Russian Recipe Needed About This Page:

[DebbieG]

My third grader's ethnic festival at school is coming up, and I need to make a Russian food. Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Debbie

[graygables]

Since shots of vodka are out...is a dessert OK? (Russian food is kind of, ummmm, not palatable to American 3rd graders! )

Here's one called Krasny Apple Cake:
1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
3 c flour
3 ts baking powder
1 ts salt
10- 15 large apples
cinnamon
1 c sugar

Combine butter and sugar in a bowl, add eggs and mix. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix together. Add this to the first part. Make a ball of dough and put in fridge for a couple of hours. Cut apples and add cinnamon and sugar. Cut dough in half and roll 2 dough rectangles. Put a lower crust in greased pan. Than make a layer with cinnamon, sugar and apples. Put top crust on. Make holes in top crust before baking. Bush with water or beaten yolk on top crust. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes (until crust slightly golden).

Then there are the Russian Tea Cakes (these are a Christmas staple):
1 c butter
1 ts vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
3 tb sugar
1 1/2 c powered sugar
2 c chooped peacans
1 tb baking powder
salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter, sugar, baking powder and vanilla thoroughly. Work in flour, salt, and nuts until dogh holds together. If it is needed, add more flour,as hands must be free from dough. Shape 1-inch balls. Place them on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until not quite brown. While the balls are still warm, roll very well in powered sugar. then cool the cookies then roll in sugar again.

One that my kids will eat is goulasch, I'll have to look up that recipe, though...(and it's origins are in Hungary, but my recipe came from a Russian...)

[Chrissi]

I don't know if it's ethnic Russian or immigrant/melting pot food, but my Russian in-laws love chicken and waffles with gravy.

[*Pixie*Dust*]

This is a simple Borscht recipe. It can be served cold or warm:
1 lb To 1 1/2 lb beets
1 qt Water
1 1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Pepper
2 tb Sugar
1/3 c Lemon juice
sour cream

1. Wash, scrape and coarsely grate beets.
2. Place beets, water, salt, pepper, sugar and lemon
juice in a deep, 2-quart, heat-resistant, non-metallic
casserole. 3. Heat, covered, in Microwave Oven 10 to
12 minutes or until beets are tender.
You can also cook this on the stove.

4. Chill soup several hours or overnight.
5. Serve cold, garnished with dollops of sour cream.

[disney_duke]

My DH's grandma came over from Russia. Here's a slightly different Borscht recipe:

1 lb. beef stew meat
2 qts cold water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dillweed
1 Tbsp parsley

1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 C diced onion
1/2 small head of cabbage, shredded
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 C raw potatoes, cubed
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 can sliced (or cubed) beets - reserve some juice for leftovers, if desired
1 can diced tomatoes with juice


Place stew meat in water with bay leaf, dillweed, and parsley. Boil for 2 hours. Remove meat and cut into small pieces. Set aside to be added to soup later. Add carrots, onions, cabbage, and potatoes to liquid. Boil covered until vegetables are fork tender. Add lemon juice, beets, tomatoes, and remaining spices and the meat. Heat through. Don't boil too much as red color will fade. Top each bowlful with a dollop of sour cream. When reheating, add leftover beet juice for color, if desired.

We've only eaten it warm, but I'm sure you could try it cold.

[jagafen]

Originally Posted by Chrissi

I don't know if it's ethnic Russian or immigrant/melting pot food, but my Russian in-laws love chicken and waffles with gravy.

I thought that was a southern (US) thing?

[Chrissi]

The only people I have ever known to eat chicken and waffles with gravy are my Lithuanian and Russian in-laws. Weird. I have family in Alabama and they insist that you eat chicken and waffles with maple syrup.

[jagafen]

Ahhhh, that's it.....syrup, NOT gravy. I got them confused! Thanks!

[JoanW]

What about pierogi, or is that more Polish than Russian?

[DebbieG]

Thanks for all your recipes! I am leaning toward the cake or tea cake, in the hope that they may actually get eaten!

If anyone has any more suggestions, they will be most appreciated!


Debbie

[debe]

Every Christmas we make Russian Tea Cakes (cookies).
Here is a site that has some Russian Recipes and it also has the Tea Cake Cookie recipe which isn't hard to do at all & even easier to EAT!

When we were younger, we use to help mom make the cookies

[Teresa]

Perogi are actually very Russian. DDs have some teachers who are Russian, and gave us the recipes! It's just as easy to buy them at the store - but if you'd like the recipe, let me know.
Also, they gave me this recipe - YUMMY!!

Russian Sour Cream Cookies

1 C. Crisco
2 Eggs
3 C. flour
2 heaping tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond essence
3/4 C. sugar
1 C. Sour Cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
flaked almonds

oven at 400 degrees F

Cream Crisco, sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond essence. Add baking soda to sour cream and add to Crisco mixture. Sift together dry ingredients and add to batter. Mix until well blended.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured board and divide in half. Pat (do NOT roll - it will get too tough) each half out until about 1" thick. Cut out in circles. Sprinkle with flaked almonds, pressing them lightly into dough.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool. These need to be stored in an airtight container.

[Teresa]

Just found a Slovakian recipe a friend of mine gave me - it's been in her family for over 50 years. While not entirely Russian, it is from the general region.

Ceregi (cheh-REH-hee)

2 C. Sifted flour
3 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
6 egg yolk
4 T. cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
shortening for frying
powdered sugar

Sift the flour again with the sugar and salt into a bowl. Make a well, and add liquid ingredients. Mis well and knead for about 10 minutes. Add more flour if necessary to keep the dough soft but not sticky. Roll dough out quite thin and cut into rectangles about 3 inches by 2 inches (I use a pizza cutter for this - it's so much easier). With a sharp knife, make a small slit in the center of the rectangle. Take the ends of the rectangle and push them through the slit to make a sort of curlicue. Fry in hot shortening (Crisco is best) until golden brown - remove to drain immediately! When cool, sprinkle leberally with the powdered sugar.

[DebbieG]

Thanks for the great recipes Teresa! I think I'm going to make a batch of the cookies - they do look yummy.

I looked up the history of pierogies, and did see that they are Russian as well as Polish. A friend has a recipe for a hot Russian tea.

If I stick with store bought Peirogies - I can't see myself making them, I might also do the cookies and tea. That way the kids are sure to eat something Russian!

Thanks again for everybody's help! It's so great to be able to get help of any kind here at Passporter!

Debbie

[JoanW]

Oooh Theresa, post the pierogi recipe please!