christmas_potica

"Vsak nas po obicaje pozna"
Everyone knows us by our customs!
Its not Christmas or Easter without having the potica,
the cake being the symbol of festivities.


Slovenian Potica

"Potica" "Paw ti' tza" is a traditional Slovenian holiday cake. The "Potica" varies from village to village, and is also common in several other Eastern European countries. My fondest childhood memories are , being with my mother and helping her with the potica, then enduring the smell for hours before it was done and cool enough to eat. My mother had lived in the old country (my hometown) and could she make a tremendous potica! none could come close that could beat her Potica.!! Potica is a must in every Slovenian household!!
My mother refined the potica recipe until it was as great as Grandma's! As she had no recipe to work from, friends and acquaintences all added ingredients until it was just right.
The smell takes me back to my childhood and my mother's kitchen. She is with me still but my children will take the smell with them, too. However, they will have the recipe for the potica! Potica is supposed to rise very high, topping out an angel food cake pan or a roast pan.

In Slovenia they use special ceramic pans which are higher still. To get the rise you should have, the ingredients, the bowls, and the pans should all be warm, at least room temperature, and the kitchen should, at best, be very warm as well. This way your potica won't catch a chill and fail to rise to expectations.
Here is the potica recipe!!!



Potica Recipe The recipe has been set out in stages, as yeast pastry is treated quite differently from other pastries. YEAST: 2teaspoons of fresh yeast or 2 pkgs. dry yeast personally I prefer the fresh yeast. 1 tsp. sugar 1/4 cup warm water Sprinkle sugar over yeast and add warm milk. Let it stand until twice its original volume DOUGH: 5 cups flour (4 cups to start, adding additional flour as needed. 1-1/4 cup warm milk 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine 3 egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar 2 tbsp. jamacian rum 1 grated peel of lemon Pinch of salt Mix softened butter, sugar and egg yolks until the sugar is well dissolved and mixture is light and frothy. Set aside. Warm up the milk, mix in salt, lemon peel, and rum, and add to the butter mixture. Form the dough out of the 4 cups of flour, yeast, and milk mixtures. The trick is not to pour in all the milk mixture immediately; use about 3/4 to start with, then add more as the dough forms. Beat with a wooden spoon in one direction until the consistancy of the dough is smooth and elastic. Keep adding flour as needed, until of consistency of the dough can be handled without sticking. Place dough on floured board and knead for about 15 minutes to, adding flour as needed to make a non-sticking dough. Place dough in a well-greased bowl; turn dough upside down to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours until double in bulk. While dough is rising, prepare filling. FILLING: 6 cups finely ground walnuts (approx. 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lb.) 1 cup golden raisins-soaked overnight in rum 1 cup white sugar 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 3/4 cup thick cream 1/2 cup butter or margarine -although best with butter 3 egg whites, beaten stiff 1/2 cup of rum chocolate can be used to darken the mixture Grind the walnuts add the rum, then slowly add milk. Combine all dry ingredients. Warm the cream and melt the butter in this mixture. Add cream mixture to dry ingredients and mix completely. Fold in beaten egg whites last. Let filling cool as you roll out dough. Roll out dough on table covered with a tablecloth well sprinkled with flour. Roll out to 1/4" thick, 18" x 24" or bigger. Spread cooled filling over entire dough evenly. Start rolling up dough by hand, jelly roll fashion, stretching dough slightly with each roll. Start at an 18" edge and roll in the 24" direction. Keep side edges as even as possible. Continue to roll by raising the cloth edge slowly with both hands so the dough rolls itself. Dust away any excess flour on the outside of the dough with a pastry brush as you roll. Prick roll with a toothpick as needed to eliminate air pockets. Place in well-greased cake pan or a Bundt cake pan, be sure to arrange the seam where the roll is turned to the bottom or against the center. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place until double in volume. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake for about an 1 hour at 325 degrees. For a shiny crust, brush top before baking with 1 beaten egg yolk. When baked, turn onto a wire rack, loosen sides, turn it upside down. Once completely cool, take the potica and place it on a cake sheet, sprinkle with icing sugar that has vanilla sugar added. Doesn't the kitchen have a delicious smell ? It is a heavenly palate fit for a king!


May I offer you a slice.