Growing up in Ukraine, one of my absolutely favorite dishes were my grandma’s incredible crepes. Oh, that was really something. Just imagine a huge plate with a mountain of fresh and hot crepes thin as silk, with a jar of homemade apricot jam standing nearby and a cup of hot, aromatic black tea. These are the memories I will tell my children about. I can still feel the taste and smell of those crepes, like it was only yesterday!

Probably that is why I love crepes so much and it was one of the first dishes I learned to cook. When I lived in Ukraine I’d tasted hundreds types of crepes, sweet and savory, with honey, jam, mushrooms and caviar. Some of them where thin and flawless, some thick and lush, but I love all of them and cannot give my heart to any particular recipe. These memories gave me an inspiration to search for even more interesting, rustic and traditional crepes and blinis recipes. They are an integral part of our Ukrainian culture and now I want to be close to it like never before.

I’ve decided to start with a pretty basic crepes recipe my mother taught me. I think every crepe lover should know it, because with this classic recipe you can create countless numbers of different variations. But this is just a beginning, I’ve already found a couple of rare old cook books from Ukraine and USSR, with some wonderful recipes I’m willing to try. Hope all you fellows will support me in my small culinary adventure! 

Basic French Crepes Recipe

By voloshyna, March 6, 2014

• Total Time: 01h 50min
• Prep Time: 01h 10min
• Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• milk - 1 cup
• water - 1 cup
• eggs - 3
• salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• sugar - 2 tablespoons
• all-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
• melted butter - 3 tablespoons

Instructions:

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. In a bog bowl whip the eggs until blend, mix in the milk and water. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in the 3 tablespoons melted butter. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or better overnight. Gently stir the batter if separates. Heat a crepe pan over medium-high heat until really hot. Cover with a thin layer of butter and pour a small amount of batter. Rotate the pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Cook over moderate heat until lightly browned on the edges, about 1 minute. Loosen the edges with a spatula and flip over the crepe. Cook on the other side for15-20 seconds. Transfer the crepe on a platter . Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve hot.

All my friends are just crazy about this Peanut Butter Pie. I’ve made it on Thanksgiving and it instantly became my most popular dessert. I found the recipe in the Food Network Magazine, changed a few ingredients and made this decadent pie. I will keep searching for a good dessert ideas, so you could treat your friends and family during the winter holidays!

It looks and taste just amazing, but it’s still pretty easy to make. This pure creamy delight will be a great dessert for a Christmas eve dinner.

Creamy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Pie with Toasted Meringue

By voloshyna, December 12, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the Crust: -
• unsalted butter - 5 tablespoons
• whole graham crackers - 10-11, roughly broken
• peanuts - 1/4 cup
• semisweet chocolate chips -
• For the Filling: -
• peanut butter - 1 cup, room temperature
• mascarpone - 8 ounces
• milk - 1/3 cup
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• confectioners sugar - 3/4 cup
• cold heavy cream - 1/4 cup
• For the Meringue: -
• large egg whites - 3
• sugar - 3/4 cup
• salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions:

First you need to make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 10 inch pie platter. In a food processor pulse the crackers and peanuts until finely combine. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and the side of the pie dish. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Then cool on a rack. Meanwhile, using a microwave, melt the chocolate until smooth and uniform. Spread evenly in the pie crust; set aside until the chocolate sets, 10-15 minutes. For the filling, beat the peanut butter, mascarpone, vanilla extract and milk with a mixer, until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and mix until incorporate. In a medium bowl beat the heavy cream until soft peaks. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the peanut mixture until combine, then follow the rest. Spoon into the prepared dust and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. And the last step is making the meringue. Fill a medium saucepan one quarter full with water. Set the saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. In a medium metal bowl combine egg whites, sugar, and salt. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water to form a double boiler. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk the eggs with an electric mixer, until the meringue is thick and glossy, about 8-10 minutes. Using a piping bag pipe the meringue on top of the pie. Lightly toast with the torch.

First of all this is the best cake I’ve ever made! Second of all, this cake came out pretty different from the original recipe and I have no clue how could that happened. But I just love it!

