Kołduny

  • Looking in my new recipe book “Wilno” I came across a recipe for kołduny.
  • They looked very much like pierogi and did I some research to find out how they were similar and how different.
  • Firstly the dough is made with just flour and hot (not boiling) water! – I was very curious as to how this would work out.
  • The filling is meat, usually pork or beef or a mixture.
  • The filling is raw minced meat – not cooked meat as in pierogi.
  • Most recipes used “fatty” meat or added lard (I did not).
  • The chopped onion is also raw.
  • Garlic is added – I have not come across this used in pierogi.
  • Kołduny are described as smaller than pierogi – I now realise that my pierogi are small so these did not seem much smaller.
  • In order to cook the kołduny they are simmered for 20 minutes – much longer than pierogi are boiled.
  • The kołduny are served with marjoram (fresh or dried) and butter or soured cream or
  • They are often served in soup usually rosoł – clear chicken soup.
  • In the book it states that the kołduny are not eaten with a knife and fork but with a soup!
  • I found it hard to eat the ones in the soup as they were very hot to bite through!
  • VERDICT
  •  The dough was good and I would make that again. 
  • However I suppose it is what one is used – but we all preferred the Polish cooked meat fillings of pierogi.

INGREDIENTS – DOUGH

  • 480g plain flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Around 500ml of water at about 70°C (you might not need it all)

METHOD – DOUGH

  • In a bowl mix the flour with the salt.
  • Make a well in the centre and add 250ml of the water.
  • At first using a knife or spoon – later with your hands –
  • Keep adding water slowly and mix this in with the flour until you have a smooth ball of dough.
  • Leave this to rest for 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS – FILLING

  • 500g of  minced pork or beef or a mixture.
  • 1 egg
  • 1 onion – chopped fine
  • 2 cloves of garlic – chopped fine
  • Marjoram – fresh or dried
  • Salt & pepper

METHOD – FILLING

  • Mix the ingredients together.
  • Season with the salt & pepper.

Making the kołduny

  • Prepare trays with floured tea towels to put the kołduny on.
  • Cut the dough into quarters.
  • Roll out the dough until it is thin.
  • Cut out circles around a tumbler or cutter around 7cm in diameter. 
  • Place a ball of filling in the centre.
  • Seal up the edges with your fingers to get a semi circle.
  • Place on the floured trays.
  • Repeat with the rest of the dough and with re-rollings from the cutting.
  • *
  • Use a wide saucepan or deep frying pan.
  • Add boiling water, salt and a little oil.
  • Add about 8 kołduny and simmer them for 15 minutes.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon.
  • Repeat with the rest of them.
  • *
  • Serve with butter and marjoram or
  • In rosoł – clear chicken soup.
  • Take care when biting in as the filling will be very hot.
  • *
  • Although not traditional we fried up left over kołduny the next day.

Sour Cherry Sauce – 2

  • This sauce is good for desserts.
  • It can be served hot or cold.
  • Use it with pancakes – hot
  • or cold to pour over baked cheesecake when serving
  • or add to Greek style yoghurt

Ingredients

  • Jar or part jar of sour cherries
  • 4 cloves
  • Small stick of cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon of potato or cornflour
  • *
  • Optional – a little sugar to taste

Method

  • Put the cherries and the juice into a saucepan.
  • Add the cloves and cinnamon.
  • Simmer gently for around 10 minutes.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Remove the spices.
  • Mix the potato or cornflour with a little of the juice.
  • Stir this into the cherries.
  • Bring up to the boil, stirring often.
  • The sauce will thicken.
  • Leave on a low heat if serving hot or
  • Leave to cool.

Skubaniec

  • Skubaniec comes from the word skubać – to pinch or to pluck.
  • This is because the cake dough is pinched into little pieces and then assembled.
  • It could be said this cake is related to pleśniak – a very recent discovery of mine.
  • There is a recipe in the Christmas pamphlet, which I bought but I have adapted it after looking at other recipes. 
  • As in pleśniak there is plain and cocoa cake dough, sour fruits and meringue.
  • Baking powder is used in this dough.
  • Some recipes pinch all the dough including the base, others roll out the base.
  • The next is a meringue layer, then the fruits, followed by a pinched dough topping of plain and cocoa dough.
  • Sour cherries, blackcurrants, gooseberries are the most used fruits but I have seen recipes for apples and for rhubarb.
  • You can use 2 or more fruits – I used fresh blackberries in 1 third and bottled sour cherries in the rest.
  • Bottled fruit, drained, can be used as was here.
  • Frozen fruits can be used and the cake made out of season.
  • Defrost frozen fruit and dry the water away.
  • Egg yolks are used in the dough and then the whites in the meringue.

