Sweet Springtime

Lithuanian with Dana Siliūnas

POPPY SEED POUNDCAKE
Aguoninis pyragas

½ lb. (2 sticks) butter
1 cup poppy seeds
1 cup sour cream
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
4 eggs, separated
Whip butter until white and fluffy. Add poppy seeds and sour cream and beat well. Mix sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and flour in a separate bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of the flour mixture and one egg yolk at a time to the butter mixture and beat well. When all the ingredients are used up, beat together until light and fluffy. Fold in beaten egg whites and pour into oblong or tube pan. Bake for one hour at 350°. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

SPICE CAKE
Pikantiškas pyragas

4 cups honey
5 eggs, separated
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup almonds
½ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsps. finely chopped orange peel
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Heat honey, skim, and simmer until it darkens. Pour into a bowl and work with wooden spoon. When cool, add the egg yolks one at a time and continue creaming. Sift in flour and baking soda and mix thoroughly. Add almonds, lemon juice, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg (increasing amount of spices if a more spicy taste is preferred). Pour into well- greased mold dusted with flour and bake in low-temperature oven (325 ° ) for one hour. Best when allowed to stand in refrigerator 10 to 14 days before using. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

STRAWBERRIES IN CUSTARD SAUCE
Braškės vanilijos padaže

2 lbs. strawberries
½ cup sugar, divided
1 tsp. potato starch or cornstarch
3 eggs, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
1½ cups milk, heated
Mix strawberries, stems removed, with ¼ cup sugar. Set aside. Dissolve starch in a little warm water. Mix egg yolks with starch, remaining sugar and vanilla, then add whipped egg whites. Put in double boiler. Stir the mixture while water is simmering, gradually adding hot milk until sauce thickens. Set pot of thickened sauce over cold water or ice and continue whipping until totally chilled. Serve strawberries with prepared sauce. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

ALMOND COOKIES
Migdoliniai sausainiai

½ cup ground almonds
14 Tbsps. butter (2 Tbsps. short of 2sticks)
2 eggs
1 egg, separated
½ cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp. to sprinkle on top
2¾ cups flour
Preheat oven to 350°. Cream the almonds with butter. When this mixture becomes smooth and creamy, add two eggs and one egg yolk, add sugar, and beat until it becomes fluffy.
Sweet Springtime
Add flour, and knead the mixture into a dough. Roll out to a thickness of 1 / 8 inch. Cut out various shapes of cookies and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the cookies with the remaining egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 30 to 40 cookies, depending on size you choose.

STRAWBERRY MOUSSE
Braškių desertas

1 quart (4 cups) strawberries, hulled
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 envelope gelatin
3 egg whites

Purée the strawberries and sugar through the blender until smooth. Add the gelatin (dissolved in ½ cup of boiling water), blending again after this addition. Whip the egg whites until stiff, and add the strawberry mixture gently. Place into individual serving glasses or a platter when the mixture begins to gel and serve with plain waffle cookies. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

LITTLE STICK COOKIES
Sausainių lazdelės

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
½ lb. (2 sticks) butter
Knead together the flour, sugar, egg yolk, and butter. Mix well. Let the dough stand in a cool place to set for about one hour. Preheat oven to 350 ° . Force the dough through a cookie press to shape into little sticks (if you have one). If not, roll into little sticks by hand and place on a ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle each stick with the following mixture: 2 Tbsps. sugar ½ cup chopped nuts Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 40 to 50 little cookies.