings are tender. Add the
peas/vegetables. Add more stock if the liquid has been reduced too
much.
HOUBY s VEJCI (MUSHROOMS with EGGS)
* 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 1/4 cup butter or margarine
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. pepper
* 1/2 tsp. crushed caraway seeds
* 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
* 6 eggs, beaten
Sautẻe mushrooms in hot butter with the spices. When the
liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, add the beaten eggs
and scramble the mixture. Makes about 4 servings.
LIVER PASTE
* 1/2 kg. (1 lb.) liver
* 1/4 kg. (1/2 lb.) bacon
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup cream
* 4 Tbsp. flour
* 1 onion, chopped
* salt, pepper, allspice to taste
Clean liver and blend all ingredients in a blender or food
processor until smooth. Pour into a greased pan, set in a pan of hot
water, and bake at 300 degrees for about 90 minutes.
DINNERS / MAIN COURSE MEALS
BEEF WITH DILL SAUCE
* Beef brisket
* 2 onions (divided use, 1 diced)
* salt to taste
* small amount of butter or oil for frying
* 1/4 cup Wondra flour
* 1 quart half-and-half (or, to reduce calories, substitute beef stock
for some or all half-and-half)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, or 1/4 cup dried
* 3/4 to 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 1 to 1+1/2 cups sour cream (or as much as 2+1/4 cups)
Cook the brisket in a pressure cooker with 1 whole onion and
salt, for about 1 hour.
Dice and sautẻe the second onion in butter. Add the flour and
brown; then add the half-and-half and the dill and lemon juice.
(Add lemon juice carefully in order not to curdle the milk.) Simmer
for 20 minutes. Add the sour cream just before serving.
PECENY KAPR s KYSELOU OMACKOU (Carp with Sour Cream
Sauce)
* 1 carp, 3-4 pounds, cleaned and ready to cook
* 1/4 cup butter
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/3 cup sour cream
* juice of 1 lemon
* salt and pepper to taste
Grease a shallow baking dish with butter. Season the carp inside
and out with salt and pepper. Place bay leaves on the butter and lay
it on your carp. Cover with sour cream and lemon juice. Bake at
350 degrees for 40 minutes or until brown -- baste frequently.
Serve with noodles or potatoes. Makes 4 servings.
KNEDLIKY (BREAD DUMPLINGS)
* 2 cups Wondra flour
* 2 egg yolks
* 1/2 package yeast
* 1/2 cup milk (perhaps a little more), at room temperature or
above
* pinch of sugar
* dash of salt
* 2 french rolls, diced
Add yeast to the lukewarm milk and wait until foamy. Add the
other ingredients and knead or beat until elastic. Add the diced
french rolls.
Allow to rise until doubled. Form into two large rounds. Boil in
slightly salty water until done, about 30-40 minutes. Cut with a
wire dough cutter, or string. Excellent with the beef with dill sauce.
SAUERBRAUTEN
* 3 lbs. larded beef
* several slices cooked bacon
Marinade:
* 1+1/2 cups vinegar
* salt to taste
* 6 whole peppercorns
* 5 allspices
* 1 bay leaf
* pinch of thyme
* 2 sliced parsnips
* 1 sliced onion
* 1 clove garlic
* 1 small carrot, sliced
* 1 small stalk of celery, sliced
Boil the marinade ingredients in 2 cups of water, until just
tender. Marinate the beef in this mixture, in the refrigerator, for 3
to 4 days. Roast the beef, covered, on a bed of the vegetables from
the marinade and several slices of fried bacon, for about 90
minutes. Strain out the spices from the pan; blend the remaining
vegetables and liquid in the pan, with 1 to 1+1/2 cups sour cream.
Warm the sauce and serve with the meat.
SEGEDINSKI GOULAJ
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 2 lbs. pork or veal cubes
* Dash of paprika
* 1/4 cup Wondra flour
* 1 jar rinsed sauerkraut
* small amount of butter or oil for frying; water or soup stock to
cover
* 1 to 1+1/2 cup sour cream
Sautẻe the meat and the onion, in the butter until the onion
becomes translucent. Add water to cover and simmer until medium-
well cooked.
Add the paprika and Wondra. When beginning to thicken, add
the sauerkraut. Simmer until hot, adding more water or stock if
necessary. Add the sour cream just before serving.
ZELI (BOILED CABBAGE)
* 1 head of cabbage, sliced
* 1/4 onion, diced
* small amount of butter or oil for frying
* 2 Tbsp. flour
* 1 tsp. caraway seeds
* 2 tsp. sugar
* 2 Tbsp. vinegar
Boil the sliced cabbage, in enough water to cover half the
cabbage, until soft.
Meanwhile, sautẻe the onion in the butter. Add the flour to the
onion pan and allow to thicken. Mix this sauce in with the cabbage
when the cabbage is soft, along with the other spices/sugar/vinegar.
Let the mixture simmer on a low flame until the juices have
thickened (about 30 to 60 minutes).
DESSERTS
APPLE CHEESECAKE
Crust:
* 1 cup flour
* 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
* 1 cube butter
* 1 Tbsp. milk
Filling:
* 2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
* sprinkle of lemon juice
* 8 oz. cream cheese
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 tsp. lemon peel
* 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 2 eggs
Mix all the filling ingredients together and press into a pan.
Then arrange the apple slices evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the
apple slices with sugar to keep them from darkening. Sprinkle with
additional sugar.
Mix the remaining filling ingredients together, then pour over the
apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
HAZELNUT TORTE
* 1/2 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp. sugar
* 6 eggs, separated
* 1+1/2 cup ground hazelnuts, or walnuts
* 1/3 cup Wondra flour
* 2 Tbsp. fresh bread crumbs
Process the sugar in a blender, adding the egg yolks and nuts.
