- Russian Bread and Pies Recipe

How to Cook & Prepare :

(Shanezhki)

1 kg flour 5 egg yolks
1 ½ cuspful milk 1 ½ cupsful sugar
300 g butter or ½ tsp salt
margarine 40 g yeast

Glaze

1 tblsp sour cream 1 tblsp oil
1 tblsp flour 1 to ½ tblsps sugar

Dissolve the yeast in warm milk, add half the flour and set aside till the sponge rises. When the bulk is doubled, mix in salt, egg yolks and sugar beaten together until light. Add the remainder of the flour and knead. Add the melted butter or margarine, knead until the dough leaves the walls of the pan clean and forms a ball. Dust with flour, cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise. When the dough has doubled in bulk, turn it ona special board, divide and shape into little buns. Put the buns on a buttered baking pan and set aside in a warm place to rise. Brush the buns with the glaze made by mixing sour cream, oil and flour, sprinkle with sugar.

Knotted Tea Biscuits

(Krendelki)

1 kg flour 100 to 125 g butter or
1 ½ cupsful milkl margarine
5 eggs ½ tsp salt
1 cupful sugar 30 g yeast
Rind of ½ lemon

Prepare the dough as directed above in the recipe for shanezhki. Add the grated lemon rind together with the eggs and sugar. After the dough rises, transfer it to the dough board, sprinkle with flour, cut and tie into a knot. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Knotted Almond Biscuits

1 kg flour 100 g almonds
1 1/3 cupsful milk 40 to 50 g yeast

12 egg yolks ½ vanilla powdered
1 ½ cupsful sugar 1 or 2 tblsps powdered
300 g butter or sugar
margarine ¾ tsp salt
200 g raisins

Prepare a sponge by combining the yeast, milk and half the flour. Separately rub together the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until light and then stir in the creamed butter. When the sponge is ready, add to it the prepared mixture, the salt and the rest of the flour. Knead until the dough forms a ball and leaves the sides of the bowl clean. Add washed and dried raisins, knead again, cover and set aside in warm place to rise. This dough should be rather heavy. After it rises, turn onto a floured board, knead and roll out rope-like (thinner at the ends). Tie it nicely into a knot or bow, transfer to a baking sheet and set in a warm place for several minutes. Brush with egg yolk, sprinkle with chopped almonds and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. When done, remove the krendel from the baking sheet and lay it on several layers of paper. Before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Spring Cake
(Kulich)

1kg flour 150 g raisins
1 ½ cupsful milk 50 g candied fruit
6 eggs 50 g almonds
300 g butter or ½ vanilla powder or
margarine 5-6 ground cardamom
1 ½ -2 cupsful sugar seeds
40-50 g yeast ¾ tsp salt

I

Dissolve the yeast in 1 ½ cupsful of warm milk, stir in half the flour and mix until the dough is smooth. Cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise until spongy. When the dough is double its original bulk, add the salt, egg yolks (reserving one to brush the top) beaten together with sugar and vanilla and butter. Mix thoroughly with a whip, add the egg whites beaten stiff and the rest of the flour. The dough should not be too thick. Mix until the dough forms a ball and leaves the sides of the bowl and the whip clean. Cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place. When the dough has doubled its bulk, add the raisins (washed and dried), the candied fruit (diced) and the chopped almonds (without skins). Mix thoroughly. Butter round pieces of paper on both sides and place them in the bottom of each mould; butter the sides of the mould and sprinkle with flour or bread crumbs. Put in just enough dough to fill only 1/3 the height of the mould. Cover with a cloth and set aside to rise. When the dough rises and fills ¾ of the mould, brush the top with beaten egg and bake in a moderate oven for 5o0 to 60 minutes. Turn the kulich carefully so that it bakes evenly. Take care not to jar it.

Should the kulich brown too rapidly, cover it with a sheet of wet paper. Test it with a wooden toothpick; if it comes away clean, the kukich is sufficiently baked.

Cool the kulich and decorate with glaze (see above) and candied fruit, berries from preserves or chocolate figures, etc.

II

Dissolve the yeast in 1 ½ cuspful of milk, stir in 4 cupsful of flour and knead. Then add salt, sugar, egg yolks beaten light, boiled butter or margarine and egg whites beaten stiff. Knead until smooth, sprinkle with flour, cover with a cloth and set aside to rise over night in a place protected from draft. The following morning add the remaining flour and vanilla mixed with sugar. Knead as directed in I. Cover the dough with a cloth and set aside in a warm place to rise. When the dough has risen, mix in raisins, almonds and remaining ingredients. Turn into moulds and continue as directed in I.

Spring Cake with Almonds
(Almond Kulich)

1 kg flour 300 g blanched
1 ½ cupsful milk almonds
6 eggs 40 to 50 g yeast
300 g butter or ½ vanilla powder
margarine 1 ½ to cupsful sugar
¾ tsp salt

Prepare the dough as directed in the above recipe for kulich; knead and add 250 g shredded almonds. Before baking sprinkle the remaining almonds on top.

Spiced Drop Cookies
(Pryanichki)

1 cupful flour
1 cupful flour 5 cardamom seeds
3 eggs ¼ vanilla powder
1 cupful sugar Grated lemon rind

Beat egg yolks and sugar together until light. Add the ground cardamom seeds, vanilla or a little grated lemon rind. Stir in flour and mix until smooth. Drop the batter onto a buttered cookie sheet with a teaspoon, spacing the cookies about 4 cm apart of allow for spreading. Bake in a hot oven for 7 to 10 minutes.

Honey Cake
(Kovrizhka)

2 cupsful flour 50 g almonds or other
½ cupful sugar nuts
150 g honey Ground cinnamon and
½ tsp baking soda 1 egg

Beat the egg and sugar together until light. Mix in the honey, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda. Gradually stir in the flour and beat the batter with a whip for 5 to 10 minutes. Brown 1 or 2 lumps of sugar in a small saucepan, add 1 ½ to 2 tablespoonsful of water and bring to a boil. Add this to the batter together with the honey to make the batter brown. Pour into a buttered baking pan that has been dusted with flour. Smooth the top and sprinkle with shredded almonds or nuts. Bake in a warm oven for 15 to 20 minutes. After the kovrizhka cools, it may be cut into two layers, a filling of jam spread between them. Coat with glaze (see p. 157).

Moscow Doughnuts
(Ponchiki)

1 ½ cupsful flour 1 egg
2 tblsps sugar ½ cupful milk
1 tblsp butter ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon 100 g frying fat

Sift together flour, soda and cinnamon. Beat together egg and sugar, stir in milk and add flour gradually. Knead and then roll ½ cm thick. Cut with a doughnut cutter and deep fry. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Rye Cookies

2 cupsful fine rye flour 2 tblsps sour cream
3 tblsps sugar ½ tsp baking soda
2 eggs 2 tblsps melted butter

Beat together the egg and sugar with a wooden spoon. Gradually stir in the melted butter and then chilled sour cream. Add the soda mixed with a little flour and then the rest of the flour, making a thick dough. Roll thin, brush with egg yolk. With a fork make zig-zagged lines on top and cut into any desired shapes. Bake on a buttered cookie sheet.

Biscuits
(Korzhiki)

2 cupsful flour 1 egg
2 tblsps butter 3 tblsps sugar
2/3 cupful sour cream ½ tsp baking soda

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the middle, pour in the egg, sour cream and creamed butter and knead. Roll ½ cm thick and cut with a cookie cutter, then place on a buttered cookie sheet. Brush with the beaten egg and pierce with a fork. Bake in a hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

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