Apr 22, 2014

Mazurek with dolce de leche


Can I squeeze in one more Easter recipe...? I made it Saturday afternoon as the last thing on my Easter baking list.  Last because it is the easiest. You can mess it up a bit here and there and it will still turn out irresistible. 


Mazurek is a Polish tradition and certainly is my family's. It's exclusively prepared on Easter: crumbly/crunchy crust with a caramel-type top. I've made it many times before, using different ingredients and methods.


This year, I didn't experiment at all. I went for an old recipe (in my mom's cook book) and a caramel cover that doesn't require any work.


Hania and Julian decorated Mazurek. I thought it looked spectacular. Especially after the whole tray fell on the floor ... and the little chick got that funny look.

Recipe (the crust) adapted from Kuchnia Polska (old old version, not sold any more)
time: for cake = 20 preparation + 1 hr inactive + 15 min baking; for caramel = 3 hrs cooking

 ingredients 
for bottom
2 cups (480 ml) flour; I used 1/2 cup (75 g) regular flour + 1 1/2 cups (180 g) whole spelt flour
1/2 cup (80 g) powder sugar
10 Tablespoons (150 g) butter, cold and diced
1 medium egg, cold
zest from 1 medium lemon, grated
for top
1 small can (530 g/19 oz) condensed sweet milk
nuts and things for decoration

 instructions 
to prepare crust: In a food processor with steal blades, pulse butter with sugar and flour till oatmeal texture (10 seconds). Add egg and lemon zest. Pulse more till a mass forms (and not any longer). Take the dough out of the machine, form a ball, wrap it with a plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F (fan forced function). Take out your rolling board. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet. Put the paper on the rolling board. Take the cold dough out of the fridge. Cut off 1/3 of it and put it aside. Using a rolling pin, roll the rest (2/3) of the dough, on top of the parchment paper, till tin and fitting your sheet. Transfer everything onto the baking sheet. From the rest of the dough, using your hands, roll a bar, finger-wide. Attach it to the edge of the cake to build a border. Puncture the dough with a fork in a couple of places.

Place the baking sheet in the hot oven for about 15 minutes till you see some goldening around the edges or in the middle of the crust. Take it out. Let it cool to room temperature before applying a topping.

to prepare topping: submerge an unopened can of condensed milk in a pot with boiling water and cook it on low heat for 3 hours. Take it out, let it cool for 30 minutes. Open the can, stir the content with a fork and spread it on top of cooled crust.

Decorate it to you liking...

NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES

  • the only place you can mess it up is baking till burned, so keep an eye on the oven and the cake;
  • during the cooking of the can, the white-colored milk inside changes into a thick, deep golden caramel; I don't know why but it does...
  • it beats standing and siring milk with sugar for hours - what we used to have to do as kids;
  • I actually cooked two cans, doubled the crust and made two Mazureks; one is never enough...

22 comments:

  1. So easy to make and with these ingredients I read a guaranteed success!

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  2. This is my kind of dessert! It looks fantastic......I am a huge caramel fan!

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  3. Always is lovely other Easter recipe and this look georgeous Ela I love caramel!!

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  4. I love that you cook and enjoy with energy and love, especially passing down the traditional recipes. I am sure this was wonderful. blessings, CAtherine xo

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  5. What a delicious Easter you had. Decorating job was great - cracks and all!

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  6. I tried this dessert once in a Polish friend's house and it tasted divine.
    Now I'm happy to have the recipe and I can't wait to try it out.
    Thanks for sharing, Elza!

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  7. What a delicious tradition! So cute with the chick face :)

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  8. Oh my goodness...how delicious! I've never heard of this before but now I want one (no three) slices!

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  9. Oh, this sound delicious and love the decoration done by your kids.

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    1. Well put, Balvinder...Julian is the bigger one, 50 something and married to me :)

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  10. Hi Ela, I have try this with the condensed milk. I made it the other way a few days ago and it did not turn out. Cute face!

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  11. Wow, this dish looks exceptional and so well done!

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  12. Looks wonderful, love the surprised look on the chick's face :))

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  13. That's a lovely and happy face :-)
    Crumbly crust and caramel...this looks insanely delicious!

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  14. This looks incredible Ela! Such a cute smiley face too - love it :)

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  15. Good gracious, this looks stunning! I love all that gooey caramel with that lovely crust. Family traditions are so special--thanks for sharing :)

    Amy | Club Narwhal

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  16. Anonymous4/23/2014

    Gosh, can imagine the crisp of those sweet bites!!!
    Happy easter Ela.....

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  17. What a great tradition! This looks absolutely delicious! Crunchy crust and caramel? Yes and yes! Hope you are having a great week!

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  18. Love old recipes with tradition in them; one of ethnic's must-try'!

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  19. At least it didn't fall all over the floor when it dropped :) Thank goodness! It looks so delicious and the crust perfect. Love the chick face.

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