White Chocolate Sernik

  • Updated 14 February 2025.
  • This is a baked sernik (cheesecake) that I discovered recently.
  • It is based on one in a Christmas book by Mary Berry.
  • I tried it out with the ingredients adjusted several times.
  • This is my final version, which is slightly different to the one in Mary Berry’s book. 
  • It is very rich and creamy – in many ways like a set sernik.
  • The sernik tends to crack on top – do not worry it does not affect the taste!
  • I used Lindt white chocolate, which is super.
  • (I have read that Milky Bar does not melt as well.)
  • There is no sugar in the cake – the sweetness is from the chocolate – and the biscuits in the base.
  • I found it best to loosen the cake slightly in the tin and then leave it in the tin to cool.
  • I think this sernik is best served chilled.

INGREDIENTS – base

  • 150g of plain chocolate digestive biscuits
  • 40g of butter – plus a little to grease the tin.

METHOD – base

  • Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan.
  • Grease a 20cm round loose bottomed tin with some of the melted butter.
  • Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.
  • Mix in the crushed biscuits with the melted butter.
  • Put the mixture in the bottom of the tin and flatten out to all the sides.
  • Leave to cool.

INGREDIENTS – sernik

  • 400g of full fat cream cheese or yoghurt cheese.
  • 2 eggs & 1 egg yolk (or 3 eggs)
  • 150 ml of soured cream
  • 300g of white chocolate
  • 2 – 3 drops of vanilla essence 
  • A little cocoa powder for dusting the edges.

METHOD – sernik

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C.
  • Whisk together the cheese, eggs and yolk and vanilla essence until smooth.
  • Mix in the soured cream and again whisk until smooth.
  • Break the chocolate into a bowl and place over a pan of water.
  • Slowly heat the water and mix the melted chocolate well with a wooden spoon,
  • Take care not to overheat and keep mixing so it is smooth.
  • Allow to cool (this is the hardest part to gauge when to use the chocolate).
  • Slowly stir the cooled, melted chocolate into the cheese mixture and mixture until uniform.
  • Pour the mixture over the dark chocolate base.
  • Flatten the top.
  • Bake for around 50 minutes.
  • When the centre is set – turn off the oven and leave for another 15 minutes with the door slightly open,
  • Using a spatula loosen the sides from the tin.
  • Leave to go cold in the tin before removing.
  • Best kept in the fridge before serving.
  • Dust the edges with cocoa powder using a fine sieve.
  • *
  • NOTE 
  • This is quite rich so maybe do not give huge slices!
  •  

Courgette Fritters & Extras

  • I posted the original courgette fritter recipe in 2017.
  • Although courgette fritters are not from an old Polish recipe they do have some similarity  to Polish potato pancakes and to carrot pancakes.
  • Courgette in Polish is cukinia – so this is another vegetable that owes its name to Italian  – zucchini.
  • I often make variations on this recipe by adding other vegetables such a baby leaf spinach or sweetcorn (also see sweetcorn fritters).
  • Chopped chilli is also a good addition.
  • The amounts of the ingredients are all approximate.

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 courgettes
  • 1 egg (can be 2 if using more vegetables)
  • 2 -3 tablespoons of soured cream, yoghurt, crème fraise or yoghurt cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of plain flour
  • Grated rind of 1 lemon(optional)
  • Salt
  • Sunflower oil for frying.
  • *
  • Baby leaf spinach, sweetcorn and chilli or any quickly cooked vegetable.
  • Chopped garlic – optional

Method

  • Grate the courgettes using a coarse grater.
  • Sprinkle the courgettes with salt.
  • Place the salted courgettes onto a clean tea towel and place this in a colander for around 30 minutes.
  • Wrap the tea towel up and squeeze out the liquid from the courgettes.
  • Note
  • The green stains on the tea towel will come out in a hot wash but  do not use fabric softener for tea towels used for this and similar purposes.

