The traditional Christmas celebration on December 24th is over, but we are still in the Christmas season.

On January 6th, a Christmas Eve is observed by many Ukrainians, Greeks, Orthodox Christians, and others, who follow the Julian calendar.

Our family, here in the US, celebrates  Christmas on December 24th, since our church observes it on this date.

However, we also commemorate this holiday on January 6th, to unite in spirit, with our family and friends in Ukraine, Poland, Portugal, France, Germany, England, etc, who celebrate on this date, only .

The Kolach in this post, is complimentary by one of my readers, Marilyn K, who baked it this year for her Christmas holiday, and was kind enough to share the picture with all of us.

She did a beautiful job with this special bread.   The presentation is very creative, and festive.

Congratulations Marilyn on job well done.

Thank you for sharing.

Best Christmas wishes to all my readers, and their loved ones.

Khrystos Rozhdayetsia!  Slavite Yoho!

Christ Is Born! Glorify Him!

Merry Christmas !

If you missed my posts about the various Ukrainian weddings I attended, and took pictures of the Korovai, here are the links to these posts.

Ukrainian Traditional Wedding

Ukrainian Wedding with a Special Flair

Ukrainian – Jewish Wedding

Ukrainian-  Greek Wedding

Korovai is a special, creatively decorated bread, with one, two, or three tiers, which is usually made by the Mother of the Bride, and presented to the  Bride and Groom, with a special blessing.  This elaborately decorated bread is displayed at the wedding reception hall, placed near the head table, or by the wedding cake, on a small table adorned with Ukrainian embroidered scarf (rushnyk).

There are different styles of Korovai, depending on the region of Ukraine it originated from.

A basic Paska recipe, may be used to make the Korovai, or any other special bread recipe will do.

One of my readers, Olya M. from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, shared a picture of the Korovai she made for her daughter’s wedding.

She did a beautiful job, and you will not believe that this was the first Korovai she ever made by herself.

As you can see she is a very talented lady, and her daughter must have been very proud of her mom’s creation.

I made my daughter’s Korovai, but used my Paska recipe, and she selected a three tier Korovai, as you can see in the picture above.

Today I will post a Korovai recipe from the Peremyshl region of Ukraine, now (Przemysl) under Poland, located very close to the border of Ukraine,  and the city of Lviv.  This region is very dear and near to my heart, since my family roots are from there.

This recipe has been shared with me at a Korovai baking class, which I participated in a while back.  This recipe is for one tier Korovai, and a smaller one, for the Bride and Groom to keep as a memento.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 2 packets dry yeast (1/4 oz each)
• 10 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup butter (6 oz), melted
• 6 extra large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp rum extract (optional)
• zest of 1 lemon (optional)
• 1 egg beaten with a little water, for glaze

Directions:

1. Combine milk , water, and 2 Tbs sugar, in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle yeast over it, and let it rise, until frothy.
3. Add 5 cups sifted flour, and salt.
4. Mix well, and allow to rise until double in bulk.
5. Beat eggs with 1/2 cup sugar, until frothy.
6. Add vanilla, rum, and lemon zest, as desired.
7. Add remaining flour to yeast mixture.
8. Add beaten eggs, and melted butter.
9. Knead until the dough is smooth, and no longer sticks to the hand (15 minutes).  See TIP below, for food processor instructions.
10. Allow to rest 5 minutes.
11. Knead the dough for several minutes on a lightly floured work surface.
12. Divide into 3 parts (3 lbs for the main Korovai, 1 lbs for the memento Korovai (0r a second tier, if you chose to have two tiers), and the remainder of the dough for decorations.
13. Place the dough in lightly oiled bowls, turn once, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until double in bulk.
14. Grease and flour a 10 inch  diameter  paska baking pan, for the main Korovai.  Repeat the same for a smaller pan  (8 inch) for the second Korovai.
15. On a floured work surface, knead the larger portion of dough, removing bubbles.
16. Cut into the following pieces:
17. 3 pieces – 12 oz each
18. 2 pieces – 4 oz each
19. 1 piece – 3 oz (or the remaining dough)
20. Roll the 12 oz pieces into 3 strands, 28 inches long, and more than 1 inch thick, and form a braid.
21. Arrange in a circle around the bottom of the pan, overlapping ends.
22. Roll the 4 oz pieces into 2 strands, about 29 inches long.
23. Twist tightly (about every inch), and place on top of the braid, on its outermost rim, overlapping ends.
24. Roll the 3 oz piece into a small ball, flatten the top, and place in the center.
25. Cover lightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until double in bulk.

