Borsch or Ukrainian Beetroot Soup

500 g beetroot (boiled),cut into pieces
2 chicken fillets
2 tbsp butter
2 chicken stock cube
0,5 small white cabbage
6 tomatoes,peeled & seeded.chopped
1 onion,chopped
4 garlic gloves,crushed
4-5 potatoes,cut into pieces
2 carrots,sliced
salt,pepper

Cut chicken fillets into small cubes.
Heat the pan,add butter & chicken pieces.Fry until browned all over.
Add onions & garlic,fry for a minute.
Now add carrots,brown a little.
Throw in the chicken stock cubes & boiled water to cover everything.Let it simmer until you chop cabbage & add it to the soup.Add extra water if needed.
Add beetroot & tomatoes.
Simmer for ca 20 min,then add potatoes & boil until potatoes are done.
Season.
Serve with sour cream.

SELJANKA

2 big onions
2 tbsp butter
200 g pork or beef
150 g choritzo or smoked bacon
100 g chicken
1 l water
2 beef stock cubes
1 can chopped tomatoes
8 black olives
1/2 ground paprika
3 pickled gherkins
1 dl liquid of the pickled gherkins
1 laurel
5 whole black pepper
pinch of chopped dill
2-3 gloves of garlic
salt,pepper

Chop onions & fry in butter.
Add chopped meats & choritzo or bacon.
Simmer for 10 min,then add boiling water,stock cubes,laurel & pepper.
Cover & simmer 15-20 min.
Mix chopped tomatoes with flour & add to the soup along with chopped pickles & everything else.
Simmer for extra 5 min.
Take the soup off the heat,cover & leave for 5 min,before serving.

CREAM CHEESE BUNS

Dough:

2,5 dl milk

o,5 dl sugar

1 tsp salt

25 g fresh yeast or 7 g dry yeast

1 egg

100 g butter,room temperature

6-7 dl white flour

Filling:

500 g cream cheese

2 eggs

1 dl sugar

1 dl raisins

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

1 dl sour cream or natural yogurt

Warm the milk to the hand temperature, add sugar, salt, fresh yeast, mix until dissolved then add egg & butter.
Knead dough until smooth & elastic,cover with towel & let rise in warm place for ca 40 min.
If you use dry yeast then follow the instructions given on the packet.

Make little balls about the size of the golf balls,let to rise another 10 min.

Make the filling:press the middle of the bun down with the bottom of the glass & spoon the cheese mix into each bun.
You can scatter over some cinnamon if you like.Brush the sides with beaten egg.

Bake in the oven 225 C 12-15 min.

Let them cool under the clean towel.You should get ca 16-18 buns.

CARROT PIE

Base:
3,5 dl flour
150 g grated cheddar cheese
150 g butter
3 tbsp cold water

Filling:
3 onions
1 kg carrots
2-3 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
4 eggs
3 dl milk
0,5 tsp black ground pepper

Mix flour,cheese soft butter until crumbs form.
Add water & work quickly into the dough.
Place the dough onto the baking tray which has been covered with baking paper & chill for 10 min.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200C for 10 min.
For the filling chop onions & grate the carrots with big grater.
Fry onions & carrots in oil for 10 min,season & add lemon juice.
Beat the eggs, add milk & salt.
Place the carrot mixture onto the prebaked base,pour over the egg & milk mixture & bake at 200C ca 40 min.

GERMAN GINGERBREAD COOKIES "LEBKUCHEN"

Syrup:

300 g sugar
1/2 l water
1 kg sugar
Melt the sugar until it starts bubbling,then stir with wooden spoon until brown in colour.
Lift the pot into the sink.
Pour in quickly the hot water,be very careful as it will be very dramatic!
When all the steam is cleared,lift the pot back to the heat,stir until all the caramel is dissolved.
Add the rest of the sugar & boil slowly few minutes until you get the syrup right.
This will make about 1,7 kg syrup.

Cookies:

Vol.1:

3 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp cardamom
3 tsp cinnamon
or allspice
orange peel,grated
500 g butter
300 sour cream or plain yogurt
6 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp bread soda
2 tsp citric acid
2 kg flour
Pour all the spices into the hot syrup,mix well & cool a bit.
Add butter,cut into smaller pieces & mix until smooth.
Now add the sour cream,egg yolks & salt,mix well.
Mix flour with baking soda & citric acid,sift into the dough,knead.
You get 4,8–5 kg dough,will keep in the fridge wrapped into the cling film 1-2 weeks so you can make one big patch & then just use as needed..
Bake at 200C for ca 8 min,depends how thick your cookies are.

You can use the baking powder instead baking soda & citric acid,just it wont be as crispy.

Vol.2:

Syrup from 600 g sugar
50 ml water
Make same way as described above.

400 g butter,softened
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
ca 30 g allspice,it really depends how you like it,you can add some extra cinnamon
1/ tsp baking soda
1 kg flour
Mix the spices with hot syrup,cool until room temperature.
Beat egg yolks into the softened butter,add salt.
Pour in the syrup.
Add flour mixed with baking soda.
Mix well.
Wrap into the cling film & keep in the fridge overnight before using.Or at least 3 hours.
Keeps in the refrigerator for ca 3 weeks.

DECORATING:

Now to the best part :)

Glaze:

3 egg whites
300 g dusting sugar
1 tsp citric acid
Whisk until you get the thick cream.
Place into the piping bag & then just decorate your cookies.
You can use plastic sandwich bags,cut small hole into the bottom corner.
Very good also for making the gingerbread houses!

You can cover the cookies before baking with chopped nuts etc.
Melt some white chocolate & dip cookies in half way.
You can make sparkling cookies:sprinkle some sugar over the cookies(pat in slightly) before baking.

Dried sliced orange or sliced apple,pear,banana etc. are very decorative along with cookies!!
Just finely slice your fruits (you  can dip them into the syrup) & place the single layer over the baking paper onto the baking sheet & slowly bake in the oven at lowest temperature for a few hours until firm.
You can keep the oven door slightly open with the wooden spoon to keep the low temperature.

Ganache:

300 ml fresh cream
300 g dark chocolate
or white chocolate
Bring the cream to the boil,add chopped chocolate & stir until well melted & smooth.
Cool.
Use it as a filling between two cookies.
Or cover the cookies with a bit of the ganache & sprinkle over with roasted nuts or dried cranberries.

Lemon Glaze:

1 egg white
1 1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Beat egg white, powdered sugar & lemon juice until smooth.
Brush onto still warm cookies & can then be decorated with diced mixed candied fruits & peels.

These are invitingly spicy cookies, which can be baked ahead.
Roll & cut out rectangles, fun gingerbread folk, trees, stars etc.
We make these every year, continuing a family tradition. They are our favorite holiday cookies.