Slowly fold in the flour and crumbs. Beat the egg whites until stiff
and fold them in. Pour into an ungreased springform pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Let cool upside-down.
CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS
BEAR CLAWS
* 240 grams flour (about 1/2 lb. minus a couple Tbsp., or a very
scant 2+1/4 cups)
* 190 grams butter (about 6 to 7 ounces)
* 120 grams sugar (a bit over 1 cup)
* 100 grams ground almonds (scant 1 cup)
* 10 grams cocoa (roughly 2 Tbsp. or 1/2 ounce)
* grated rind of one-half lemon
* pinch of baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves
Cream the butter and sugar together, then add other ingredients.
Press into greased molds. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
CHRISTMAS CAKE
* 1 lb. EACH:
Sultanas
Currants
Raisins
Butter
Brown Sugar
* 1/2 lb. EACH:
Mixed candied peel
Dates
* 6 ounces blanched almonds
* 4 ounces candied cherries
* 12 eggs
* 20 ounces flour
* 2 tsp. baking powder
* 1 tsp. EACH: Almond and Vanilla extracts
* Mixed spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc.) to taste
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy; add the eggs one at a
time, then the extracts. Add the fruit.
Sift the dry ingredients together, then gradually fold them into
the butter mix. Bake in greased pans at 350 degrees for about two
and a half hours.
CINNAMON STARS
* 280 grams (about 1/2 lb. or 2+1/2 cups) EACH:
Butter
Flour
Powdered Sugar
Ground Almonds
* 4 egg yolks
* 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
Mix ingredients, roll out and cut with a star cookie-cutter. Bake
on greased pans at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
CUT-OUT COOKIES
* 800 grams flour (about 1+3/4 lb., or 7 cups plus several
Tablespoons)
* 250 grams sugar (a bit over 1/2 lb., or a scant 2+1/4 cups)
* 500 grams butter (a couple ounces more than 1 lb.)
* 2 eggs
* grated rind of one lemon
Work the dry ingredients and the butter in a bowl. Add the eggs.
Roll out and cut with pattern cutters. Bake on greased pans at 350
degrees for 7 to 9 minutes.
DATE KISSES
* 5 egg whites
* 350 grams sugar (about 3/4 lb. plus a couple Tablespoons, or 3
cups plus several Tablespoons)
* grated rind of one-half lemon
* 120 grams of dates, chopped (a bit over 1/4 lb., or a very scant 6
cups)
* 70 grams (about 3 ounces) EACH: Walnuts and Hazelnuts
* 50 grams (about 2 ounces) EACH: Currants and Chopped
Blanched Almonds
Beat the whites and sugar until stiff; continue beating over
boiling water until very thick. Fold in the fruits and nuts. Drop onto
greased pans and bake at 250 degrees for about 25 minutes until
rosy.
EIERCOGNAC
* 1 quart half-and-half
* 350 grams powdered or blenderized sugar (about 1+1/2 cups)
* 12 egg yolks
* 1 inch of vanilla bean
* 1 cup cognac
In a double boiler, beat everything except the liquor over hot
water until smooth and thick (it will coat the spoon). Add the
cognac when cool. (This can work in the microwave, with frequent
stirring.)
PIPEK ALMOND CRESCENTS
* 280 grams flour (about 2+1/2 cups)
* 2 sticks of soft, unsalted butter
* 140 grams of finely ground almonds (about 1+1/4 cup)
* 70 grams of powdered sugar (about 3/4 cup)
* dash of vanilla
Work the ingredients in a bowl until crumbly, then knead until it
forms a solid ball. Chill in the refrigerator. Roll into ropes, shape
the ropes into small crescents, and place them on greased pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until light rosy. While warm,
roll in a vanilla-powdered sugar mixture.
TENDER CARDS
* 210 grams flour (about 1+3/4 cups plus a couple Tablespoons)
* 70 grams sugar (about 3/4 cup)
* rind of 1/2 lemon, grated
* 140 grams butter (about 6 ounces)
* 2 egg yolks
Glaze:
* 1 egg white
* 2 tsp. water
Work all the ingredients together, roll out and cut with cookie-
cutters. Try and cut an even number so that you have a pair of each
shape. Mix the glaze ingredients and glaze the top half only, of
each cookie. Bake on greased pans at 350 degrees, until light
brown on the edges. Stick the pairs together with jam.
VANOCHKA
* 120 grams melted butter (a bit over 1/2 cup)
* 80 grams sugar (scant 1/4 cup)
* 3 egg yolks
* grated rind of 1 lemon
* 25 grams yeast (about 1 Tbsp.)
* 1/4 liter half-and-half (about 1/2 cup)
* 500 grams flour ... half or more of this amount should be Wondra
flour (about 1 lb. plus several Tbsp., total)
* 50 grams raisins ... about half should be sultanas (about 2 ounces
total)
* 50 grams chopped almonds (about 2 ounces)
Warm the half-and-half milk to lukewarm; add 2 Tbsp. of the
sugar and the yeast. Wait until it becomes foamy. Beat in the yolks
and cooled butter. Pour this liquid into the flour and the remaining
sugar; beat until mixed. Add the raisins and nuts to the dough.
Knead the dough on a floured board, adding a little flour when
necessary to keep it from sticking. Let rise until doubled. Divide
the dough into 9 pieces, and roll into ropes. Braid 4 ropes together
for the base, then braid 3 ropes together for the second level, then
the last 2 should be twisted together on top. Secure with
toothpicks, and let rise again about half an hour. Glaze with beaten
egg yolk and decorate.
Bake on a greased pan at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.