I’ve baked this Chocolate Cake as a present for my friend’s Birthday and I can’t describe how much she liked it. You don’t even imagine how many compliments about my cake I had that night. They warmed my heart! Thank you  Helene Dujardin for the great recipe and continuously inspiration!

Chocolate Cake with Soft Meringue and Pecans

By voloshyna, November 8, 2013

• Total Time: 01h 20min
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the cake: -
• unsalted butter - 10 tablespoons, plus more for pan (room temperature)
• light-brown sugar - 3/4 cup, firmly packed
• large whole eggs - 6, separated
• best quality bittersweet chocolate - 12 ounces, melted and cooled
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• salt - 1/4 teaspoon
• For the meringue: -
• egg whites - 4
• sugar - 3/4 cup
• chopped pecans - 1/3 cup

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. Whip the soft butter and brown sugar until pale and smooth at medium speed, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bottom and sides of your bowl if necessary. Add the melted chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until combined. In a medium bowl beat the 6 egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Very gently fold one-third of the egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites and pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the merengue. Beat remaining 4 egg whites on high speed until frothy. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Remove cake from oven. Using a spatula spread meringue mixture on top of cake, sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake until meringue is lightly browned for 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 300 F and bake 10 more minutes. Meringue should become golden, but still soft, airy and weightless. Transfer the pan to a wire rack; let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, and release sides of the pan. Let cool, about 30 minutes, before slicing and serving

My last recipe for the Chinet Baking Series. This Lemon Sheet Cake will be a perfect dessert for Veterans Day, everybody will definitely like the weightless cream frosting!

Lemon Rum Sheet Cake

By voloshyna, November 1, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the cake: -
• all-purpose flour - 2 cups
• freshly grated lemon zest - 2 tablespoons
• baking powder - 1 teaspoon
• salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• sugar - 1 1/2 cups
• melted butter - 1 cup
• water - 1 cup
• Greek yogurt - 1/2 cup
• eggs - 1, lightly beatten
• vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• heavy whipping cream - 3/4 cup, cold
• For the syrup: -
• water - 1/2 cup
• caster sugar - 6 tablespoons
• lemon juice - 3 tablespoons
• rum - 1 tablespoon
• For the frosting: -
• cream cheese - 8 oz, room temperature
• mascarpone cheese - 4 oz, room temperature
• confectioners sugar - 3/4 cup
• lemon juice - 2 teaspoons

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl mix the flour, lemon zest, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and beat with a hand mixer until smooth.  Add in the eggs, water, yogurt and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Spread the mixture into a greased 11-in. x 13-in. baking pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, make the lemon syrup, by boiling the water and the sugar together, then add the lemon juice. Boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let to cool and mix with a rum. Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle with the syrup. Leave to cool. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, lemon juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in the whipped cream. Spread the frosting over the cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Here comes my favorite Indian dish of all times. I’m crazy about Chicken Tikka Masala, no wonder I order it every time I’m at the Indian restaurant! Unfortunately my husband isn’t an Indian food fan, so I cook it at home not so often.

Chicken Tikka Masala

By voloshyna, June 4, 2013

• Total Time: 01h 10min
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

• boneless and skinless chicken - 1 lb, cut into large bite-sized chunks, and poked with a fork
• Marinade: -
• plain yogurt - 1 cup
• fresh lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• salt - 1 tsp
• garlic - 3 cloves, minced
• freshly grated ginger - 1 tbsp
• cumin - 1 tsp
• black pepper - 2 tsp
• ground red pepper - 1 tsp
• chili powder - 1 tsp
• Sauce: -
• ghee - 1 tbsp
• garlic - 3 cloves minced
• serrano peppers - 1-2, chopped
• ground coriander - 2 tsp
• ground cumin - 1 tsp
• paprika - 2 tsp
• garam masala - 1 tsp
• canned diced tomatoes - 1 can, 15 oz
• tomato sauce - 1/2 can, 8 oz
• heavy cream - 1/2 cup
• salt - to taste
• sugar - 1 tsp, or to taste
• cooked quinoa - for serving

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight. Place a large skillet or sauce pan over medium heat and add the olive ghee. Add garlic and serrano pepper, cook for 1 minute. Stir in coriander, cumin, paprika and garam masala. Then stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Add salt and sugar to taste. Meanwhile fire up your grill. Coat it with some oil. Place the chicken on the grill. Cook until lightly brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the chicken to the sauce and cook for another 10 minute. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, and serve over quinoa or rice.

