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 year celebrating Easter is far from their minds, finding themselves in the safety of a neighboring country without resources or family. For those remaining in Ukrainian communities, hiding in bunkers and shelters from Russian shelling, there will be no holiday.
Sadly, this has been a spring like no other in 78 years. One year ago, cooks and bakers in many Ukrainian homes were preparing for the most glorious meal of the year. Traditionally, many Ukrainians fast during Lent, denying themselves meat, dairy products and eggs. But on Easter morning after the liturgy of the All-Night Vigil and blessing of the baskets of food — sviachene, families break the fast at rozhovinnia, a traditional early morning breakfast, enjoying now permitted eggs, sausage, salo (smoked pork fatback), ham, cheese, babka or paska.
Since cooking is not socially acceptable on Easter, Ukrainian homemakers usually set out a table later in the day of previously prepared cold dishes to share throughout the day with visiting family and friends.
This Easter table is a reward for the 40 days of lean food and usually includes ham, sausages, eggs, seasonal salads and several festive desserts: babka, a tall, sweet yeast bread, sometimes decorated with a snowcap of royal icing, paska, an ornamented yeast bread, cheese paska, an unbaked and pressed tower of molded sweet cheese or a cheesecake, and mazurok, a shortcrust or yeasted pastry.
Mazurok has been popular in Ukrainian kitchens since at least the 19th century. Culinary historians say that it was inspired by sweet desserts which migrated to Ukraine in the early 17th century from Turkey via Tartar settlements in Crimea.
Origin of the name mazurok is uncertain. There are many origin stories. Ukrainian cultural historians claim its name comes from the Ukrainian verb mazaty — “to smear or spread”, because it is traditionally prepared by smearing or spreading a sweet filling on or between layers of a prepared base. Its name is similar to the Polish mazurek which is not related to the Mazurzy tribe inhabiting the Mazovia region of Poland or mazurka, the Polish dance, but possibly to the Polish verb rozmazać, meaning “to spread.” A similar pastry in the Czech Republic is called mazanec based on the verb namazat, meaning “to smear.” Considering that Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic had overlapping histories over centuries and, in some cases, shared colonial experience, these pastries have a common root adapted to local tastes when the recipe spread from baker to baker, neighbor to neighbor, country to country through migration and marriage.
Today, there are many versions of mazurok in Ukraine. The difference between eastern and western Ukrainian mazurok is in the type of dough used as a base. In eastern Ukraine, the mazurok base is often a rich, sweet yeast dough; in western Ukraine, the base is a shortcrust pastry or lightly sweet, flat, paper-thin wafers (andruty). Other variations are that the dough can be a sponge or crisp, cookie-like, almond or other nut pastry or soft, sweet yeast dough, but most mazuroks are flat and not more than 2 inches (5 cm) in height.
There are urban and rural variations as well because certain ingredients were available in cities but not in the countryside. Mazurok is often spread or layered with a prepared filling, jam or preserve. Urban bakers incorporate fancier ingredients such as almond paste or marzipan, candied fruit, chocolate, marmalade and vanilla or almond extracts; rural bakers add assorted nuts, dried fruit, jams or preserves. Often a glaze is spread over the mazurok which retains moisture and contributes to its prolonged freshness, even if prepared a few days before Easter.
In many households, mazurok holds a special place on the Easter table not just for its delicious taste, but also for its original appearance. Often mazurok is quite colorfully decorated with various patterns made from icing, dried, glacéed or fresh fruit, nuts and raisins or chocolate.
Legendary Ukrainian baker Daria Tsvek included this recipe for mazurok — Lemon Glazed Almond Raisin Cake in her first cookbook Solodke Pechevo, initially published in 1960 and reprinted numerous times most recently in 2013. Since the original recipe was prepared by hand before the advent of the food processor and mixer in Ukraine 62 years ago, I adapted her recipe to modern preparation methods and culinary practices.
This mazurok has a delectable almond taste with a raisin frangipane filling. The shortcust pastry provides an excellent base for the sweetness of raisins and almonds that is tempered by the tart lemon glaze. This mazurok is a merger of a shortbread cookie and a dense almond tart. Although I photographed a large piece for this post, because of its richness, mazurok is usually served in small pieces with tea and coffee.
Mazurok — Lemon Glazed Almond Raisin Cake, adapted from Solodke Pechyvo, Daria Tsvek, Vydavnytsvo Staroho Leva, 2013. ( Солодке Печиво, Дарія Цвек, Видавництво Старого Лев, 2013.)
For the base:
10.6 ounce (300 g) all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
7 ounces (200 g0 unsalted butter, soft
4 ¼ teaspoons (10 g) powdered sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon candied orange peel or citron, finely chopped
For filling:
8.8 ounces (250 g) almond flour
8.8 ounces (250 g) sugar
4 tablespoons (57 g) butter, at room temperature
8.8 ounces (250 g) golden raisins, chopped in half if large
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lemon
For the glaze:
1 ¾ cups ( 241 g) confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup (59 ml) lemon juice
1 teaspoon (4.7 g) salted butter
For garnish:
Toasted almond slices (optional)
Glacéed fruit (optional)
Preparing the base: Whisk flour and salt to combine. Place flour mixture in a bowl of a food processor, add orange peel or citron and pulse until peel is in tiny pieces. Add butter and confectioner’s sugar, pulsing until sandy. Add eggs and the two extracts and pulse a few times until dough forms on the food processor blade. Transfer dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, flatten into a 6 inch x 8 inch (15 cm x 20 cm) rectangle, wrapping tightly and refrigerate to 1 hour or more.
When ready to bake, lightly butter an 8 inch x 12 inch (15 cm x 90 cm) loose-bottom tart pan. (This recipe makes enough dough for a 9 inch x 13 inch (22 cm x 33 cm) tart pan. I am saving leftover dough for small tarts.) Preheat oven to 430˚F(220˚C).
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a thickness of ¼ inch, 12 inch x 14 inch (90 cm x 41 cm) size. (This dough is soft, so rolling it on floured parchment paper is best. If dough becomes too soft, transfer to the freezer by sliding parchment paper onto a cookie sheet.) Transfer and fit dough into prepared baking pan, trimming overhanging dough along the rim. Dock bottom and sides of the dough with a fork. Chill in freezer for 30 minutes.
Preparing the filling: While pastry is chilling, combine sugar, eggs and yolk in a mixer bowl, beating until creamy and pale. Stir in raisins, almond meal, lemon zest and butter until thoroughly combined. Cover and set aside. Makes 2 cups.
Finishing mazurok: Bake pastry base for 15 minutes, turning baking pan around and checking after 8 minutes. Remove base from oven, spread filling over hot base and continue baking at 360 ˚F (180˚C) for 20-30 minutes until filling is set. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Preparing lemon glaze: Combine all ingredients in a 4-cup microwave safe cup. Heat on high power for 45 minutes. Remove from microwave and whisk for several minutes to a smooth consistency, adding a teaspoon more of sugar if too runny or a few drops of warm water if too stiff. Pour glaze over cooled mazurok and decorate while glaze is still warm. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
When ready to serve, cut into ½ inch by 3 inch (1.25 cm x 7.5 cm) bars with a sharp knife.
Makes 16-24 pieces.
One year ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/strawberry-corncake-labneh-cream/
Two years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/cheesy-herby-beer-bread-alternatives/
Three years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/roasted-beet-and-feta-tart/
Four years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/spicy-rice-cakes-pork-vegetables/
Five years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/baked-cheese-babka/
Six years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/grilled-vegetable-humus-black-pepper-olive-oil-tart/
Seven years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/chicken-with-olives/