Makovy Kolac Poppy Seed Layer Torte Food

PERFECT POPPY SEED TORTE

Steps:

• For cake: In a small bowl, combine the milk and the poppy seed.
• Let stand for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, grease and flour two 9 x 1 1/2-inch round cake pans or line with waxed paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
• Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and the vanilla.
• Beat till well combined.
• Add dry ingredients and poppy seed mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition till just combined.
• In a medium bowl, with a clean beater beat the egg whites till stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center of the layers comes out clean.
• Cool layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.
• Remove the layers from pans.
• Let cool completely on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, prepare the Custard Filling and chill in the refrigerator: In a heavy medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch.
• Stir in the milk.
• Cook and stir over medium heat till thickened and bubbly.
• Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.
• Remove from heat.
• Add egg mixture to milk mixture in pan.
• Bring to a gentle boil.
• Cook and stir 2 minutes more.
• Remove from the heat.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Transfer to a bowl.
• Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill till completely cool, but don't stir.
• To assemble the torte, split each cake layer in half horizontally.
• Place one bottom layer on a serving plate.
• Spread with 1/3 of the filling (about 1/2 cup).
• Repeat for 2 more layers.
• Place last cake layer on top.
• Beat whipping cream and the sugar together till mixture is spreadable.
• Spread over the sides and top of cake.
• Cover and chill up to 2 hours before serving.

POPPY-SEED TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment or waxed paper.
• Using a coffee grinder, grind the poppy seeds in batches for about 20 seconds. (The seeds will become slightly sticky.) Combine with the baking powder in a large bowl.
• In a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the egg yolks until slightly thickened. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla. Slowly pour in the butter, then add the poppy-seed mixture. Beat until combined. Return the mixture, which will be very thick, to the large bowl.
• Using a clean bowl and a whisk, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the batter and pour it into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out fairly dry. Cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before unmolding. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

POPPY SEED TORTE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until the dough begins to come together. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Lightly coat a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Roll out the dough into a 10-inch round on a lightly floured surface. (If it gets too soft, return to the refrigerator until firm.) Ease the dough into the prepared pan and press into the bottom and up the sides, trimming any excess. Pierce the bottom all over with a fork. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet. Line the crust with foil, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven; bake until the crust edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is golden all over, 15 to 20 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely. (The tart shell can be made up to 1 day ahead.)
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and salt in a bowl until combined. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat (do not boil). Gradually whisk half of the hot milk into the egg mixture, then pour back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook, whisking, until thick like pudding, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter and vanilla. Pour the filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes.
• Beat the heavy cream with a mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream and poppy seeds into the cooled filling. Spoon into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or overnight.

UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS POPPY SEED RUM CAKE MAKOVYI TORTE

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Pour boiling water over seeds, let stand for 5 minutes, pour off water and repeat.
• Drain well.
• Grind with steel blade in processor until seeds release milk and turn white.
• Butter a 9 inch springform pan and dust it with ground almonds. (This may be done in advance.) Best to butter parchment paper to cover bottom of pan and sprinkle with ground almonds.
• Place poppy seeds and honey in a large bowl.
• Separate eggs.
• Add room-temperature yolks, one by one, to the mix, beating until thick.
• Stir in grated almonds and lemon zest.
• Beat egg whites until satiny but no dry.
• Fold a little into the mixture, then fold in the rest, until no white shows.
• Pour mixture into pan, rapping it gently to release air pockets, and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
• Do not open oven door or disturb the cake while baking.
• Cool slowly, not in a draft.
• Run a sharp knife around the sides, then slowly release the spring.
• Run a knife under the bottom and cool on rack.
• TO FILL CAKE: Cover work surface with double sheets of wax paper.
• With a sharp knife, make a small incision around the torte to mark where it should be cut in half.
• Make horizontal cuts at four equidistant points, then gently pull a long thread through the cake to cut it into two layers.
• Sprinkle bottom layer with 2 or 3 tablespoons of rum, and evenly spread rum butter filling about 3/4 inch thick.
• Cover with top layer and press gently.
• Cover the sides with the rest of the filling.
• Refrigerate overnight wrapped in foil.
• TO ICE CAKE, cover work surface or a lazy susan with wide double-strength foil.
• Apply a third of the icing to sides with a spatula, pulling from the bottom up.
• Wipe spatula occasionally to avoid pulling crumbs, and dip in hot water to smooth out ridges.
• With the rest of the icing, smoothly cover the top.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 days.
• Run a sharp knife around bottom to release icing from paper.
• Slide the torte onto one hand, pull off the remaining paper and gently place torte on serving platter, taking care not to crack the icing.
• Yields about 20 slices.
• Keeps well in refrigerator.
• Serve at room temperature.
• RUM BUTTER FILLING: (Rumova masa) This is an excellent cream, the base of which may be used with different flavors.
• Here, rum is used.
• It is used as a filling for the poppy seed torte.
• This filling can also be used as icing.
• Cream butter until light, add sugar a little at a time, rum, and cream.
• Beat until very fluffy.
• WHITE ICING: Bila Shklytsia.
• This hard icing dries quickly and forms a lovely cover for a torte.
• It cures hard, not fluffy.
• Place 2 cups sugar in a bowl and add cream and vanilla.
• Mix well, gradually adding the rest of the sugar.
• Add a little more cream if too stiff.

POPPY SEED CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour 9-inch-diameter spring-form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Melt 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water, stirring chocolate until smooth. Remove melted chocolate from over water. Cool chocolate 10 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, 3/4 cup sugar, unsalted butter and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted bittersweet chocolate; beat until just combined. Mix in poppy seeds. Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold half of beaten egg white into chocolate mixture. Fold flour into remaining beaten white. Fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture.
• Pour batter into prepared spring-form pan. Using spatula, smooth top. Bake until tester inserted into center of torte comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and store torte at room temperature.)
• Cut around sides of pan to loosen torte. Remove pan sides. Sift powdered sugar over torte. Place on platter. Serve with whipped cream.

POPPY SEED TORTE

Steps:

• Combine milk, poppy seeds in a bowl and let stand for 1 hour.
• Cream butter and sugar together in another bowl.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternating with the poppy seed mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
• Pour into two greased and floured 9" round baking pans.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until clean toothpick test.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
• For filling, combine sugar, sour cream, and yolks and cook and stir over low heat until mixture just simmers around 160°F.
• Remove from heat, add nuts and vanilla.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until completely cooled.
• For frosting, beat butter, sugar, and cocoa until blended.
• Add coffee 1 tablespoon at a time until spreading consistency is achieved.
• Place 1 cake layer on plate, spread with filling. Top with second layer; spread frosting.
• Store in refrigerator.

MAKOVY KOLAC (POPPY-SEED LAYER TORTE)

Steps:

• Cream butter, add sugar, beat in egg yolks.
• Stir in remaining ingredients (except jam and cream.) Beat egg whites.
• Fold in batter.
• Grease and flour two 9-inch layer cake pans.
• Spoon half of batter into each.
• Bake in oven (350 F) for 30 minutes.
• Fill cold layers with jam.
• Top with whipped cream.