Smaller Korovai:

1. Repeat above instructions to make a smaller replica of the Korovai in the smaller pan, if you will use it as a second tier, or in a pie plate if you to be kept as a memento.
2. Cut the second piece of the dough into the following pieces:
3. 3 pieces, 4 oz each
4. 2 pieces, 3 oz each
5. 1 piece, 1 1/2 oz each
6. Brush both breads with egg glaze and bake in preheated 350 degrees oven, with pans not touching, for 15 minutes.
7. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees, and continue baking.
8. Remove the smaller Korovai after about 30 additional minutes of baking (total of 45 minutes).
9. Glaze again.
10. Allow to rest for several minutes, then remove from the pan, and cool on a rack.
11. Bake the larger one 15 minutes more (total 1 hour), or until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
12. Remove from oven.
13. Glaze again.
14. Allow to rest for few minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a rack.
15. Once totally cooled off, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate, or freeze, until ready to assemble and decorate for the wedding.

Please stay tuned for my next post which will provide recipe, instructions, and technique, for the symbolic decorations for Korovai.

TIP: If you wish to use a Food Processor or a Bread Maker, you may use these instructions (please note I DID NOT test this process)

1. Combine milk, water, salt, and 2 Tbs of sugar.
2. Pulse once.
3. Add yeast and and pulse again.
4. Set aside.
5. Beat the eggs with 1/2 cup of sugar until frothy.
6. Add vanilla, rum, and lemon zest.  Melt butter and cool.
7. Combine 5 cups of flour with 1/2 of the yeast mixture, 1/2 the egg mixture, and 1/2 of the melted butter.
8. Process until a ball of dough forms (2 -3 minutes).
9. Allow to rest.
10. Process 1 more minute.
11. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
12. From this point on, follow the remaining instructions in the original recipe.

Ukrainians pride themselves on baking the best tortes, and Walnut Torte is one of the most traditional ones.

I was a lucky recipient of this torte from my daughter’s kitchen, for this year’s birthday.

She found this particular recipe on Katya’s Homepage, a few years ago, but did not have a chance to test it, until this year.  Lucky me!!

Tortes require time and patience, as you can see from reviewing this recipe, but it is a labor of love, and well worth the effort.

This torte was absolutely delicious, and I am very proud of my daughter, as she did a beautiful job baking, and decorating it, for my special day.

I encourage you to give it a try, and you will love as well.

Torte Ingredients:

• 10 oz. walnuts, finely ground
• 3 Tbs. walnuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 12 large eggs, separated
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mocha Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 6 cups confectioner sugar, sifted
• ¾ cup strongly brewed coffee
• 1 ½ Tbs. coffee liqueur (optional)

Coffee Cream Filling Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tsp. instant-coffee granules
• ¼ cup confectioner sugar, sifted

Torte Directions:

1. Combine the ground walnuts, flour, cornstarch, and baking powder.
2. Set aside
3. In a large bowl, place the egg whites and salt.
4. Beat to stiff peaks, and set aside.
5. In another large bowl, place the egg yolks and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
6. Add the granulated sugar and continue mixing for about 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick and fluffy.
7. Mix in 2 tsp. vanilla, and set aside
8. Sprinkle the walnut mixture over the yolk mixture.
9. Fold in the egg whites, until combined.
10. Prepare two round cake pans by lining the bottom with a circle cut out from parchment paper.
11. Grease the parchment paper bottom and the sides of the cake pans.
12. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
13. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
14. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake centers spring back to touch, or do the toothpick test, and the toothpick comes out clean.
15. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 5 minutes.
16. Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan, by running a knife around the pan sides.
17. Invert the cakes onto a wire rack to cool. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cakes.
18. Cool completely.