Ingredients – Dough

  • 420g plain flour
  • 120g icing sugar
  • 120g butter
  • 1¼ teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon of cocoa
  • 4 yolks
  • Cold water to bind the dough

Ingredients – Meringue 

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon of icing sugar

Ingredients – Fruit

  • 200g bottled cherries

Putting the cake together

  • Line 3 sides of a 26 x 23cm rectangular tin.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Rub the butter into the flour until it is like breadcrumbs.
  • Mix in the icing sugar and the baking powder.
  • Divide the dough into three parts.
  • Take 2 parts, add 3 yolks and water to make a soft dough.
  • Add the cocoa to the other dry mixture.
  • Add 1 egg yolk and water to make a cocoa dough.
  • Take 1 half of the plain dough and roll it into a rectangle to fit the base of the tin.
  • *
  • Drain the fruit from the liquid in the jar (keep the liquid for other things).
  • *
  • Whisk the egg white till stiff.
  • Add the icing sugar, whisk again till stiff.
  • *
  • Spread the egg white mixture over the dough base.
  • *
  • Put the fruit evenly over the egg white.
  • *
  • Pinch small pieces of each colour of dough.
  • Place them on top of the fruit alternating between plain and cocoa.
  •  Bake for around 40 minutes.
  • Leave to cool in the tin.
  • NOTE
  • I did find that the cake went stale quite quickly.
  • Next time I will try using 210g of butter.

Sour Cherry Sauce – 1

  • This was first made for my recipe for duck pierogi with sour cherry sauce.
  • Make this with around 5 tablespoons of sour cherry jam heated up with the juice of 1 lemon and leave to cool. 
  • If you want to make a larger quantity then use the juice of 2 lemons with 1 jar of jam.
  • This would be good with roast duck or pork.

Finnish Cookbook

I am always amazed at what gems you can find in Charity shops.

  • This book on Finnish Cookery is my latest find.
  • The ‘Finnish Cookbook’ by Beatrice A. Ojakangas.
  • First published in 1964 and this edition in 1989.
  • It is aimed at the American market so the recipes are in cups etc.
  • I will go with cups and tablespoons for liquids but for ingredients such as flour, sugar and butter I will convert these to grams when I try them.
  • I have learnt a lot about Finland from this book.
  • Because of its closeness to Russia it is not surprising that some of these recipes are similar to ones found in Russia.
  • It then follows that some of the recipes are also similar to ones found in Eastern Poland and to ones which I have posted.
  • Lingonberries, Rye, Cabbage  & Herrings are just some of the similar ingredients.
  • The ‘Cabbage Pasty’, which is served as a’ ‘Soup Accompaniment’  is one example, which is very similar.
  • Look out for recipes from this book as the New Year (2024) goes on.

Do you know any Finnish Recipes?

Poppy Seed Filling

  • There is a recipe for poppy seed filling in one of my early posts on Poppy Seed Cake and Yeast Cakes
  • This is a variation with added dried fruit and peel, which was inspired by some yeast rogaliki I tried in Gdańsk.
  • I have cut down the amount of filling as you do not need as much for small cakes.
  • 100g of poppy seeds is more than enough for filling small cakes and pastries.
  • The filling can be used in my recipes for Rhubarb Yeast Buns (instead of the rhubarb) Mincemeat Yeast Buns (instead of the mincemeat) or rogaliki.
  • I used the filling to make rogaliki.
  • *
  • Note – as with all yeast pasties they do not stay fresh long – so invite guests to eat then up with you.

INGREDIENTS

  • 100g poppy seeds
  • 300ml milk
  • 2 tablespoons of runny honey
  • 1 tablespoon of semolina
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 50g mixed peel
  • 75g sultanas

Method

  • Put the poppy seeds and milk into a saucepan and simmer then together for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop any sticking or burning.
  • The aim is to cook the seeds and adsorb as much of the milk as possible.
  • You need to watch this carefully and keep adjusting the heat to stop the mixture burning.
  • Keep stirring and heating until the milk is absorbed.
  • The poppy seeds then need to be crushed, I use a hand held blender for about 5 minutes which I find is the easiest way.
  • Once crushed, add the semolina, mixed peel and sultanas
  • Whisk the egg yolk and honey together until this is thick and creamy and then add this to the mixture.

