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Sunday, September 1, 2019

Remembering Grandma

Yesterday I wrote about my paternal grandmother and her amazing baking skills, her strudel, kifli, and so many other wonderful things. Her soup, noodles and machanka were sufficient to keep me happy, also, for sure. 

grandmother, family, recipes
Grandma Pramik
Today I would like to talk a bit more about my maternal grandmother. Firstly, she was deaf, since early womanhood, due to an illness, so it made it difficult to ever just sit and chat with her. That just didn't happen without shouting. Most of my memories of Grandma, outside of cooking, were of watching her crochet, as in this picture here, taken in our back yard, circa 1955. She crocheted long, dripping lacy edges on pillowcases, multitudes of doilies, some of which I still have, and lovely edges on handkerchiefs. I do not have a lot of food memories from Grandma Pramik, but the things I do remember are things I love to this day. Her Apple Cake, which I tried to approximate, as I have no recipe, left indelible memories. Her bread, the same recipe that my Mom made, one I have altered over time, with equally great results, was phenomenal. And her Slovak Rolls. For some reason, my recollection was that her rolls were called Kolach. Then later on, it seemed I must have made a mistake on that word. But by whichever name one calls those amazing rolls, made only at Christmas time, they were something I looked forward to with just as much anticipation as to my paternal grandmother's strudel!
 
Grandma, Crochet, Handkerchiefs
Grandma's Crocheted Handkerchiefs

I have dedicated significant time over the years to trying to find out what these rolls might have actually been called in Slovak, to see if the word sounded familiar to me. While Grandma and Grandpa Pramik came over from Slovakia, also in the early 1900s, they spoke Slovak less often than English, though I do recall them speaking Slovak, and having little magazines in Slovak around their house. Well, I finally found the names for the nut and poppy seed rolls in Slovak, but there are no bells resounding in my head, so who knows at this late date? Just for informational purposes, in Slovak, the poppy seed rolls are called Makovnich and the nut rolls are called Orechovnik.


Slovak Rolls, Poppy Seed, Nut, ethnic, dessert
Slovak Rolls - Poppy Seed and Nut

I know that my Mom's Holupki (Cabbage Rolls) came from her mother, though I cannot get my memory to recall sitting at her table to eat them (I didn't like them at all as a child, so likely I blocked that memory!). I do love them today, and make them at least once a year. Chicken Paprikash also came from Grandma Pramik, though when I read recipes that are from Europe, the recipe is made differently. I suspect that during the Depression, as Grandma and Grandpa Pramik lived in the city as opposed to on a farm, they would have had less access to richer foods like sour cream and other things. I believe this may have influenced the way she made her foods, such as her Chicken Paprikash, which I still make her way, today. Another memory is of Grandma's cookies. She made these little cookies that were like a wafer on the bottom, with a puffed up top, always sprinkled with those multicolored hard nonpareils. I have actually made these before, but long before I started taking photos of everything I make, so I do not yet have photos. One day soon, I will make them and set the recipe out here in my blog for posterity. 
Poppy Seed, Slovak Rolls
Poppy Seed Rolls

The recipe for Poppy Seed and Nut Rolls that follows, was given me by my Aunt Mary, and is not actually Grandma's recipe, though from this remove, I cannot distinguish any difference. They are amazingly good! One caveat is that the poppy seed must be ground for this recipe for the correct consistency. It would be impossible to get the poppy seed to stay in place, otherwise. I have a little poppy seed grinder that I use, and it takes a fair amount of muscle. It is not easy to grind poppy seeds, and I know no better way to do this. For the nut rolls, simply use a fine grinder or grater. If using a food processor, the important thing is not to over-process. You do not want nut butter for this.

Slovak Rolls

Poppy Seed, Nut, Rolls, Slovak Rolls, ethnic
Poppy Seed and Nut Rolls

Makes 6 rolls

DOUGH:
1 cup milk
2 packets dry yeast
1 cup unsalted butter
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
½ pint sour cream (1 cup)

FILLINGS: (1 - 2 Cups Per Roll)

Nut Filling

6 cups walnuts, ground (about 1½ lbs)
Spreading filling, dough, rolling
Spread filling evenly over surface of dough before rolling
Grinder, Poppy Seeds
Grinding Poppy Seeds
⅓ cup melted butter
1½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
milk, just enough to dampen

Poppy seed Filling:
1 pound poppy seed, ground fine
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (up to 2 tsp)
milk, enough to moisten
raisins (optional)

Make Dough: Scald milk; cool to lukewarm (90 to 110 degrees). Sprinkle in the packets of yeast and let stand until bubbly. Cut the butter into the flour, as for pie dough. Add the sugar, salt, eggs, sour cream and the yeast mixture. Knead till smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and put into a plastic bag and REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT.

Next day, cut the dough into 6 equal parts. Roll each to about ⅛-inch thick on a floured surface (about 12 x 12 inch square). Brush dough with melted butter. Spread with filling of choice. Roll up, place on greased baking sheet, seam side down. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Brush with milk. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

MAKE FILLINGS:

For Nut Filling, combine all ingredients and use just enough milk to moisten the filling to dampness. Makes enough for 3 rolls.

For Poppy Seed Filling do the same. If using raisins in the poppy seed filling, rinse them in hot water, drain, and sprinkle over the filling once spread on the dough. Makes enough for 3 rolls.

 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

9 comments:

  1. The names of the rolls etc are the same as what my grandmother
    Called hers. She never measured
    Traditionally, her food was amazing. Grandma even crocheted
    Handkies like your grandmother as well as the doilies, and afghans for everyone. Wonderful memories

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  2. my grandma was Slovak and I miss her dearly. She made homemade bread, nut rolls, kolache, and the best chicken soup ever! My mom used to make her Easter bread and it was so good, that it was more like desert!

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  3. My mom's family came from Slovakia in the early 1900s, too. They all settled in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Mostly in Minnesota. They stuck mostly within their Slovak neighborhood, Slovak church, and I even have their church's anniversary cookbook from ages ago that talks about the forming of it in the "Bohemian flats". The referring to the rolls as "kolach" or "kolache" is very common in different areas in the US, even if technically incorrect. It's how my family always referred to them and it's how they refer to them in the church's cookbook and in different areas online, too, and other Slovak-American families all over the US. I didn't know it was called anything else until talking to other Slovaks online, ha! We always made ours with those ingredients, but also sometimes with apricot or the prune filling. Prune was my favorite and I have a very unfortunate childhood story about that. lol When I got older and I was away from family, my mom and I would still get together and bake and send them in the mail for Christmas to family members.

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    Replies
    1. It is always wonderful to hear from others with similar backgrounds.

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  4. this is extremely similar to the recipe handed down from my grandmother. We also did a 3rd flavor of apricot filling. I didn't make them at the holidays this year and think maybe I'll make them this month "just because" :)

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    Replies
    1. I've never had an apricot filling in these, though my Serbian (formerly Yugoslavian) Grandmother made pastries with an apricot filling.

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  5. My family is Slovak & Hungarian and we’ve always called these kolach. Since my Grandmother and her my great aunts have passed away we’ve had to resort to buying these at bakeries and they’re never as good.

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  6. My frnfather wad Czech but I remember my grandmother would make a lot ofgood. foodEspecially Langos.The nut rolls and chicken paprika also.I miss her and my grandfather.He was a professional boxer.Soall this brings back good memories.

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