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!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.

May you enjoy the special foods you prepared for this Holiday, and the company of your family and friends.

I am very thankful for the whole year I spent with all of you, my new friends on various websites and Facebook.

I posted my first article around this time last year, and now I just can’t stay away from my computer, posting new items and reading all the interesting things you all are writing about.

I appreciate your comments, and your visits to my site.

I am enjoying your support, and right now I have about two thousand readers, some from as far as South Africa, and Jamaica.

What a small world we live in.

Also, I would like to thank all my family and friends who support me and subscribe to my site via email, as well as all my fans from Facebook.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Veselykh Sviat Rizdva Khrystovoho i Shchaslyvoho Novoho Roku! (Ukrainian)

Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia oraz Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! (Polish)

maligayang pasko at manigong bagong taon! (Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines)

Buon Natale, Buone Feste and Felice Anno Nuovo! ( Italian)

PS.  I would like to ask all of my readers, who speak other languages besides the ones mentioned above, to leave comments with  Christmas Greetings in their language,  and I will keep on updating this post with these greetings.  Thank you very much.

Christmas celebration on December 24-25, and New Year on December 31-January1,(Gregorian calendar), are well known dates to the majority of the population, however, per Julian calendar, Christmas is celebrated on January 6-7, some call it Orthodox Christmas, and the New Year is celebrated on January 13-14. Ukrainian’s call this New Year “Malanka”, the day of St. Melania, or “Generous Eve” (Shchedryi Vechir).

On New Year’s Eve carolers would dress up in various outfits, visit their family and friends, and put on satirical type of skits accompanied by appropriate songs, as well as sing Christmas carols and Shchedrivky (songs of good wishes for the New Year).  New Year’s Eve dinner would be similar to Christmas Eve dinner, but less elaborate.   A lot of fortune telling took place on New Year’s Eve.

However the turning out of events on New Year’s Day was considered a harbinger of the upcoming year.  It was believed that if your New Year Day was great, then the whole year would be as great;  if things were not going too well, then the whole year would be pretty turbulent as well. People would avoid taking naps on New Year’s Day, because this would mean that they would be very lazy during the year.

Early morning on New Year’s Day, young boys would visit the homes of their grandparents, family and friends, and scatter few grains of wheat, or oats, over their floor, as a symbol of good luck and prosperity for the New Year.  They would also recite special verses, express holiday greetings, and well wishes.  As a reward for their visit, they were always treated with sweets and money, since it was considered an honor to be visited, and greeted, by these young “grain sowers”.

Photo of Carolers from Welcome To Ukraine

photo credit: nayrb7

Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. Everyone is rushing around to get shopping done, attend parties, put final touches on holiday decorations, and plan holiday meals.

The Ukrainians have many rich traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas. Many of them have been modernized to accommodate everyone’s busy lifestyle, but others are still kept original, and passed on from generation to generation.

Christmas Holiday starts on Christmas Eve, and during that day there is a lot of cooking going on to prepare for a 12 course meatless dinner consisting of:

• Kutia – whole wheat dish
• Kolach (recipe) – special Christmas braided bread(resembling babka), which is served with a clove of fresh garlic and honey
• Borscht with vushka – Red Beet soup with mushrooms filled dumplings
• Kapusniak – Sour kraut soup
• Holubki – meatless stuffed cabbage
• Varenyky (Pierogies) filled with various fillings (potato and cheese, cabbage, fruit, cheese, etc)
• Several fish dishes
• Pickled herrings are a must
• Fresh Mushroom Sauce
• Pickled mushrooms
• Baked Beans with flax oil
• Kompot – mixed fruit tea type hot drink
• Large assortment of cookies, sheet cakes, torts, angel wings cookies (khrusty), and home made donuts, which are the best ever

While the cooks are preparing the meal, other family members, and especially the children, are kept busy by decorating the Christmas tree. The youngest children are patiently gazing out the window for the first star to appear, since this is a sign that dinner is ready to be served. Everyone is looking forward to this elaborate meal, since throughout the day only light snacking is allowed, or a total fast is observed. The dinner table is set with best linens and china, and a small sheaf of wheat tied with a festive ribbon, along with special bread “Kolach” shares the center stage on the table. There is an extra place setting on the table, in remembrance of the departed family members. A prayer is recited by the whole family, a special Christmas greeting is exchanged, and the dinner begins.

After dinner, everyone engages in caroling of Christmas carols, children have special poems to recite, or perform a small concert prepared ahead of time. Some presents are opened at this time, but most are left to be opened on Christmas Day. At midnight everyone attends a Devine Christmas Liturgy, which lasts about 2 hours, but is very beautiful and filled with caroling and chanting. Children bring a gift to church to place by the manger, to be distributed to the less fortunate children in the community. With the old tradition, there were no gift exchanges at Christmas, only candy and sweets, but St. Nicholas was bringing gifts on December 6^th, and placing them at night under the pillow, for all the “well behaved” children.

On Christmas Day the celebration continues. The children open the remainder of their gifts, and a lot of caroling, and visiting of family and friends, is taking place. There is no more fasting on this day, but rather a lot of meat dishes are being served, and delicious desserts are plentiful in every household. Carolers are going from house to house to carol for their friends and family, and are welcomed with snacks and sweets.

The Polish Christmas traditions are very similar to the Ukrainian ones, with the meatless Christmas Eve dinner, the midnight Liturgy “Pasterka”, and the caroling for friends and family. One of the differences is the use of an unleavened wafer with honey, to share at the dinner table, rather than the “kolach” bread that the Ukrainians use.

The Italians also begin their Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve with a large meatless dinner, and attend midnight Mass afterwards. The German children used to leave a wooden clog outside the door, for St. Nicholas to drop in presents.