Place the dried grated courgettes in a bowl and add the grated lemon rind.

Keep them on a heat proof plate  in a low heat oven whilst you make the rest.

  • You can place a sheet of kitchen roll on top of the first layer to stop them sticking.
  • Serve them with grilled meats and salad.

  • Served here with grilled bacon and fried eggs.

Criss-Cross Potatoes

  • Potatoes are popular in Poland however this recipe did not originate there.
  • I went to dinner at one of my friends who lives near Leeds.
  • These potatoes were on the menu.
  • They are a cross between jacket potatoes and roast potatoes.
  • They are quicker and easier to do.
  • The recipe originated from one by Nigella Lawson.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 to 2 Potatoes per person (depending on the size) (Maris pipers or King Edward are good)
  • Light olive oil
  • Maldon sea salt

METHOD

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM7 – 220°C
  • Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise.
  • Cut the cut surface with diagonal cuts but do not cut all the way through.
  • Rub the skins with the olive oil.
  • Place cut side up on a baking tray.
  • Put some olive oil and salt on the cut surface.
  • Bake for around 45 minutes.
  • The tops should be golden and the potato flesh soft.

Fish Soup with Cavolo Nero

  • Cavolo nero (Italian) translates as black cabbage and in Polish it is kapusta czarna.
  • In England it is often know as Tuscan Kale.
  • I know that Poles love cabbage but – 
  • This is the first time I have used cavolo nero.

INGREDIENTS

  • 300 – 350g white fish (cod, haddock, pollock)
  • 1 large onion – chopped
  • Butter or oil to fry the onion
  • 100 – 150g cavolo nero
  • 4 tablespoons of tomato puree
  • 3 medium potatoes – starchy are best –  chopped into small chunks.
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 grains of allspice
  • 5 peppercorn grains
  • 1½ – 2  litres of vegetable stock
  • 125ml of soured cream – or more
  • *
  • Salt & pepper to season if needed
  • Chopped flat leaf parsley to serve

METHOD

  • Fry the onion gently in butter – do not brown.
  • Strip the leaves from the stalks of the cavolo nero.
  • Cut into fine strips.
  • Add the cavolo nero and potatoes to the onions and stir.
  • Add the stock and tomato puree.
  • Add the allspice and peppercorns.
  • Bring to the boil.
  • Then heat gently for around 10 minutes until the potatoes are beginning to soften.
  • Add the fish and cook for another 10 minutes.
  • Season if needed.
  • Stir in the soured cream and serve.

  • Royal Doulton Burgundy soup plate

OPTIONS

Pancake Rolls

  • I have been thinking about making savoury pancakes for a while.
  • I came across a new word (to me) – ruloniki. 
  • Sweet pancakes are served – fan folded whereas savoury ones are rolled up.
  • Either the pancake is just rolled up or – 
  • Two sides are first folded in slightly and then the pancake is rolled up.
  • I made these with a mushroom filling – based on my mushroom sauce – adding more potato flour to make the sauce thicker.
  • First make a batch of pancakes and keep them warm or heat them up later when needed.

INGREDIENTS for mushroom sauce

  • 450g of mushrooms sliced
  • Butter for frying
  • 1 mushroom stock cube
  • 500ml hot water
  • 2-3 tablespoons of potato flour or cornflour
  • 3 tablespoons of milk
  • 60ml of soured cream

METHOD for mushroom sauce

  • Dissolve the stock cube in the hot water.
  • Slice the mushroom caps into fine slices and fry them gently in some butter till they are soft.
  • Add the mushrooms to the mushroom stock,
  • Simmer gently for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  • In a little dish mix the potato flour or cornflour with the milk.
  • Add the potato or cornflour mixture to the cooked mushrooms and stir gently over the heat until the sauce thickens.
  • Remove from the heat and add the soured cream and mix.
  • *
  • Spread some sauce over a pancake.
  • Two sides are first folded in slightly and then the pancake is rolled up.
  • *
  • You can serve these individually or say 3 at a time.
  • *
  • Keep them warm in a low oven whilst you are making them. 

