traditions

15 years ago I had an idea to create a small, personal cookbook…a collection of our traditional family and favorite recipes, highlighting my Czech heritage.  I started that project B.C. (before children), several months before my first son was born.  You can imagine what happened after a baby entered my life!  Certainly nothing creative for a long time, especially after my second came along 16 months later.  So it was put away and forgotten…until now  (see the  ‘traditions’ post dated December 2 for my epiphany explanation).   The original idea was that not all of the recipes had to be generations old and somewhat complex, for it’s rare to be able to devote hours in the kitchen like our grandmothers or mothers did. Some would be recipes that were fairly quick and easy, but seemed to win raves and requests most often.  Recipes that, over the years, had become my family’s favorites too.  I especially wanted to create a remembrance and dedication to my “Babinka”, my grandmother, and my mother, who is now my sons’ “Babi”…and also to everyone who cherishes memories of a kitchen filled with delicious aromas, merriment and love.  So I’ve decided to start anew, and add this page to my blog where I’ll post these recipes instead.

The Czech cuisine here has been passed down from one mother to the next in our family, for I don’t know how many generations.   What I do know is that I grew up with these dishes, as my boys are too thanks to my mom, and hers.   She developed in me the ability to recreate the taste of her cooking…for the most part!    The Czech Christmas Cookies are special and unique, and we’ve baked them together since I was a child.   So enjoy and check back often for more recipes as I build my online Traditions: A Cookbook of Family Favorites, with content like Christmas Cookies (never save the best for last), Agreeable Appetizers, Czech Cuisine, Easy Entrées, Amiable Accompaniments, and Delightful Desserts.  A little corny I know, but hopefully memorable.

Christmas Cookies

Linecké  Kolečka   (Czech Christmas Linzer Cookies)

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2 sticks, plus 1 ½ Tablespoons, unsalted butter, softened

3 cups, plus 2 Tablespoons, flour

1 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons, powdered sugar

1 package vanilla sugar (Oetker) or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

Red currant jelly

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, except jelly, and form into ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm. 

Roll out dough on floured surface to approx. ¼ inch thickness.   Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and cut small center hole in every other cookie   (these two will be put together like a sandwich, with one solid half, and one half with hole in center).

Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, and bake in 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.  Watch carefully so cookies don’t burn.

While cookies are still slightly warm, spread one solid cookie with currant jelly, and paste other half (cookie with hole in the middle) on top, sandwich style.

Dust cookies with powdered sugar.

 

Vanilkové Rohlíčky   (Czech Vanilla Nut Crescents)

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

4 cups unbleached flour

1 ¼ cup powdered sugar

3 sticks, plus 3 Tablespoons, unsalted butter, softened

1 ¼ cup ground pecans   (or walnuts)

1 egg

1 package vanilla sugar (Oetker) or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

 Directions:

Cream butter and sugar together in mixer until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg, vanilla, then flour, ½ cup at a time.

Add nuts, and beat until well combined.

Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator approximately 1 hour.

Break off pieces of chilled dough, and roll into 2-3 inch “ropes” with your palms, then bend into crescent shapes.

Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.   Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden on bottom.

While still slightly warm, roll in powdered sugar.   Store in airtight container.  (The flavor is even better after a few days.)

 

Čokoládová Kolečka  ( Czech Chocolate Walnut Cookies)

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup unbleached flour

1 ½ sticks, plus 2 ½ Tablespoons, unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 cup ground walnuts   (or pecans)

1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 egg

Red currant jelly

Walnut or pecan halves

Glaze:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon milk

 

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar together in mixer until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg, vanilla, then flour, ½ cup at a time, and cocoa powder.

Add nuts, and beat until well combined.

Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator approximately 1 hour.

Roll out dough on floured surface to approx. ¼ inch thickness.   Cut out circle shapes with cookie cutters.

Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, and bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Watch carefully so cookies don’t burn.

 When cookies are cool, spread one cookie with currant jelly, and paste another cookie (the other half) on top, sandwich style.

To make chocolate glaze, melt chocolate chips with milk, and stir until smooth.

Dip one side of each cookie in glaze, and top each cookie with walnut half.    Store in airtight container.

 

Czech Cuisine

Czech Ptáčky (aka Beef Rouladen)

Make these a day ahead of serving!   Serves 8.

Ingredients:

2 ½ lbs. beef sirloin or round steaks, cut ½ inch thin  (8 pieces)

8 slices bacon

yellow mustard

salt & pepper

paprika  (Hungarian sweet)

¾ lb. ground pork

¾ lb. ground chicken

1 egg, beaten

½ cup bread crumbs

2 tsp. majoram

½ tsp. white peppar

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ large onions, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup mini carrots, chopped

3   14-oz. cans chicken broth

1 ½ cups red wine

1   16-oz. container sour cream, plus ½ cup

Pickling spices, small spice bag

Cooking or butcher’s twine

 Directions:

Saute the onions, celery and carrots in butter and oil, until vegetables are soft. 

Spray bottom and sides of dutch oven or roasting pan with canola oil cooking spray.  Spread vegetables in bottom of dutch oven.

Mix the ground pork and ground chicken with the egg, bread crumbs, majoram, salt and white pepper.  Set aside.

Pound the beef to make ¼ inch thin pieces.

Season with salt, pepper and paprika.

Spread with thin layer of mustard  (approx. ½ tsp. depending on beef piece size)

Place 1 slice bacon, halved and cut lengthwise, on each slice.

Place approx. 3-4 heaping tablespoons of the ground pork/chicken mixture toward the end of each beef slice, and roll the beef slice around the ground meat  (judge amount by size of slice, so that when you roll it, the ground meat mixture doesn’t squeeze out, but is full to the ends).

Secure with cooking twine, tying around the roll at each end, then again lengthwise across the roll, like a parcel.

Carefully brown/sear each side of the ‘ptáčky’ in oil. 

Place ‘ptáčky’ on top of vegetables in dutch oven.

Pour wine and chicken broth over ‘ptáčky’.  (Important:  be sure liquid completely covers ‘ptáčky’)

Fill small spice bag with pickling spices, tie tightly and drop in dutch oven with meat.

Cover and roast for 3 hours in 325 degree oven.  *Note, take out spice bag after 2 hours.

When done, remove ‘ptáčky’ to plate to cool. 

To make sauce, puree the  liquid in dutch oven using immersion blender or pour into blender and puree.   Add sour cream and blend.

When ‘ptáčky’ are cool, cut off cooking twine.  Carefully slice each one into thirds, or about 1- 1 ½ inch disks, ensuring they don’t fall apart.  Place back in sauce…again they must be completely covered by the sauce.

Place in refrigerator overnight.

To heat next day, take out of refrigerator  ½ hour before putting in 325 degree oven for approx. 45 minutes.

Serve with rice or Czech dumplings (knedliky).