Hrudka (Sirets)
1
dozen eggs
1
or 2 teaspoons vanilla
1
quart milk
1/2 cup sugar
Combine all ingredients in a white, enameled pan. Cook over medium to low heat,
stirring constantly, until mixture curdles. Pour mixture into a colander that is
lined with several thicknesses of cheesecloth. Once mixture is drained, pick it
up --cheesecloth and all -- and shape into a ball by twisting the top part of
the cheesecloth. Tightly tie open end with string, placing string very close to
the top of the ball. Caution: This will be hot. Hang over sink until cool.
Remove cheesecloth when cool; wrap and refrigerate. (The whey from the hrudka
can be saved and used when making pascha. To conserve the whey, place the
colander over a large pot before pouring mixture into cheesecloth).
Paska
3
cups scalded milk, or enough scalded milk added to whey from hrudka to make 3
cups
1/2 teaspoon salt
6
beaten eggs
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup sugar
1
cup melted butter
1/2 large cake yeast or equivalent portion of dry yeast
12 to 14 cups flour
In a
large bowl, combine milk, sugar, salt, butter and cool to lukewarm. Save 2
tablespoons of the eggs and add the rest of the eggs to the milk mixture. In a
separate bowl, crumble yeast in water and let stand for 10 minutes. Add to above
mixture. Add flour - about 2 cups at a time - until the dough can be handled.
Knead on a floured board for 15 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, grease top
and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down and let rise a second time for about 45 minutes.
After second rising, shape into four balls and place into greased pans. Small 1
1/2 quart enamelled saucepans can be used for baking. Let rise. Brush tops with
2 tablespoons eggs to which some milk has been added. To achieve that glazed
appearance on the loaves, brush tops several times prior to removing them from
the oven. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour.
NOTE: Before placing dough in pans, about 1 cup of the dough can be saved and
shaped into designs (plaits, crosses, etc,) and placed on top of the unbaked
paskas. These fancy shapes can be prevented from scorching in the oven by
placing aluminum foil on top of the paskas during baking.
CHRIN, or Beets with Horseradish
8
cans whole beets, drained
3
bottles horseradish (Do not use creamed horseradish)
Grind beets using fine grinder attachment. The juice can be saved for soup. Add
horseradish to beets; mix well. Refrigerate. An empty horseradish jar (washed,
label removed and dipped in boiling water to sterilize it) can be filled with
the mixture and placed in the Easter basket. The jar's cap can be disguised with
aluminum foil, thus hiding any advertisement.
KOLACHKI (Nut and poppyseed)
8
egg yolks
8
cups flour
1/2 pound butter
1
cake yeast
1
cup sugar
2
cups scalded milk
4
tablespoons shortening
Beat
eggs and sugar. Melt butter and shortening in hot milk, saving 1/2 cup for the
yeast. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk and let stand for a few minutes. Combine
both mixtures in a large bowl.
Add
flour and mix well with hands until dough leaves the hands. Refrigerate
overnight. In the morning, divide the dough into eight balls and let rise for
one hour. Roll out on floured boards and spread with filling. Roll up gently,
tucking in ends.
Bake
at 350 degrees until brown, about 45 minutes.
Brush tops of rolls, prior to putting into oven with an egg-milk mixture. Doing
so produces beautifully browned, shiny rolls.
Nut
Filling
1
pound ground walnuts
1/2 cup canned milk
1/2 cup sugar
2
eggs
1/4 cup honey (optional)
Combine sugar and nuts. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Add honey and milk. Cook
over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to boil. Remove from stove, let
cool. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick, brush with butter, place filling on
dough and roll up. Bake
Poppyseed Filling
1
pound ground poppyseed
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
2
tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup milk
Combine sugar with poppyseed. Add melted butter. Then add honey and milk. Cook
over medium heat, stirring occasionally until blended. Cool and spread over
dough that has been rolled out to 1/4 inch thickness and brushed with butter.
Roll up and bake.
HAM
The
ham is decorated and baked according to your favorite recipe. How large a ham
you buy and use depends on how many people you are serving. For a 20 pound ham;
cut it in half, decorate the halves, bake them and place one of them in the
basket.
KOLBASSI
Again, the amount of kolbassi you purchase (or make), depends on how many eager
eaters you are serving.
Place the kolbassi in a pan, cover with water and boil for about 45 minutes.
Some cooks, after the kolbassi is boiled, place a few into a baking pan and
sprinkle them with about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and honey. This is then
popped into the oven for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool before
refrigerating.
BUTTER
If
you prefer not to use already prepared butter for the Easter feasting, the
butter can be made by whipping heavy cream. Use either one pint or one half pint
heavy whipping cream, place in bowl and mix with hand beater until butter forms.
Place sample of butter in a small fancy bowl and decorate for use in Easter
basket.
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Orthodoxy in America