A vintage Pyrex plate is used here.

Fish Soup with Tomatoes

  • Here is another recipe adapted from some of my Polish soup books.
  • It is a very filling chunky soup – nearly a meal in itself.

INGREDIENTS

  • 350g of white fish (cod, haddock or pollock)
  • 1 large onion – chopped
  •  2 -3 tablespoon sunflower oil to fry the onions
  • ¼ of a large celeriac or 4 stalks of celery – chopped into small pieces.
  • 1 leek – the white part – chopped into rings
  • 1 carrot – coarse grated.
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 ½ to 2 litres of vegetable stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 peppercorns
  • Salt & Pepper, if needed, to taste
  • *
  • 75 g macaroni or other small pasta – cooked.
  • Large handful of chopped flat leaved parsley to serve.

METHOD

  • Gently fry the onions in the sunflower oil without browning.
  • Add the celery, leek and carrot, mix and fry a little longer.
  • Add the vegetable stock, bay leaf and peppercorns.
  • Bring to the boil and then simmer gently until the vegetables are soft.
  • Add the can of tomatoes and simmer a little longer.
  • Add the pieces of fish and simmer for around 10 minutes.
  • Break up the cooked fish into smaller pieces.
  • Add the cooked macaroni and heat for another minute or two.
  • *
  • Season if necessary (might not be needed)
  • Serve with chopped parsley of top.

Royal Doulton Carnation soup plate.

Fish Soup with Celery

  • I have been looking at some of my Polish soup books and have seen several recipes for fish soups.
  • I decided to try some of them out and this is one of them.
  • I have posted several fish soup recipes before, one with peppers – one with salmon  and one similar white  fish soup recipe.
  •  

INGREDIENTS

  • 350 g of white fish (cod, haddock or pollock)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 leeks – the white part
  • 2 tablespoons of butter  to fry the onions
  • 3 stalks of celery
  • 3 carrots
  • 1½ litres of vegetable stock
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 3 grains of allspice
  • 3 grains of black pepper
  • Salt & Pepper to taste – if needed.
  • *
  • 125ml of soured cream
  • Large handful of chopped flat leaved parsley to serve.

METHOD

  • Cut the fish into large chunks.
  • Wrap the fish with the lemon juice in a foil parcel and keep chilled for 30 minutes.
  • Chop the onion into small pieces.
  • Slice up the leek into rings.
  • Slice the celery into small pieces.
  • Chop the carrots into small cubes.
  • Gently fry the vegetables in oil without browning them.
  • Add the stock, bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns.
  • Bring to the boil and them simmer gently until the vegetables are soft.
  • Add the fish and simmer for around 10 minutes.
  • Separate the fish chunks into smaller pieces. 
  • *
  • Add the soured cream and stir.
  • Season to taste,
  • Serve with the parsley sprinkled on top. 

Royal Doulton Carnation soup plate

Rafaelo Dessert

  • Raffaello chocolates were first made in 1990 by the Italian firm Ferrero. 
  • I have noticed that they are very popular in Poland and nearly always on sale in Polish shops in England.
  • They contain: almonds, wafer, white chocolate and coconut.
  • I have been looking for a definitive recipe for a Raffeallo or Rafealo tort based on this confectionary.
  • There are just so many different ideas on how to make this.
  • I have found a vast number of variations including no-bake versions using biscuits or sponge fingers.
  • I then looked at the more baked ones.
  • The cake most used is a fat free sponge – sometimes this includes ground almonds.
  • The filling is a creamy budyń (Polish custard) with large amounts of added butter,
  • Some versions use white chocolate in their ingredients.
  • The tort is topped with desiccated coconut.
  • The tort is often baked in a square or rectangular tin and each served piece is usually square.
  • However a circular one might be easier if using homemade biszkopt – sponge cake.
  • *
  • I decided to make a lighter dessert, instead with a coconut budyń and sponge cake and a lot less butter.
  • I used a 18cm fat free sponge made with two eggs – cut into two layers.
  • My first attempt was getting the budyń right.

    INGREDIENTS for budyń

  • 500ml milk
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons of potato flour (or cornflour)
  • 50 – 80g desiccated coconut & 2 tablespoons
  • 50g white chocolate – coarse grated

Method for budyń

    • Put 300ml of the milk, the butter and sugar into a saucepan.
    • Heat gently till the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring all the time.
    • Bring this to the boil for a few seconds and then take off the heat.
    • Blend the potato flour with the rest of the milk (200ml) and with the egg yolks.
    • Add some of the boiled mixture to this and stir well.
    • Add this mixture to the rest of  the boiled mixture and stir well.
    • Put the pan back on the heat and bring back to boiling point, stirring gently.
    • Keep at boiling for 1 minute, stirring all the time.
    • Add in the 80g of coconut.
    • Leave to cool.
    • *
    • Use a glass dish and layer up cake, budyń, cake and budyń for the top.
    • Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of coconut and grated chocolate on the top.
    • Chill in the fridge before serving
OPTION
  • Make the budyń with 750ml of milk and 4 egg yolks.
  • Layer up with some budyń first, then cake, budyń, cake, budyń as before.

Thoughts

  • I liked the version with more budyń. (750ml milk)
  • This was more like a dessert.
  • The version using 500ml of milk was more like a cake with filling.
  • However – they were both voted delicious.

Pierogi Links

ASSORTED PHOTOS

Smacznego!

Horseradish Soup

  • Zupa chrzanowa – horseradish soup  – this is one I came across recently when I found it on a list on favourite Polish soups.
  • It is often made at Easter* time however it is NOT one my mother ever made!
  • It is a “white” soup due to its use of white vegetables and soured cream.
  • You could call it a “cousin” of zurek – sour rye soup.
  • The original recipes use fresh grated horseradish but this is not so easy to come by in England so I used 2 small jars of creamed horseradish sauce instead.
  • Parsley root is also not to easy to find but the amount of celeriac can be increased slightly.
  • White turnip can be used if you cannot find any celeriac in the shops.
  • The soup is served with halves of hard boiled eggs and sometimes skwarki – crispy bacon bits.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 or 4 slices of streaky smoked bacon – optional
  • 4 -5 Frankfurter style sausages – chopped into small lengths.
  • 2 -3 medium onions
  • Butter to fry 
  • (1 parsley root – if available – chopped)
  • ½ of a celeriac – chopped into small cubes
  • 2-3 medium sized potatoes – chopped into small cubes**
  • 2  litres of chicken stock
  • ½ teaspoon of dried marjoram
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 grains of allspice
  • 4 peppercorns
  • 2 small jars of creamy horseradish sauce
  • 4 hard boiled eggs – halved – 1 egg per serving
  • Salt & pepper to taste – if needed
  • ** You can use already boiled potatoes – cubed and added at a later stage of the soup making.

METHOD

  • Chop the bacon into small pieces and fry gently to remove the fat and make skwarki. These will be used to garnish the soup.
  • Chop the onions into small pieces.
  • Fry these gently in the butter till soft – do not brown.
  • Put the stock into a large pan and add the onions, the parsley and celeriac.
  • Also add the marjoram, bay leaves, allspice and peppercorns.
  • Heat gently until the vegetables are becoming soft.
  • Add the sausages and horseradish sauce and heat for another 5 minutes or so.
  • Season to taste.
  • *
  • Served with the bacon pieces and the halved hard boiled eggs.

Served in Royal Doulton Carnation soup plates.

*Horseradish is in the Easter basket that is blessed. It is a symbol of the bitter sacrifice of Christ.