Russian Mazurka Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons butter, sugar, and egg in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in mashed egg yolks. Add flour, ground almonds, and lemon zest. Knead into a dough. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out 2/3 of the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle the size of the baking sheet. Lay onto the prepared baking sheet. Roll remaining dough into finger-thick rolls. Press dough rolls onto the cake in a diamond-shaped pattern. Brush rolls with beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Pour 1/4 cup water into a saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin powder on top. Let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Place over low heat; stir constantly until granules are completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Heat cherry and apricot preserves in 2 small pots over low heat until hot. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Mix half of the dissolved gelatin into each flavor. Alternate filling the diamond shapes of the cake with the 2 different flavors. Arrange sliced almonds and candied cherries into flower shapes on top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
• For the cookie: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, at medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat well, and then scrape down the sides.
• While mixing on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 batches. Scrape down the bowl between each addition, and mix until just blended.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake until light golden brown with spots of darker golden brown and darker edges, about 30 minutes. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the fruit: Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together in a small saucepan. Whisk in orange juice until mixture dissolves. Stir in the fruits and candied orange peel. Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring often; continue to cook, stirring until thickened into a compote, about 3 minutes more. You should be able to draw the spoon along the bottom of pan and see the pan with no liquid seeping back. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the nuts and lemon zest.
• Spread fruit evenly over the top of the cooled crust.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake mazurkas until golden brown around edges and fruit sets but is still slightly glossy and jewel-like, about 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
• Cut, using an oiled knife, into 24 bars. Serve.

Steps:

• Mazurkas:.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Beat eggs with sugar for 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Mix water with lemon juice, and add to the eggs in a thin stream while beating. Beat 5 more minutes. Add flour, almonds, and butter alternately. Mix lightly to incorporate.
• Divide batter between two 9 X 13 baking pans lined with buttered parchment paper.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.
• Cool slightly, then turn them out onto a rack to completely cool.
• Meanwhile make icing (directions below).
• Spread one cake with jam, cover it with the other cake and spread the icing over the top.
• Icing:.
• Stir warm water, lemon juice and confectioner's sugar together until the sugar completely dissolves and the icing is smooth. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add more water if necessary. If you get it too thin, add more sugar.