Forget about carrot cake, beet cake kicks ass! You won’t taste the beet, but it makes this cake extra moist and soft. Serve this dessert just a bit warm with a drop of freshly whipped cream.

Chocolate beet cake with whipped cream

By voloshyna, May 7, 2013

• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• medium beets - 2, about 2/3 lb
• dark chocolate chips - 1 1/2 cup
• espresso - 4 tbsp
• unsweetened cocoa powder - 3 tbsp
• unbleached all-purpose flour - 1 cup
• sugar - 1 cup, you can use less or more depends on your taste
• large eggs - 4, separate whites and yolks
• unsalted butter - 6 oz
• heavy whipping cream - 1/2 cup
• confectioners sugar - 1 tbsp
• poppy seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Instructions:

Bring a full pot of water to a boil and add the beets. Boil for about 25 – 30 minutes until beets are soft when poked with a fork. Let to cool and peel. Puree beets in a food processor until smooth. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate chips, using a double boiler or microwave. Add very hot espresso, mix with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add cubed butter and stir until smooth. Whisk together flour, sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk yolks and ad them to a chocolate mixture, mix well. Then add beet puree and flour mixture, mix one more time. Beat whites until soft peaks. Gently mix whites with a batter, stirring with a spatula just until combined. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan. Transfer into the oven, reduce heat to 325 F. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Whip cold heavy cream with a confectioners sugar and poppy seeds. Serve warm cake with a tablespoon of whipped cream.

The fancy name for this recipe is Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. This dish contains everything I love about Italian cuisine: delicious mozzarella cheese, light tomato sauce and my favourite fresh basil (which, by the way, I grow on my balcony). Such simple ingredients make this dish just incredible! Believe me, you can never go wrong with this recipe.

Gnocchi with tomatoes and mozzarella

By voloshyna, May 3, 2013

Ingredients:

• cherry tomatoes - 1 lb
• extra virgin olive oil - 5 tbsp
• garlic - 2 cloves, thinly sliced
• basil leaves - 1 cup, packed
• coarse sea salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• sugar - 1/2 tsp
• potato gnocchi - 1 lb
• butter - 2 tbsp
• baby mozzarella - 8-10 balls
• grated parmesan - for serving

Instructions:

Remove stem ends from tomatoes and chop them into 1/4-inch cubes, reserving all juices. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until light brown. Add tomatoes and juices and cook 2 minutes. Add chopped basil, season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.  In another sauce pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the gnocchi and put shake the pan to make one even layer. Season with salt and pepper and let them cook until caramelized. Toss them until golden brown on all sides. To finish add the gnocchi to the pan with the sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Carefully toss on medium heat. Add mozzarella and then pour onto a large platter. Serve with a chopped basil leaves.

I love crepes so much, that I decided to share one more good recipe. This time it’s a dessert.

Crepes with lemon curd

By voloshyna, April 2, 2013

• Total Time: 01h 10min
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the curd: -
• whole egg - 1
• yolks - 3
• sugar - 3/4 cup
• lemon juice - 1/2 cup
• zest of 2 lemons -
• For the batter: -
• all purpose flour - 1 3/4 cup
• sugar - 1/2 cup
• melted unsalted butter - 2 oz
• eggs - 3
• salt - 1/2 tsp
• milk - 1 3/4 cups
• water - 3/4 cups
• confectioners sugar - for serving
• unsalted butter - 4 tbsp

Instructions:

To make a lemon curd whisk the egg, yolks and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice, zest and whisk until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Set the saucepan on the stove over medium heat, cook stirring constantly, until thick - 8-10 min. If you have a cooking thermometer - use it. Cook the cream until it reaches a temperature of 160 F, then immediately remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into a jar or bowl and leave for several hours in the refrigerator. When the cream is cool - it will be much thicker. Cook 18-20 crepes as described in my previous recipe, but without orange butter. Fill the crepes with the lemon curd, sprinkle with a confectioners sugar and serve.