Mocha Frosting Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine butter, chocolate, vanilla, and 1 ½ cups confectioner sugar.
2. Beat until creamy.
3. Alternately add the coffee, liqueur, and the remaining 4 ½ cups of confectioner sugar.
4. Continue to beat until fluffy.
5. Set aside.

Coffee Cream Filling Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine heavy cream, instant coffee, and ¼ cup of confectioner sugar.
2. Beat to soft peaks.

Torte Assembly:

1. Split each round of torte in half diagonally, making 4 even disks.
2. Place one cake disk on a cake platter (with the uncut bottom down).
3. Spread ¾ cup mocha frosting over the top.
4. Follow with a third of coffee cream.
5. Place second cake disk on top, and repeat with frosting and cream.
6. Repeat with third cake disk.
7. Place the last caked disk on top, and spread the remaining mocha frosting on top and sides of the torte.
8. Decorate with the chopped walnuts.
9. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

photo credit: Iain Farrell

Thanksgiving time is for families and friends to get together and be thankful for all their blessings bestowed upon them during the last year, and throughout their life.

I am very grateful for having a wonderful, loving family, and for all the blessings we all are enjoying.  Being a grandmother is the most rewarding experience in the world, and right now, my husband and I are blessed with two beautiful grandchildren, and more to come in the future.

I am also very thankful for all my friends whom I personally know, and all of my blog readers.

THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH for visiting my site, leaving comments, and being part of my everyday life, connected via Internet.

This December I will celebrate my 2nd Blogging Anniversary, and am very pleased to inform you that my readership started with 600 visits per month, and currently it stands at 4500, and growing.

ALL THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

Besides  this blog, suburbangrandma.com is also actively connected through Facebook and Twitter.

I am equally thankful to all my followers from Facebook (95 as of this post), and Twitter (69 and growing).

If you enjoy reading my posts, please keep the list growing by becoming my follower, and spread the word to your family and friends.

My readers come from 89 countries, all over the globe, so today I would like to list the top ten, as per the Analytics Report, and thank everyone for their time and loyalty:

1. United States of America
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
   
4. Australia
5. India
6. Philippines
   
7. Brazil
8. Ukraine
9. Germany
10. Netherlands

Seeing these results fuels me with additional energy, perseverance, and a definite continued dedication of my time and effort, to keep my blog going that much stronger.

H A P P Y   T H A N K S G I V I N G!!!

photo credit: erix!

Father’s Day is such a special day to recognize, and honor, all the father’s and father’s-to-be, all over the world.

Father’s Day is celebrated in the US, and many other countries, on June 20th, this year.  However, numerous other countries dedicate this holiday to their dads on different days.  In Ukraine, it is also celebrated this Sunday, but dads in Poland have to wait until Wednesday, June 23rd.

If your country celebrates Father’s Day on a different day yet, please share it with us.

Someone shared with me a very nice statement about what is a Father, presented to him by his son:

FATHER:

F - Finds time to assist his child

A - Actively participates in his child’s future

T - Takes the lead in hard work

H - Has his child’s best interest at heart

E - Enjoys spending time with his child

R - Rescues his child from harm

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

TO ALL DADS

ALL OVER THE WORLD!!!

Saint Nicholas, was the “gift giver” I was familiar with during my childhood.  He had a white beard, was dressed in bishop’s garbs, carried a crozier, and arrived on a white horse. On December 6th, he was visiting well-behaved children, and placing candy and cookies under their pillows. If you were really good, then he would drop off more goodies on Christmas Eve. You also were expected to know your Catechism, in case he decided to quiz you, before leaving you a gift.  We recited prayers and songs dedicated to St. Nicholas, instead of leaving him milk and cookies.

I was not familiar with “Santa” the chubby, jolly old man with white beard, dressed in a red suit and an elf‘s hat, with deer pulling his sleigh. Oh well, those were the days, when Christmas was about the Birth of Christ, rather than Christmas shopping, and children were happy with whatever they received, even if it was not exactly what they wished for.

My children grew up knowing both “gift givers”; St. Nicholas on December 6th, and Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. You would think that it couldn’t get better than that…..until, one year they asked if we could celebrate Hanukkah, so they could receive gifts for eight days….…..figure that!!

St. Nicholas was a bishop, who was born in a small city in Greco-Roman Lycia, an area known now as Turkey. He was a bishop of coastal city of Myra. He was a man of great caring and generosity, and gift giver to children and the needy. There is an urban legend that St. Nicholas dropped gold coins into the hanging stocking of three young ladies, who were too poor to get married, as their father did not have enough money for a dowry. St. Nicholas  is also known as the father of Orthodoxy. He lived a long life and died on December 6th, 343 A.D.

Saint Nicholas Day is a commemorative celebration of St. Nicholas,  and is celebrated on December 6th, according to the Gregorian calendar, or on December 19th by the Julian calendar.

I have great respect for Saint Nicholas, and would like to introduce you to this celebration around the world, but mostly in  countries nearest to my location. As for the jolly old man in a red suit, that will have to be another story, later on.

I came across a site which alphabetically lists 34 different counties, from Aruba to United States, describing their traditional celebration of St. Nicholas Day.  I will share a few inserts with you, but for more detail and countries of your interest, you should check out this  site.

Ukraine
St. Nicholas, Sviatyij Mykolai, comes to Ukraine on December 6th (or the 19th in the Orthodox/Julian calendar). It is a happy day with visiting and sleigh rides. Schools have plays telling Nicholas stories and the saint visits local churches. Dressed as a Byzantine bishop, the good saint is often accompanied by angels. He quizzes children on their catechism before giving gifts. St. Nicholas Day is the main day for gift-giving, though gifts are also becoming associated with Christmas Day. Today many Ukrainian churches have St. Nicholas celebrations to help children understand that the holy man Nicholas came long before Santa Claus.

Poland
St. Nicholas, called Sw. Mikolaj, is a saintly, dignified figure in Poland; he comes as a bishop, carrying crosier. Descending from Heaven with an angel helper, he travels on foot or in a sleigh pulled by a white horse as he visits homes in the countryside. When he appears, the eager children cry, “He has come! He has come!” St. Nicholas’ presence fills the room with his smile, the twinkle in his eye, and his welcoming, booming voice. Children recite their catechism and prayers.

St. Nicholas rebukes or praises, as appropriate, before distributing holy pictures, red apples or oranges, and pierniki (saint cookies made with honey and spices). If he doesn’t come in person, treats are put under sleeping children’s pillows or left in freshly cleaned and polished shoes left out for the saint. St. Nicholas acts in his traditional religious role as a protector and patron saint while encouraging Polish children to be well-behaved, as there are switches for naughty children.

United States
Bishop St. Nicholas is celebrated by many churches and by communities which have a Dutch heritage. On the Advent Sunday closest to St. Nicholas Day, December 6, some churches have St. Nicholas festivals, large or small, with the good saint himself appearing to greet children, give instruction and encouragement, and hand out treats for children of all ages. In some places he is a focus in worship and in others he is part of a special fellowship event. St. Nicholas may also be the inspiration for a special Advent project—one which shows his concern for justice and relief of suffering. These observances are most prevalent in Orthodox and Episcopal churches, though not uncommon in many others, as well.

Canada
Many immigrant groups brought treasured traditions to Canada; Ukrainians and Dutch are among those who celebrate St. Nicholas. For Ukrainians, Christmas begins with St. Nicholas Day, when young children receive small gifts from their patron saint, Nicholas.

Parishes and schools remember Nicholas’ providing dowry money for needy young women by giving small bags of gold-colored coins to children. The children sing to welcome the saint, louder and more enthusiastically as they wait. The saint, on foot or by sleigh, comes dressed as a resplendent Byzantine bishop, accompanied by a troupe of angels. The angels help distribute goodies and small gifts.

Hopefully he’ll place something nice under your pillow on December 6th, or December 19th, depending on the calendar you follow.

Happy St. Nicholas Day.