Little Poppy Seed Cakes

Christmas is coming up and I have been thinking of making an easier version of makowiec – the Traditional Poppy seed cake.

I have posted versions for larger cakes and for little buns with the traditional poppy seed filling.

Several years ago I got an Austrian cookery book which has many similar recipes to Polish ones and I made some babeczki  or buleczki – little cakes, with a yeast pastry & poppy seed filling for Wigilia from it.

 

I thought I would have another go at these but with some changes.

The poppy seed filling I have changed quite a bit and it is easier than my traditional one. The recipe for the dough I have changed slightly and the shaping method quite a lot.

Poppy Seed Filling

Ingredients

• 180ml of milk (full fat or semi)
• Around 100ml of runny honey (extra may be needed)
• 120g of poppy seeds *
• 50g of raisins
• Strong Earl Grey tea
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• *
• * You can grind the poppy seeds – I used a little electric grinder.

Method

• Make some strong Earl Grey tea.
• Put the raisins in a small bowl and cover them with the hot tea and leave till they go cold.
• Into a small saucepan put the poppy seeds and the milk.
• Bring to the boil then lower the heat.
• Simmer gently for around 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Take care not to let the mixture burn.
• Add the honey and continue heating and stirring.
• Drain the raisins and add them to the mixture and mix them in.
• Keep stirring and try and drive off any liquid left.
• Taste for sweetness – you may want to add more honey.
• Leave to go completely cold before using.
• Add the grated lemon rind.
• *
• If this is too much filling – you can always freeze some.

 

Yeast Dough

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon of dried yeast
• 4-5 tablespoons of milk (full fat or semi)
• 250g of strong flour
• Pinch of salt
• 120g of butter
• 20g of caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 egg white for glazing (I always use just egg white now – it does not burn as easily as whole egg)

Method

• Warm 3-4 tablespoons of the milk to hand heat.
• Add the yeast and leave it to froth up.
• Place the flour into a large bowl and add the salt.
• Cut in the butter with a knife and then make breadcrumbs with your fingers.
• Stir in the sugar.
• Make a well in the centre.
• Add the egg yolk and the yeast mixture.
• Use a knife at first to bring the dough together.
• You may need some of the extra milk.
• Use your fingers to gather all the ingredients into  a ball.
• Knead the dough for around 5 minutes till you have a smooth dough.
• Leave the dough to rest for at least 45 minutes – covered with a tea cloth.
• ******
• Grease and line several baking trays.
• Cut the dough into 3 or 4 portions.
• Roll the dough out thinly.
• Use a 6cm cutter to cut out circles.
• Place a small teaspoon of filling on half of the circles.
• Place a second pastry circle on top.
• Use a pastry fork to crimp the edges together making sure they are sealed.
• Glaze with beaten egg white.
• Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C (quite low for a yeast pastry!).
• Bake for 12-13 minutes.
• Dust with icing sugar whilst still warm.
• Leave to cool.

You could drizzle with runny lemon icing instead.

Served here on Duchess – tea plates – Poppies from the 1960s.