About the recipe
Kūčiukai (šližikai, prėskutė) also called Christmas cakes – is a traditional Lithuanian dish served on Kūčios, the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Lithuania. They are small, slightly sweet pastries made from leavened dough and poppy seeds. There are variations in sweetness, it is usually eaten dry but can be served soaked in poppy milk or with cranberry kissel.
Recipe
- 1 kg Wheat (all-purpose) flour
- 400 ml Milk
- 200 g Margarine or butter
- 3 Eggs
- 70 g Fresh yeast
- 40 g Poppy seeds
- 350 g Sugar
- 10 g Salt
Equipments:
- scale.
- metal bowls.
- dough mixer.
- tablespoon.
- spatula for cutting dough.
- proofer.
- oven
Instructions
- Add sugar and yeast into warm milk, stir until yeast dissolves. Leave it in a warm place for ~10-15 minutes, until the yeast foams.
- Melt margarine or butter.
- Sieve flour into a mikser bowl, add salt and turn the mixer to speed 1, mix about 1 minute.
- After that pour the yeast mixture, eggs, melted butter, add poppy seeds.
- Turn the mixer to speed 2 and mix 15-20 minute or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch.
- Leave to rise for about 1 hour.
- Take a small piece of the dough, twist it in a string (the string should be an index finger thickness) and cut it into small pieces (about 1 cm thickness). Since Christmas Eve cookies swell a lot while baking.
- Sprinkle flours on the oven tray, put the cookies. Leave ~0,5-1 cm between them.
- Put it to proofer for 20-25 minutes. Bake them in a preheated 220oC oven for ~10-15 minutes.
Video
