This Pistachio Napoleon Torte is my twist on the traditional Ukrainian Napoleon. In my childhood, Napoleon Torte was the epitome of a fancy dessert made only for special occasions by my aunt Titka Maria or Mama. Years later, when I began working in Ukraine, I learned this torte was adored by other Ukrainians and prepared […]
Pistachio Napoleon Torte – a Twist on a Ukrainian Classic Read More »
These Medovi Pryanyky–honey spice cookies — have been an integral part of Ukrainian holiday traditions for centuries. Also called medianyky, medivnychky and medovyky, these names stem from the Ukrainian word for honey, med, meaning “made from honey” and announce that the dough contains honey, which makes sweet, long-lasting, easy-to-shape cookies. The word pryanyky (plural, pryanyk
Medovi Pryanyky – Ukrainian Honey Spice Cookies Read More »
This post presents a delectable apple and bread dessert known by various names. I call it Apple Babka, but similar recipes also are called Apple Zapikanka (pudding) or Apple Sharlotka (charlotte). The names often are confused because the recipes include similar ingredients: apples, bread or flour, butter, sugar and some also add eggs and/or milk.
Apple Babka or Zapikanka or Sharlotka? – Ukrainian Apple Cake Read More »
Plachinda (плачинда in Ukrainian; plăcintă in Romanian) is a ubiquitous pastry with sweet or savory fillings, prepared in countries along the western coast of the Black Sea. Before current country borders were established after World War II, Bessarabia (Romanian: Basarabia; Ukrainian: Бессарабія; romanized: Bessarabia), as this region was known, served as a trade route between
Plachinda – Sweet or Savory Read More »
This Mocha Almond Waffle Torte is made with thin, waffled-wheat-flour wafers. Ukrainian cooks layer these versatile wafers, round or square, with an assortment of buttercream fillings, jams and sometimes almond or other nut pastes pressed together as a no-bake dessert. Some versions are served as a torte; others are cut into bars as cookies. I
No-bake Mocha Almond Waffle Torte –Pischinger, Andruty or Wafer? Read More »
Mounds of multi-hued pumpkins at a local farmer’s market are a sign that fall has arrived. Unlike in America, where pumpkins are eaten primarily in the fall, pumpkins in Ukraine are an important year-round dietary staple featured in soups, pies, combined with millet or rice for porridge, baked with honey, savory tarts, cheesecakes and desserts.
Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake from Ukraine Read More »
This Poppy Seed Honey Babka is my variation on a traditional makivnyk (маківник) a poppy seed roll baked throughout Ukraine but has special significance during August harvest celebrations. This year’s Russian invasion interrupted the annual agricultural cycle in many parts of Ukraine. In the east, where hostilities were concentrated, farmers and gardeners planted when they
Poppy Seed Honey Babka Read More »
This Cherry Tart, Ukrainian Style (vyshnevyi pliatsok – вишневий пляцок) is a popular summer dessert in Ukraine where the cherry season runs from June through July. The Ukrainian word pliatsok describes a flat pastry, sweet or savory. The English word tart is the closest translation since the finished product more closely resembles thin European
Cherry Tart, Ukrainian Style — Vyshnevyi Pliatsok Read More »
This Mazurok — Lemon Glazed Almond Raisin Cake is a pastry baked just before Easter in Ukraine. It is one of several sweet treats often included on the Easter table. We are a week away from Orthodox Easter, usually the most joyous and uplifting holiday of light and resurrection, but for many Ukrainian refugees this
Mazurok — Lemon Glazed Almond Raisin Cake Read More »
This Rustic Cheesecake illustrates an ancient way of making cheesecake, producing a delectable dessert with simple ingredients. Unlike most American cheesecakes made with cream cheese, this Rustic Cheesecake (syrna zapikanka —сирна запіканка — which means “baked cheesecake” in Ukrainian) is made from fresh unaged cheese, a staple of Ukrainan home cooking for generations. Although specific