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. 

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'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 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 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 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)

Spread filling evenly over surface of dough before rolling

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.