The light and moist cake, that just melts in your mouth!

Moist walnut torte

By voloshyna, March 25, 2013

• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• unsalted butter, room temperature - 1 stick, 4 oz
• baked walnuts, finely chopped - 5 oz
• sugar - 2/3 cup
• large eggs - 4, separated
• orange blossom water or zest of 1 orange - 1 tsp
• all purpose flour - 1/4 cup
• cream cheese - 4 oz
• poppy seeds - 2 tbsp
• apricot jam - 3 tbsp
• water - 2-3 tbsp
• dark chocolate (70% cocoa), grated - 1 1/2 oz

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 11 inch  loose-bottomed flan tin mold with a cooking spray, or just butter it and place into a fridge. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.  Add the egg yolks one by one, and the orange blossom water. Sieve in the flour, add the cream cheese and stir in the finely chopped walnuts and the poppy seeds. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for around 25-30 minutes until there is a little colour on the top of the torte. You can check to see that it's ready by sticking a cocktail stick into the centre of the torte. It should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. In a small sauce pan combine apricot jam and water, bring to a boil. Brush this over the top of the torte, and when cool, sprinkle with a grated chocolate.

This recipe is for cinnamon addictive people like me. I’m sure you will love this super easy and incredibly smelling cinnamon bread! When I made it for the first time it was gone in a minute and this is the best compliment for a chef =)

Fill your kitchen with a smell of fresh bakery!

Serve!

Cinnamon wreath

By voloshyna, January 30, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the dough: -
• lukewarm milk - 1/2 cup
• active dry yeast - 1 envelop
• sugar - 1 tbsp
• all purpose flour - 2 cups
• salt - 1/2 tsp
• melted unsalted butter - 2 tbsp
• For the filling: -
• brown sugar - 5 tbsp
• cinnamon - 3 tsp
• melted unsalted butter - 1/4 cup

Instructions:

Mix the yeast and sugar with the lukewarm milk, stir with a plastic spoon and let it sit for 10 minutes.   In a bowl, mix flour, salt, egg, melted butter and yeast mixture. Kneading until you get smooth and elastic dough, shape it into a ball. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When the dough has doubled, take it out and punch down to release all the bubble. Then let it rest for 5 min. Preheat oven to 390 F. In a small bowl mix together melted butter, cinnamon and sugar.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Spread the cinnamon filling across all of the dough. Reserve a small amount of filling for the top of the wreath. Roll up the dough, and using a knife, cut the log in half length-wise. Twist the two halves together, keeping the open layers exposed. Give a round shape, then transfer to a baking tray covered with a parchment paper. Brush reserved cinnamon mixture on top. Bake for about 20 min, or until golden brown. Transfer on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with a confectioners sugar before serving.

I’m a huge fan of homemade crepes. I cook them very often and in a different variations. Today I want to present one more recipe of perfectly delicious crepes, this is exactly what you need for a nice weekend brunch!

Have a nice weekend!

Crepes filled with cottage cheese and blueberry sauce

By voloshyna, January 25, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the batter: -
• all-purpose flour - 1 3/4 cup
• sugar - 1/2 cup
• unsalted butter - 2 oz
• eggs - 3
• salt - good pinch
• milk - 1 3/4 cup
• water - 3/4 cup
• For the filling: -
• drain cottage cheese - 1 lb
• golden raisings - 1/4 cup
• sugar - 1/4 cup or to taste
• vanilla extract - 1/2 ts
• For the sauce: -
• blueberries - 1 cup
• sugar - 2 tbsp
• lemon juice - 1 tbsp

Instructions:

Put raisins in a small bowl, pour with a hot water. Let stand 15-20 min, or until they swelled. Cook 18-20 crepes as described in my previous recipe, but without orange butter. In a food processor mix drain cottage cheese with a sugar and vanilla extract, process until smooth. Add raisins and mix well. Spread thin layer of filling on each crepe and roll them tightly. To make a blueberry sauce, just simmer all berries with a sugar and lemon juice until soft, about 3-4 min. Serve crepes with berry sauce, and drizzle  with honey.

Simple recipe of hot and juicy empanadas! One of the best appetizers I’ve ever made, in Ukraine we would call it pirozhki!

Chicken empanadas with cilantro chutney

By voloshyna, January 18, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the empanadas: -
• large yellow onion - 1, finely chopped
• minced garlic - 1 clove
• minced chicken breast - 3/4 lb
• medium red bell pepper - 1, finrey chopped
• small jalapeno - 1, seeded and chopped
• tomato sauce - 5-6 tbsp
• ground cumin - to taste
• sugar - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• shredded cheddar - 1 cup
• extra virgin olive oil -
• puff pastry - 1 package
• water -
• egg - 1, lightly beaten
• For the cilantro chutney: -
• fresh cilantro - 1 bunch
• ground cumin - 1/4 tsp
• green chili pepper - 1
• finely chopped fresh ginger - 1 tsp
• water - 1 tbsp, or as needed
• lemon juice - to taste
• sugar - 1/2 tsp
• salt - to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover the baking sheet with a parchment paper On a large skillet preheat the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, saute the garlic, onion and peppers. Add the chicken breast then cook until light brown. Add the tomato sauce and 1/2 tsp of sugar (optional), season with salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Simmer for about 4-5 min, then add the cheese, mix well and turn off. Set to cool. Unroll 1 puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Repeat procedure with remaining puff pastry sheet, making 12 to 15 circles total.  Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Moisten edges with a water and fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. Brush your empanadas with a lightly beaten egg and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile cook the cilantro chutney. Add all the ingredients in a food processor and pulls until finely ground. Remove from the oven. Serve hot.

For me there is nothing better then a bowl of a hot beef stew in a winter evening. When outside is cold and smell from the kitchen spreads all over the house.  I love when the dark thick sause gurgles it the dutch oven and meat becomes so tender you can cut it even with a spoon. I promise, this stew will melt in your mouth.

Serve stew with a rich red wine or glass of cold dark ale.

And what is your favourite dish for the cold weather?

Beef stew in red wine sauce with young caramelized carrot

By voloshyna, January 16, 2013

Ingredients:

• boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces - 2 1/2 lb
• celery - 2 stalks ( cut into 1 inch pieces)
• pilled pearl onion - 10-12
• garlic - 3 cloves (unpeeled)
• all purpose flour - 1/4 cup
• cinnamon stick - 1
• extra virgin olive oil -
• diced tomatoes - 1 can (14 oz)
• tomato sauce - 8 oz
• red wine - 1 cup
• beef broth - 2 cups
• salt - to taste
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• fresh rosemary - few sprigs
• bay leaves - 2
• sugar - 1 tsp (optional)
• young carrot - bunch
• butter - 2 tbsp
• sugar - 2 tsp

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Generously season all sides of the beef with salt and pepper and lightly dust with a flour. In a heavy-bottomed ovenproof saucepan, heat couple spoons of olive oil and gently fry the onions, celery, garlic, herbs, and cinnamon for 5 minutes until softened slightly. Add the meat to the pan and stir everything together, then add the tomatoes, sauce, wine and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently bring to the boil. Cover saucepan with a lid and place in your preheated oven for 2,5-3 hours or until the beef is super tender. When the stew is almost ready you might start to cook the carrot. In a frying pan melt a butter. Fry peeled young carrot until lightly golden. Then add 1 tsp of sugar and continue to cook until soft. Serve sweet caramelized carrot with a hot stew.

This dish might be new for you, but I’m sure you will like it! It’s a traditional meal in my native country – Ukraine, we cook it with a freshly picked dark cherries and serve with a sour cream. But this time I decided to serve dumplings with a berry compote, in my opinion it’s a wonderful combination of sweet and sour! I want you to cook this dish in winter, because it will remind you of warm summer days =)

P.S. In Ukraine we do not use the word dumplings, we called this dish vareniki.

Dumplings with dark cherries and berry compote

By voloshyna, January 11, 2013

Ingredients:

• For the dough: -
• all purpose flour - 3 cups + more for dusting
• eggs - 2
• cold water - 1/2 cup
• milk - 1/4 cup
• salt - 1/2 tsp
• For the filling: -
• fresh or frozen dark cherries (sour cherries) - 1 1/2 lb.
• For the compote: -
• frozen berries - 1 1/2 cup
• lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• sugar - 4-5 tbsp
• For serving: -
• butter - 2-3 tbsp
• confectioners sugar -

Instructions:

If you use frozen dark cherries - you need to defrost them. Mine was already sweetened, so I didn't add any sugar. But if you bought the fresh ones, you need to sprinkle them with 1 cup of cane sugar, let stand for 1 hour and drain the juice. Probably you would also like to make a berry compote in advance. In a small sauce pan mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often until the sugar dissolves. Let berries boil 1-2 minutes and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool. Then you'll need to make a dough. Lightly beat the eggs with a salt and milk. In a large bowl mix flour, egg mixture and water, add more water if needed. Stir with a wooden spoon (you can make the dough in a stand mixer, or with your hands). When it becomes hard to stir,  pour sticky dough on a flour surface and continue to knead until it becomes smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 3-4 parts. Roll each part 1/4 inch thin. Using a 2.5 inch diameter glass cut as much rounds as you can. Fill each round with 3-4 cherries, pull the sides together and seal them with your fingers to form a semicircle. You can decorate your vareniki (dumplings), just press the fork's tines on the edges of vareniki. Place them on a lightly floured board and cover with a kitchen towel. You can also freeze remaining dumplings and store in freezer in ziploc bag for later use. In a large pan bring the water to a boil, add pinch of salt. Add vareniki (not all at one time) and stir with a wooden or plastic spoon to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook over the medium heat until they come to the surface, cook for extra 2-3 minutes and take out into a medium bowl. Add 1 tbsp of butter (left the rest butter for another portion of dumplings) and gently mix. Serve immediately with a berry compote or sour cream. Don't forget to sprinkle with a confectioners sugar!

Savarin some kind of rum baba – moist yeast dessert, saturated in sweet syrup or light alcohol. I found this recipe in one Ukrainian culinary magazine, in this variation savarins saturated in a ginger and lemon syrup, topped with whipped cream, different fruits and berries. Every bite of this small cakes is like a pice of heaven!

Ginger & Lemon Syrup Savarins

By voloshyna, December 25, 2012

Ingredients:

• For the batter: -
• bread flour - 1 cup
• salt - 1/4 tbsp
• sugar - 2 tbsp
• dry yeast - 1 tsp
• lemon zest - 1 tbsp
• eggs - 2
• melted butter - 1/4 cup
• warm milk - 3 tbsp
• For the syrup: -
• water - 3/4 cup
• lemon juice - squeezed from 1 lemon
• granulated sugar - 1 cup
• finely chopped ginger - 1 tsp
• For the topping: -
• heavy whipping cream - 1 1/4 cup
• vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• confectioners sugar - to taste
• berries and fruits - of your choice

Instructions:

Mix the flour, sugar and yeast in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Mix the milk, melted butter and eggs, then pour in and beat well to make a thick, sticky batter. from this amount of batter you can get 1 big savarin or 4-6 small, depends on sizes of your molds. Fill the savarin molds 1/2  with a batter; cover with a towel and leave in a warm place for 30-45 minutes or until it's doubled. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake the savarins for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Let them cool in their rings 3-4 min, then turn them out. To prepare the syrup, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Dip the savarins in the syrup then place them in a rectangular pan and drizzle more syrup over them. Cover and let them soak overnight. Add more syrup the next day if they'll absorb it. When you decided to to make a filling for your savarin rings, just whip cream with a sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks. Filled savarins with a homemade whipped cream and top it off with fruits and berries.

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