The traditional Polish poppy seed mazurek is made with masa makowa. This Easter mazurka topped with nuts will leave you licking your fingers!
The Easter season in Poland is full of spring flavors, Easter celebrations, and delicious Polish desserts on every dinner table. Some of the most popular Easter dishes include deviled eggs, zurek, babka, baranek wielkanocny, seromakowiec, pascha wielkanocna, and of course mazurek.
What Is Mazurek Makowy? – Polish Easter Poppy Seed Mazurek
Mazurek is a traditional Polish Easter dessert dating from the 17th century. Its origins are not well known. Some food historians say they were brought to Poland by the Turks during the spice trade. Others say it may have originated in the Masovian region of Poland.
And yet others say that the mazurek is got its name from the Polish mazurka folk dance, Mazurek 3 Maja. So many different legends, but they don’t change the popularity of the mazurek.
Everywhere in Poland mazureks are made to celebrate Easter and our redemption through Christ. There are many types of mazurek, from the królewski, caramel, chocolate, walnut to the kajmakowy and more. One special mazurek is the mazurek makowy that uses a poppy seed filing.
Easy to make in an hour, all it needs is a few hours of cooling before serving!
How To Make Polish Easter Poppy Seed Mazurek?
Prepare the mazurek dough and refrigerate for an hour. While the dough is in the fridge, prepare the masa makowa or poppy seed filling.
Roll out the mazurek dough into a round or oval shape and use the leftover dough to create a frame. Bake the mazurek for 20 minutes.
Allow the mazurek to cool before spreading the masa makowa on it. Decorate with nuts and dried fruit of your choice. Serve cold!
Tips For Making Mazurek Makowy
- If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
- You can make mini mazureks if you want to gift them to your relatives. Use these oval egg-shaped molds.
- Remember that the total height of the poppy seed mazurek must be shorter than 1 inch.
- Instead of a card paper cutout, it’s easier to use a large baking pan to make the short crust.
- Hold the baked mazurek crust very carefully. It’s crumbly, so it can break easily.
- If serving only to adults, the dry fruits for the masa makowa can be soaked in brandy or rum before use.
- If you don’t want to add nuts, simply sprinkle with sweet coconut flakes or icing sugar.
- Serve cold with cold milk! Or serve hot with coffee or tea!
FAQs About Polish Easter Poppy Seed Mazurek
Which Nuts Should I Use To Cover The Mazurek Makowy?
You can use any nuts or dried fruit you like to cover the mazurek makowy. Some options are skinned almonds, almond flakes, cashew nuts, walnuts, apricots, figs, and more. You can also use edible sugar-based Easter toppings, candy Easter eggs, or Easter eggs made from icing.
Don’t Poppies Contain Opium? Is Mazurek Made With Poppy Seed Filling Safe To Eat?
Only poppies with low morphine content are harvested for food use. So it’s safe to eat poppy seed mazurek as long as you buy the poppy seeds from a reliable store.
What To Do With Leftover Poppy Seed Spread?
Store the leftover poppy seed mixture in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks and use it as a filling for other dishes such as makowiec or pierogi.
You can also use it as a spreadable jam on toasted bread. You can also store it in the freezer for 4 to 5 months.
Can I Use Store-Bought Poppy Seed Filling?
Yes, you can use this store-bought poppy seed pastry filling to save time.
How To Store The Mazurek Makowy?
Mazurek makowy can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Serve hot, cold or warm!
What Are The Other Types Of Mazureks?
Some popular Polish mazurek recipes you can try include:
What Other Polish Dishes Can I Make For Easter?
Other Polish dishes that can be made for Easter include:
- Orange Babka
- Babka
- Deviled Eggs
- Biala Kielbasa
- Zurek
- Baranek Wielkanocny Lamb Cake
- Seromakowiec Cheesecake
- Pascha Wielkanocna
- Mazurek
- Lemon Babka
Polish Easter Poppy Seed Mazurek Recipe
Polish Easter Poppy Seed Mazurek Recipe
The traditional Polish poppy seed mazurek is made with masa makowa. This Polish Easter mazurka topped with nuts will leave you licking your fingers!
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Mazurek Dough
- 2 sticks (220g) of butter
- 2 ½ cups (300g) of all-purpose flour
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup (100g) of icing sugar
Poppy seed filling
- 1 cup of poppy seed
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 tbsps of honey
- 2 tbsps of butter
- 5 oz (140g) of any dried fruits or nuts
Others
- 10 servingsdried fruits, nuts, Easter candies to decorate
Instructions
How To Make The Poppy Seed Mazurek Dough?
- Cut butter into small chunks.
- Mix all the ingredients together using a food processor or do it manually on the lightly floured surface.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Prepare the poppy seed filling in the meantime.
- Line a baking sheet (14''x17'') with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C).
- Roll out ¾ of the dough on the parchment paper. It should be about ½" (1.5cm) thick.
- Using a knife, cut the edges of the dough to shape it into a circle. You may use a round baking pan as a template to make it easier.
- Use the remaining dough to decorate the circle. Form small balls and put them on the edges to form a beautiful frame.
- Bake for about 20 minutes.
- Allow the mazurek to cool. Remember that the shortcrust pastry is easy to break. Transfer it on the parchment paper only.
- When the pastry has cooled completely (you may even place it in the fridge), spread the poppy seed filling onto it. See how to make the filling in the next section.
- Decorate with nuts, dried fruits, or sweet Easter decorations.
How To Make The Poppy Seed Filling?
- Rinse and drain the poppy seeds.
- Cover the poppy seeds with milk or water and cook for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, dice dried fruits and nuts if necessary.
- Drain the poppy seeds then grind them once or twice.
- Add honey, butter, dried fruit and nuts. Mix.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 316Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 52mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 6gSugar: 26gProtein: 7g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
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Did you like this Easter poppy seed mazurek recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
2 Responses
The instructions are not complete. Needed: quantity of completed poppy seed filling, how long and what temperature to bake the completed mazurek.
Hi Bernadette!
It’s all in the recipe, please check again. The cake needs to be baked for 20 minutes in 356°F (180°C).
You don’t need to bake it again after adding the poppy seed filling.