Polish Easter Pastry

Polish Easter Pastry
Recipe Number: 1197
Contributor: TillerBee

Serves:
Calories Per Serving:
Preparation Time:
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

Pastry:

2 pkg. yeast
4 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, separated
1 cup warm water

Poppy Seed Filling (for one pastry):

1/2 lb. poppy seed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp butter
1 egg, separated
1 tsp lemon or orange peel
1/8 cup honey
OR
15 1/2 oz. can poppy seed,
drained

Nut Filling (for one pastry):

15 1/2 oz. can almond paste OR
15 1/2 oz. can walnut paste

Cheese Filling (for two pastries):

16 oz. ricotta cheese OR
16 oz. cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon or orange peel
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt.

Cooking Instructions:

To Make Pastry:

Mix yeast, sugar, flour, salt. Cut in butter. Add water and 2 egg yolks and mix until the dough leaves the side of the bowl. Knead until satiny.

Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a 10 x 14 inch rectangle and spread a filling on the dough, leaving a 2 inch space on one 14 inch side. Wet the remaining three sides with water and roll up, starting at the opposite 14 inch side, like a jelly roll. Seal the 2 inch clear end to the roll and seal the ends of the roll.

Place seam side down on a greased cooking sheet. Let rise. until double. Brush with slightly beaten egg whiltes. Bake at 350?F for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and place a damp paper towel on the pastry to keep is soft.

Slice into 1 inch pieces and serve.

To Make Poppy Seed Filling:

Place the poppy seeds in a medium sauce pan and cover with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let stand until cool. Rinse poppy seeds until the water is clear and not milky. Place poppy seeds, sugar, and vanilla in food processor and process until mixture is smooth. Melt butter in a skillet. Add poppy seed mixture and simmer over low heat 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool. Stir in egg yolk, peel, and honey. Beat egg white until still and fold into poppy seed mixture.

To Make Cheese Filling;

Beat ricotta cheese or cream cheese until very soft and smooth. Add egg yolk and beat well. Beat in sugar, peel, vanilla and salt.

Additional Comments:

When I was a child, we always had these pastries for Easter breakfast along with Kielbassa and the hard cooked eggs we had colored the day before.>