Mazurek, also known as mazurka, is a flat Polish cake made with yeast or non-yeast doughs and topped with any combination of almond paste, preserves, dried fruits, nuts, meringues, and sometimes left plain. The one thing they have in common is they are rarely over 1 inch in height.
A mazurka also is the word for a Polish folk dance, a country sparrow and someone from Mazur in North Central Poland.
Traditionally served at Easter, this pastry is so delicious and easy to make, it now appears at tables year-round.
Ingredients
-
6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
-
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
-
2 ounces almonds, ground and blanched, about 6 tablespoons
-
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
-
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-
2 large hard-boiled eggs, yolks removed
-
1 large egg yolk
-
1 pinch salt
-
1 pinch cinnamon
-
6 ounces apricot preserves
-
6 ounces raspberry preserves, or cherry preserves
-
1 large egg
-
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Steps to Make It
-
Gather the ingredients.
-
Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
-
By hand, stir in almonds, zest, flour, making sure to measure flour correctly, and the two hard-cooked egg yolks.
-
Add raw egg yolk, salt, and cinnamon, and mix into a smooth dough. This entire process, from step 1, can be done in a food processor, if you prefer.
-
Place dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
-
Heat oven to 375 F. Cut off 1/3 dough and return, wrapped, to the refrigerator. Roll out 2/3 dough and place on an 8-inch-by-11-inch tart pan with a removal bottom or a small sheet pan. Pierce or "dock" the dough with the tines of a fork.
-
In a small bowl, make an egg wash by whisking together the 1 whole egg with 1 teaspoon water.
-
Roll out remaining 1/3 dough and cut into 1/4-inch strips. Arrange strips lattice-style over dough. Brush lattice strips with the egg wash.
-
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp.
-
Allow to cool completely. Place pastry on a serving plate and spoon fruit preserves alternately into the open spaces of the lattice work. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.
Tip
- This can be a difficult dough to work with for some, but it is a traditional recipe. This pastry dough is not meant to be like pie dough. It is delicate and takes a little coaxing, but the flavor is definitely worth it.
More Polish Mazurka Recipes
-
Polish Wafer Mazurka Recipe
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
576 | Calories |
25g | Fat |
80g | Carbs |
10g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 8 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 576 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 25g | 32% |
Saturated Fat 12g | 61% |
Cholesterol 185mg | 62% |
Sodium 106mg | 5% |
Total Carbohydrate 80g | 29% |
Dietary Fiber 2g | 8% |
Total Sugars 40g | |
Protein 10g | |
Vitamin C 4mg | 20% |
Calcium 58mg | 4% |
Iron 3mg | 15% |
Potassium 169mg | 4% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |