Easterscapes, in Three Takes

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Suburban Chicago, Spring 1965 or 1966. My Best Friend's Mom, Louise, decorated the house for every holiday.

A Last-Minute Project

Suburban Chicago, March 1970. Happy Easter everyone. (Here's a color image from the same day.)

Related by Marriage: Resting Spot

Calvary Hill Shrine, Stone Park, Illinois, Spring 1960. Mr. Irene's Mom, Mr. Irene, and Grandpa Stanley take a break before climbing the stairs.

Babos Receptai (Part 10)

One of the other cakes my paternal Grandmother made for Easter was a nut torte. I disliked the torte because it didn't resemble the sweet American cakes I favored. The nut torte was a big job because Tatjana ground the nuts using a small, hand crank, grinder. She insisted pre-ground nuts from the grocery store lacked the correct texture for the batter.

Here's how I wrote up the recipe:

Riešutinis arba Migdolų Tortas (Walnut or Almond Torte)

For torte:

8 to 10 ounces walnuts or unblanched almonds, slightly toasted and cooled

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon potato starch or corn starch

1 teaspoon baking powder

12 egg yolks (Baba used yolks from 16 eggs graded "medium")

1 cup granulated sugar

12 egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup granulated sugar

For glaze and filling:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup rum

       3/4 cup (approximately) lingonberry preserves

For icing:

       2/3 cup (10-2/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter  

       2-2/3 cups brown sugar

       2/3 cup whole milk

       1/8 teaspoon salt

  

For garnish:   

       Whole walnuts or almonds 

Torte: Preheat the oven to 350^oF and adjust rack to center position. Butter a 10-inch (or 12-inch) springform pan (or two 10-inch layer cake pans or three 9-inch round cake pans) and dust with flour. 

In the workbowl of a food processor with the metal blade in place, grind the nuts with the flour, baking powder, and cornstarch. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the 1 cup granulated sugar until the mixture is thick and light in color, about 10 minutes.

In another large bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until the mixer is stiff. Remove bowl from mixer. Fold half of the walnut mixture into the egg yolks and then, using a rubber spatula, gradually fold egg whites gently to the nut/egg yolk mixture. 

Pour into prepared pan(s) and level top(s). Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes for the springform pan (35 to 45 minutes for the layer cake pans). Remove from oven, place pan(s) on a rack and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.  

When cooled completely, slice into two (or three) horizontal layers (omit this step if you baked two or three layers).

Glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add the rum, and cool.

Brush first layer with about half the liqueur glaze. Spread with a layer of the lingonberry preserves.  Continue with the remaining layer(s), also soaking with the liqueur glaze. Let the layers stand while you prepare the icing.

Icing:  In a medium saucepan, over low heat, melt butter. Stir in the brown sugar until brown sugar dissolves. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Slowly increase heat and bring the mixture rapidly to a full boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.  Beat with a wooden spoon until lukewarm and of spreading consistency. Spread icing over the torte. Garnish with whole nuts. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Here's how the cake looked when I baked it:

Verona, Wisconsin, April 2007. I may have "cheated" here and made a coffee buttercream instead of the icing Tatjana used to prepare.

Babos Receptai (Part 8)

My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, sometimes added other people's recipes to her collection. She received a recipe for "Karališkas Mazurkas" (Royal Mazurka) from a friend; that recipe became a regular feature of our family's Easter menu.

Poles commonly bake Mazurkas, but I've not seen a recipe similar to this one.

Here is our version of the recipe (Note: My Mom later wrote "5 eggs, 1/4 pound butter, 3 cups flour, 2 cups sugar" in the margin): 

Karališkas Mazurkas

8 ounces (1-3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder*

8 ounces (1 cup, or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (my addition)

1/4 teaspoon almond extract (my addition)

5 eggs

3 ounces (3/4 cup) blanched, slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust rack to the center position. Generously butter a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan (reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees if using a glass pan). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugar very slowly, beating mixture until it is very thick and pale yellow, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and the almond extract. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. (Mixture may appear curdled at this point; that is okay.)

Using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, gently fold in the dry ingredients (do not overmix or the cake will be dry). Fold in the blanched, slivered almonds. 

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for about 33 to 37 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  

Cool in the pan and slice into squares. 

*A later version uses 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, instead.

The rabbit rests.

Suburban Chicago, June 1964. Thumper contemplates the end of the holiday.

Bonnet

Indiana, about 1960. My friend V steps out on Easter morning with her Mom.

Thanks to my friend V for making this photo available to us.

Happy Easter

Suburban Chicago, April 14, 1963. I'm reposting a favorite. Here's another one from the same day.

A Closer Look (Part 27)

Southwestern Lithuania, Easter 1934. Mr. Irene's Great-Grandmother, Agnes, and a grandson sit near the Margučiai.

Here's the original post.

Easter Preparations

Suburban Chicago, April 1964. We used to color our eggs on the Saturday before Easter.

(The best egg I ever received was this one.)

Related by Marriage: Good Friday

St. Casimir Catholic Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois, Easter 1938. Mr. Irene's maternal Grandparents, Stanley and Anna, visit a familiar spot.

Related by Marriage: Observance

Calvary Hill Shrine, Stone Park, Illinois, Spring 1960. Mr. Irene and his maternal Grandparents, Anna and Stanley, ascend the stairs: "These holy stairs are a replica of the stairs Jesus ascended during his passion."

Spring Coat

Suburban Chicago, April 1963. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, carried that pocketbook for many years. Here's a clip of Tatjana receiving the pocketbook as a Christmas gift.

How to make a "Šakotis," or, as we call it, "Baumkuchenas."

The "Šakotis" is a traditional celebration cake.

Here's a video showing its creation.

Another Apple, Tree

Madison, Wisconsin, April 2005. For a while, Mom and I wore identical eye-glass frames.

That's Pupa on the left and Baci on the right. They like to sit at the dining-room table. Unlike cats, however, the doggies never sit on the table.

Our Easter Table

 
Here's the holiday table (the food is still in the oven). The Margučiai are wooden: most are Lithuanian, but three are from Ukraine.

(Thanks again for the flowers!)

Happy Easter

Suburban Chicago, April 14, 1963. Are you wearing your finest today?

Related by Marriage: Don't worry about the basket.

Marquette Park, Chicago, Illinois, Easter, April 1961. Mr. Irene's maternal Grandfather, Stanley, distracts Mr. Irene from his focus on the Easter basket.

Easter Manners: You're not too old to color eggs.

Suburban Chicago, March 1970. My egg-lifting skills improved every year.

Tatjana prepares for Easter.

Suburban Chicago, April 15 or 16, 1960. My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, keeps an eye on me while she works.