Meakin – Poppy plate

Recipes from Wilno

  • I was so thrilled to find this new book in the Empik bookstore in Gdańsk.
  • My father always thought of Wilno (Vilnius in English) as his nearest city.
  • He was born not that far away and where he was born and Wilno were part of Poland then.
  • Wilno was always thought of as a very Polish city.
  • *
  • I am planning to sit down and read this book very thoroughly.
  •  Although my father did not cook, I am sure some of these recipes will be similar to those ones I have tasted, used by his sisters here in England and his cousins in Poland.

Poppy Seed – Tort

  • Today is 31 December 2023 and this will be my 590th post.
  • Thank you to everyone who reads any of them.
  • *
  • Poppy seed cakes are a very Christmas time thing in Polish cookery.
  • But of course can be found all through out the year as well.
  • This could be called a makowiec – but it is light and more a tort (sponge layer cake).
  • I got a packet of ground poppy seeds (for the first time) and this recipe was on the back.
  • I tried it out and it is light, fluffy and delicious.
  • It is good just on its own but the suggestion is to add butter cream.
  • I used a rum flavoured butter cream but think, vanilla, rum or lemon rind would also work well.
  • You can cut the cake in half and sandwich it together or put the butter cream on the top.
  • The cake takes 6 eggs and was baked in a 24cm diameter round tin.
  • It is left to cool in the tin and does sink slightly in the middle.
  • I think next time using 2 sandwich type tins would be better or
  • Make ½ the quantity.

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 eggs separated.
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • 200g ground poppy seeds (a whole packet)
  • 3 tablespoons of semolina 
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • pinch of salt

Method

  • Grease and line the base of a 24 cm round tin.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Mix together the poppy seeds, semolina and baking powder.
  • Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar till thick and creamy.
  • Fold in the poppy seed mixture.
  • Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk till stiff.
  • Fold the whites into the rest of the cake mixture.
  • Put into the cake tin and smooth over the top.
  • Bake for 40 – 45 minutes.
  • Leave to cool in the tin.
  • The cake may drop slightly in the middle.
  • *
  • Serve dusted with icing sugar or
  • Cut in half and sandwich with a butter cream of your choice – vanilla, rum or brandy or lemon rind.

Duchess & Meakin poppy tea plates.

Pleśniak

  • I first tasted pleśniak on my recent trip to Gdańsk.
  • I had never heard of it before although some of my cakes are similar.
  • It does not appear in any of my older Polish cookery books.
  • Having done a little more research I found it was in some people’s list of their top 10 favourite Polish cakes.
  • *
  • The name is intriguing in that the word means  – mildew or mouldy!
  • It consists of 3 or 4 layers, usually baked in a square or rectangle:
  • –
  • Shortcrust/chocolate shortcrust 
  • Sour fruits
  • Meringue
  • *
  • Maybe the mildew reference is to the look of the meringue layer?
  • *
  • The sour fruits are usually sour cherries, blackcurrants or gooseberries.
  • Jam or a mixture of jam and fresh or frozen fruits can be used.
  • The fruit layer should be on the sour side – so if you jam is sweet – heat it up with the addition of the juice of a lemon or two.
  • Sometimes rhubarb, cooked first, is used.
  • My placek with rhubarb & meringue could be adapted with the addition of cocoa to the pastry or the fruit.
  • *
  • I tried this out in a 26 x 21 rectangular tin.
  • * 
  • I have seen several versions – sometimes with the egg whites/meringue under a layer of pastry – I think the meringue on top is easier.

Shortcrust layers

  • Start to make a rich buttery shortcrust using 250g of plain flour.
  • Do not add any sugar to the pastry.
  • Divide the crumbs part into two.
  • Use the first half to make pastry with 2 egg yolks.
  • To the second half add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and continue with 2 egg yolks as normal.
  • Wrap each dough separately. 
  • Leave to chill for around 30 minutes.
  • Egg whites will be used in the meringue.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 – 200°C.
  • Grease and line the baking tin with one long piece of baking paper.
  • Roll out the plain shortcrust to fit into the tin.
  • Roll out the chocolate shortcrust and place this on top.
  • Prick with a fork all over.
  • Bake for around 20 – 25 minutes.
  • Leave to cool completely.

Sour Fruit Layer

  • Spread jam (sour cherry, blackcurrant or gooseberry) over the pastry.
  • If you jam is sweet – heat it up with the addition of the juice of a lemon or two first.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Add some fresh or frozen fruits if you have them.

