Treats to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas

Ukrainian Christmas Eve falls on Jan. 6, 2020, and with one of thehighest Ukrainian populations outside of Ukraine,there will be plenty offeasting taking place on the Canadian prairies.

Traditionally, Ukrainian Christmas Eve is an elaborate 12-course meatlessfeast (the 12 courses originally represented the12 apostles). Although the specific dishes servedvaries according to regions and family traditions,there are some standard offerings. There's always kutya, an easternEuropean grain pudding made with wheat berries orbarley, poppyseed, dried fruit and almonds, sweetened with honey.

There are often fancy, braided breads (kolach) and soup often red borscht, perhaps topped with mushroom dumplings (vushka). There are typically pickled things on the table, often herring. And freshwater fish such as whitefish, trout, pickerel, cooked any number of ways pan-fried, roasted or poached.

There are meatless cabbage rolls (holubtsi) and perogies (varenyky), abean dish, or cabbage with peas (kapusta).There are mushrooms, oftencreamed or with gravy (pidpenky), a fruit compote, and dessert perhaps asweet rolled poppyseed cake(pampushky) filled with prunesor sweet poppyseed filling.

Here's how to make a batch of kutya or a poppyseed roll, whether or notyou're celebrating Ukrainian Christmas Eve thiscoming week.

Kutya

• 1 cup pearl or pot barley, or wheat berries.
• Salt.
• Milk, for cooking (optional).
• 1/4 to 1/2cup poppyseed.
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins, chopped apricots or other dried fruit.
• 1/4 cup honey (or to taste).
• 1/3 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds, or chopped walnuts or pecans.

If you're cooking wheat berries, cover them with water in a mediumsaucepan and let soak overnight this will jump-startthe cooking process.

Simmer your barley or soaked wheat berries with enough water (or milk) tocover them by a couple inches, along with abig pinch of salt, for about 40minutes for barley, 1 to 1hours for wheat berries, or until they're tenderbut still have a bit of chew. Drain them well and transfer to a bowl.

Stir in the poppyseed (grind the seed first in a spice grinder if you like thiswill release more flavour), raisins or otherdried fruit and honey. Sprinklewith nuts when you're ready to serve it.

Serves 4-6. (The recipe can beeasily doubled.)

Poppyseed roll

Dough:

• 3/4 cup milk, warmed.
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast.
• 1/3 cup sugar.
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
• 1 tsp. salt.
• 1 large egg.
• 1/4 cup butter, melted.
• 1 tsp. vanilla.
• Grated zest of a lemon (optional).

Poppyseed filling:

• 1/2 cup poppyseed.
• 1/3 cup ground almonds or ground/finely chopped walnuts.
• 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk.
• 1/4 cup sugar.
• 1 egg, lightly beaten, for brushing.

To make the dough, put the warm milk in a large bowl (the bowl of yourstand mixer, if you have one) and sprinkle withthe yeast and a pinch of thesugar. Let stand for fiveminutes, or until it gets foamy. (If it doesn't, you mayneed fresh yeast.)

Add the rest of the sugar along with the flour, salt, egg, butter, vanilla andlemon zest, if you're using it.

Stir until thedough comes together and issmooth and sticky. Cover and let rest for an hour or so.Meanwhile, make the filling: if you like, grind the poppyseed in a spicegrinder or using the finest setting of a food mill.

Transfer to a bowl and stirin the ground almonds, sweetened condensed milk and sugar. (Some liketo boil their poppy seeds to soften them first. To dothis, cover with water in asmall saucepan, bring to a simmer, remove from the heat and let sit for 20minutes or so,then strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve).

Divide the dough in half and roll each into a large oval that's about 8x12-inches. Spread each with half the poppyseedfilling, leaving about an inchgap around the edges.

Roll each up loosely, starting from a long side, andplace seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and letrest for another hour while you preheat the oven to350F.

Brush the loaves with beaten egg. (I dipped my fork into the remainingsweetened condensed milk before stirring up the egg, to give it a little extrasweetness, which will create a darker, glossier crust).Bake for 25-30minutes, until deep golden. Let cool slightly before slicing on a slightdiagonal.

Makes 2 loaves, serves about 12.