eastern europeanrussian

Hungarian Hazelnut Torte

hazelnuts, toasted, husked, cooled

cake flour

baking powder

salt

eggs,

sugar

vanilla extract

unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly

cornstarch

milk

apricot preserves

apricots,

Epicurious

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Blend first 4 ingredients in processor until nuts are ground as fine as flour.

Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until mixture falls in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into yolk mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whites. Sift half of flour mixture over; fold in gently. Sift remaining flour mixture over and fold in, adding any nuts from sifter. Drizzle butter over batter, folding in gently (do not overmix or batter will deflate).

Transfer batter to prepared pan; bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool cake 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides. Invert cake onto rack. Remove pan bottom and parchment paper. Cool.

Place cornstarch in heavy small saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in egg yolks. Whisk constantly over medium-high heat until custard comes to boil and thickens, about 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Chill 30 minutes.

Finely grind 1 cup nuts with powdered sugar in processor, about 30 seconds. Using electric mixer, beat vanilla into custard. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, then beat in ground nut mixture in 4 additions. Refrigerate until firm enough to spread, stirring often, about 30 minutes.

Stir apricot preserves in small saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute. Push preserves, including fruit pieces, through strainer into small bowl. Cool.

Finely chop 1/2 cup hazelnuts. Using long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on 8-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round. Spread evenly with apricot preserves. Top with second layer, cut side down. Transfer 3/4 cup buttercream to pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Spread remaining buttercream over top and sides of cake. Press 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts onto sides of cake.

Pipe 12 rosettes around top edge of torte. Place 1 hazelnut and 1 apricot sliver into each rosette. Refrigerate until buttercream sets, at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

This Russian dish has been around for several centuries, but it wasn’t until the fifties that it became all the rage in the United States (despite our fear of Communism). Here is a delicious rendition that pays tribute to the "gourmet" chafing-dish dinner party. Now, as then, beef stroganoff is a good thing to cook in front of a small crowd.

Beef Stroganoff

beef

vegetable oil

(3/4 stick) butter

shallots

mushrooms,

beef broth

Cognac

crème fraîche or whipping cream

Dijon mustard

dill

egg noodles

paprika

Pat meat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat until very hot. Working in batches, add meat in single layer and cook just until brown on outside, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots and sauté until tender, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add button mushrooms. Sprinkle with pepper and sauté until liquid evaporates, about 12 minutes. Add beef broth, then Cognac. Simmer until liquid thickens and just coats mushrooms, about 14 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche and Dijon mustard. Add meat and any accumulated juices from baking sheet. Simmer over medium-low heat until meat is heated through but still medium-rare, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide noodles among plates. Top with beef and sauce. Sprinkle generously with paprika.

_**Wiśniówka**_  

"Life is dandy, cherry brandy!" So goes a line from a poem by Russian writer Osip Mandelstam—meant to be ironic, of course, as he lived in the darkest days of Stalinism and died in the Gulag. Cherry brandy, cherry vodka, cherry liqueurs: These are the obvious consequence of Eastern Europe's famous and abundant cherry orchards, of which there are just as many in Poland as there are in provincial Russia. Do note that this recipe works for any kind of fruit that is not too sweet. In particular it is worth trying with black currants or Polish _jagody_—wild blueberries—if you can find them.  

The quantities given here are for a 34-oz/1-L jar, but do reduce them (or increase them!) in proportion to the bottle you are using.

Cherry Vodka

oz/750 ml clear vodka

tbsp sugar (optional)

Wiśniówka
"Life is dandy, cherry brandy!" So goes a line from a poem by Russian writer Osip Mandelstam—meant to be ironic, of course, as he lived in the darkest days of Stalinism and died in the Gulag. Cherry brandy, cherry vodka, cherry liqueurs: These are the obvious consequence of Eastern Europe's famous and abundant cherry orchards, of which there are just as many in Poland as there are in provincial Russia. Do note that this recipe works for any kind of fruit that is not too sweet. In particular it is worth trying with black currants or Polish jagody—wild blueberries—if you can find them.
The quantities given here are for a 34-oz/1-L jar, but do reduce them (or increase them!) in proportion to the bottle you are using.

Pit and halve the cherries. As in all vodka recipes, it is important that the flesh of the fruit be somehow exposed.

Fill a jar with the cherries, but do not pack it. Pour the vodka on top and seal tightly. Leave in a dark place, preferably for at least 2 weeks—or up to 6 months. At the end of that time, open the jar and strain. If you have a very fine-mesh strainer, that will do. If not, use an ordinary strainer lined with a cheesecloth or even a coffee filter. Set the strainer over a large bowl, ideally one from which you'll be able to easily pour afterward. Pour the vodka mixture through the strainer and allow the fruit to sit, seeping liquid, for a good hour or so, stirring a bit and pressing if need be to make the liquid go through.

Now taste the vodka. Add sugar if you want an after-dinner liqueur, or leave it out if you want something sharper. Pour (or ladle) into a decorative bottle.

When braised in a tart brine, gizzards are truly delectable! This is an easy dish to serve guests, as it can be made a day in advance and reheated. Cooked barley is a perfect side to soak up the rich sauce.

Brine-Braised Giblets

chicken gizzards

unsalted butter

onion,

garlic,

black pepper

pickle brine

sour cream

dill,

chives,

barley toast

When I was little, whenever we had roast chicken, I begged for the pupik, which my grandmother said was the belly button. I never stopped to think whether chickens could actually have belly buttons—it was simply the part I loved most. Many years later, when I started studying Russian, I learned that the word for “belly button” is pupok! So there was the linguistic connection, even if the physiology remained suspect.

I wish we had a different word for “gizzards,” which sounds as tough and gnarly as, well, a chicken’s stomach, which is what they are. Both the Russian pupok and Yiddish pupik sound alliterative and playful, something you might want to eat even if you didn’t know what it was. Please don’t let the word “gizzards” deter you from making this recipe. When braised in a tart brine, gizzards are truly delectable! This is an easy dish to serve guests, as it can be made a day in advance and reheated. Cooked barley is a perfect side to soak up the rich sauce.

Wash the gizzards well and remove any excess fat. Pat dry with paper towels.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and sauté over low heat until soft and golden but not brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the gizzards and garlic. Sprinkle with the salt and a few generous grinds of pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the gizzards are nicely browned and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes.

Pour in the pickle brine, cover the pan, and bring to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to simmer. Simmer gently for 45 minutes, until the gizzards are fork-tender.

With a slotted spoon, remove the gizzards from the broth and transfer them to a cutting board. Slice into ½-inch-thick pieces.

Stir the sour cream into the sauce, mixing well. Return the gizzards to the pan and stir to coat before transferring them to a serving dish. Garnish with the pickles and herbs.

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Hungarian Hazelnut Torte

Beef Stroganoff

Cherry Vodka

Brine-Braised Giblets

Top 4 eastern europeanrussian recipes from across the web

The most viewed eastern europeanrussian recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Hungarian Hazelnut Torte

Beef Stroganoff

Cherry Vodka

Brine-Braised Giblets

The most viewed eastern europeanrussian recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine