POPPY SEED DESSERT RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• To get rid of any impurities, soak poppy seeds in water first. Collect any dirt that floats to the top with a slotted spoon.
• Rinse the poppy seeds and drain them on a sieve lined with gauze (cheese cloth or a muslin square). It can stay there for up to an hour if you’re doing something else in the meantime.
• [Raisins] Rinse raisins under running water. Place them in a small bowl and pour 2-3 tablespoons of almond spirit or golden rum over them. Cover the bowl with a small plate and set aside.
• [Fresh Orange Peel] Chop fresh orange peel (finely) and set aside.
• Pour 2.5 cups of milk into a cooking pot (1.5 qt / litre pot should be large enough) and bring it to boil.
• Drop all the poppy seeds in. Are they fully submerged in milk? If not, pour in some more.
• Reduce the heat to ‘low’ and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time. Poppy seeds absorb the milk quite a bit, so make sure there’s enough of it.
• Drain the poppy seeds on a sieve lined with gauze, cheese cloth or a muslin square. If you can, try to squeeze out as much milk as possible.
• Using a disc with the smallest holes, grind the poppy seeds 2 to 3 times.
• Separate yolks from egg whites. Whisk yolks together with 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar, set aside.
• Place chopped walnuts and almonds in a wide pot (or a deep frying pan). Add a pinch of salt and roast them for 4-5 minutes on a medium heat, not allowing the nuts to burn.
• Add in 2 sticks of butter. Add 4 tablespoons of honey and 4 tablespoons of chopped orange peel. Let the orange peel fry for a bit, a few minutes is enough.
• Add in ground poppy seeds, chopped dried fruit and alcohol-soaked raisins. Mix everything together with a spatula, gradually adding egg yolks mixed with powdered sugar.  Take the pot off the heat.
• Whip the remaining egg whites until stiff, adding 5 tablespoons of powdered sugar near the end of whipping. Gently add them into the poppy mass.
• And we're done! The poppy seed filling is ready to use in 'Makowiec' (Polish Poppy Seed Roll) or another dessert.

Steps:

• [The day before] Cover wheat berries with hot water and let them soak overnight.
• The next day, strain it. Pour fresh water in (at least 1 quart/1 litre, or more) and cook until tender. It takes roughly 90 minutes on the stove and 45 minutes in the pressure cooker / instant pot. Once cooked, strain and leave to cool.
• Cook poppy seeds simultaneously. Place them in a pot and cover generously with milk. Cook on medium-low for 40 minutes, then strain and leave to cool. 
• Mince poppy seed in the meat grinder twice (smallest holes). Stand blender works too, although the texture will differ a bit (it will be more paste-like).  
• Combine cooked wheat berries and ground poppy seeds together with a spatula.
• Chop almonds, walnuts, raisins, cranberries and candied orange peel with a knife. It’s up to you how you approach it - I like to chop three quarters very finely and leave one quarter a bit chunkier. Add them into the mass and combine.
• Add orange juice and honey and combine. Have a look at the texture - if it feels too dry and too solid, add a little bit of whipping cream, buttermilk or something similar.
• Portion Kutia into four dessert bowls and refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving. You can also chill Kutia without portioning, in a single container.