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EASTER TREATS for your favorite “bunnies”
PLUM CAKE
Slyvų tortas
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 stick butter / margarine
1 large egg, beaten
10 fresh plums, halved, pitted
Sift all ingredients into large mixing bowl. Add butter/margarine and blend until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add milk and egg, stir just enough to mix all ingredients thoroughly. Spread dough evenly into a well buttered 9” pie plate. Top with plum halves and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake at 350° for about 30-40 mins. or until done.
SOUR CREAM COOKIES
Grietininiai sausainėliai
3 3/4 cups flour
10 oz. butter
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 1/2 oz. nuts or almonds
2 Tbsp. sugar (for sprinkling on top)
1 tsp. vanilla sugar
1 egg yolk
Chill the butter before making the dough. Quickly knead remaining ingredients into the batter, so that the butter will not melt from the warmth of the hands. Cover the dough with a cloth and put into the refrigerator for one hour. Roll out the dough to a thickness of Vs inch. Using cookie cutters, cut out various shapes of cookies, brush the cookies with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sugar and nuts. Bake in a hot oven.
TRADITIONAL EASTER BREAD
“Velykų boba”
1 fresh yeast cake
2 Tbsp. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup hot milk
2 cups flour
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. soft butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
Scald milk, stir in Vi cup of flour, mix till smooth and cool. Soften the yeast in 2 Tbsp. warm water, add 1 tsp. sugar. Set aside until it bubbles. Add salt to egg yolks and beat until thick. Add the yeast sponge, soft butter, ą/3 cup sugar. Beat with wooden spoon. Slowly add the remaining flour and knead with hands until dough no longer sticks to the hands. Place in greased bowl and let rise till double. Punch down, add raisins, knead till well mixed and let rise again for about 1 hour. Bake in a greased and floured 3 lb. coffee can at 350° for 50 mins. of until lightly brown. (If it starts to brown too soon, cover with aluminum foil). Boba is done if it sounds hollow when tapped with fingers. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Remove from can and stand upright on wire rack. Decorate with your favorite white glaze. Sprinkle with colored sugar or baker’s confetti. Boba is sliced in thin rounds.
POPPY SEED CAKE
Aguonų tortas
1 box yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (small) vanilla instant pudding
1 cup (8 oz.) lemon yogurt or sour cream
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk or sherry
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 tsp. cream o f tartar
1 tsp. vanilla or lemon extract
In large bowl, place cake mix, pudding, yogurt, oil, 4 egg yolks, sherry, seeds, vanilla and beat on medium speed for 2 mins. With clean beaters, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff and fold into above mixture. Pour into buttered and floured 10” tube pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 mins. or until inserted knife comes out clean.
LITTLE EARS
Ausytės – Žagarėliai
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. whipping cream
1 1/4 cup flour
pinch salt
Beat egg yolks and whole egg for 10 mins. Add sugar slowly to eggs while beating to dissolve sugar. Sift flour with salt. Add one-half of flour mixture to egg mix alternately with cream. Add remaining flour. Knead dough lightly and let stand 10 mins. Roll out very thin and cut into strips. Make a slit in center and slip one end through the slit. Fry in hot shortening (Crisco) or oil until golden on both sides, drain on paper towels. When cool, sprinkle with pow dered sugar.
Note: There are scores of recipes for this traditional Lithuanian delicacy. Usually the basic ingredients are the same, but the amounts might vary. They are also called Bow Ties, Crusciki, Love Knots, etc., etc