Meringue Layer

  • Pre-heat oven to GM3 – 160°C.
  • Use 3-4 egg whites & 50g icing sugar per white.
  • Place the whites into a grease free bowl.
  • Whisk till stiff.
  • Add icing sugar and whisk again till stiff.
  • *
  • Spread meringue over the top of the fruits.
  • Bake for 30 – 35  minutes.
  • Can be longer or shorter depending on if you want the meringue crisp or soft.
  • *
  • Leave to cool.
  • Cut into squares when serving.

Royal Standard – Lyndale tea plate.

Duck Pierogi with Sour Cherry Sauce

  • Updated November 2024
  • This dish was served in Lookier, a Restaurant in Gdańsk.
  • It was delicious and we went back the following day to have this dish again!
  • I thought I would try and recreate this back home in England.
  • The sour cherry sauce could be made from jam or some bottled cherries.
  • They were served with “sweet” cream – I  would use soured cream for a more authentic Polish dish.
  • The duck filling was very meaty – I looked at my recipes for duck pierogi and other meat pierogi .
  • I decided to try – a “meaty” version with a duck with onion filling.
  • Next time I will try duck with apple filling which should give a contrasting sweetness to the dish – See pierogi with duck.
  • However this year (2024) we were served – in a different restaurant – duck pierogi with apple sauce – I will try this out and write about it later. 

Fillings for the pierogi

Ingredients 1

  • 150g of cooked duck meat
  • 1 onion
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoon of dried breadcrumbs
  • 4-5 tablespoons of chicken stock –  can be stock from poaching the duck.
  • *
  • salt & ground black pepper to taste
  • *
  • butter & sunflower oil to fry the onion

Method

  • Chop the onion and fry in the butter/oil till golden.
  • Finely chop or mince the duck meat or user a stick blender.
  • Mix together the chicken, onion, egg yolk and bread crumbs to get a uniform mixture.
  • Add some of the chicken stock to get a mixture which is not to dry.

I have written much previously about pierogi  – but have included the instructions for the dough again below.

Ingredients – Dough

  • 250g pasta flour or strong flour or plain flour & 2 tablespoons of fine semolina
  • 150ml water
  • 1 tablespoon oil – sunflower or light olive
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg yolk

Method

  • In a jug or bowl mix together the water, oil and the yolk.
  • Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
  • Pour in the liquid from the jug and initially use a knife to mix this into the flour and then use your hands to mix the liquid and flour to get a ball of dough.
  • Turn this out onto a floured board and knead the dough for a few minutes until you have a smooth ball.
  • Cut the dough into quarters.
  • On a floured board roll out a quarter at a time until you have a sheet of thinly rolled dough.
  • Now prepare a large tray and cover it with a clean tea towel and sprinkle this with flour.
  • Have a large surface such as a tray covered with a cotton or linen cloth which has been lightly floured ready  and place the sealed pierogi on this until they are all made, do not let then touch each other.
  • I cut them out using a 7 cm diameter cutter.
  • The excess dough can be re-mixed and rolled out again.
  • Around a half tablespoon of filling is put on  each circle and then they are folded over and the edges pinched together to make a good seal.
  • You learn from experience how much filling to put in as too much will make it hard to seal them and if not properly sealed they will burst on boiling.  Do not worry if you have a few mishaps – it still happens to me even with experience – it is hard to salvage one that has gone wrong – just accept that there will be a few that you do not cook.
  • *
  • To cook the pierogi, use a large pan of boiling water to which you have added some salt and a drizzle of oil.
  • Drop the pierogi in one by one and allow them to boil.  I usually do about 6 to 8 at a time (I only do 6 at a time if using frozen ones).
  • As they cook they will float to the surface, let them boil for 2 to 3 minutes, (a bit more if they were frozen*), and then remove them with a slotted or perforated spoon and put into a colander above a pan for a few seconds to drain and serve.
  • Continue boiling batches in the same water.
  • If you want to make all the pierogi to serve together then you need to get a large shallow dish.
  • Put in the pierogi and keep then separated and keep the dish warm in a low oven.
  • Notes
    • Do not let them stick together.
    • Easier to serve separate servings.
    • *I often open freeze them for later.

Sour Cherry Sauce

  • Make this with around 5 tablespoons of sour cherry jam heated up with the juice of one some lemon and left to cool.
  • Or make  a sauce with bottled cherries mixed with potato flour (or cornflour) heated till thickened and left to cool. (Adjust with lemon juice if necessary). NOT TESTED.
  • Serve in a separate small dish.
  • *
  • Serve with soured cream.
  •  
  •  
  • Option 
  • Cook the pierogi as normal.
  • Add melted butter.
  • Fry the pierogi
  • Serve just with the sour cherry sauce.
  • Not tested as I did not have any left!