Mazurek Królewski: Polish Royal Mazurek Recipe

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/10/21
Royal Mazurek hero

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
576 Calories
25g Fat
80g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 576
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 185mg 62%
Sodium 106mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 80g 29%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 40g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 4mg 20%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 169mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Mazurek, also known as mazurka, is a flat Polish cake made with yeast or non-yeast doughs and topped with any combination of almond paste, preserves, dried fruits, nuts, meringues, and sometimes left plain. The one thing they have in common is they are rarely over 1 inch in height.

A mazurka also is the word for a Polish folk dance, a country sparrow and someone from Mazur in North Central Poland.

Traditionally served at Easter, this pastry is so delicious and easy to make, it now appears at tables year-round.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 2 ounces almonds, ground and blanched, about 6 tablespoons

  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 large hard-boiled eggs, yolks removed

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 1 pinch cinnamon

  • 6 ounces apricot preserves

  • 6 ounces raspberry preserves, or cherry preserves

  • 1 large egg

  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients gathered

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

    butter and sugar creamed together

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. By hand, stir in almonds, zest, flour, making sure to measure flour correctly, and the two hard-cooked egg yolks.

    butter and flour in bowl with hand

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Add raw egg yolk, salt, and cinnamon, and mix into a smooth dough. This entire process, from step 1, can be done in a food processor, if you prefer.

    dough in bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. Place dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

    dough wrapped in plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. Heat oven to 375 F. Cut off 1/3 dough and return, wrapped, to the refrigerator. Roll out 2/3 dough and place on an 8-inch-by-11-inch tart pan with a removal bottom or a small sheet pan. Pierce or "dock" the dough with the tines of a fork.

    dough in tart pan with fork pricks

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. In a small bowl, make an egg wash by whisking together the 1 whole egg with 1 teaspoon water.

    egg in a bowl with whisk

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  8. Roll out remaining 1/3 dough and cut into 1/4-inch strips. Arrange strips lattice-style over dough. Brush lattice strips with the egg wash.

    lattice of dough in tart pan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  9. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp.

    tart dough baked in pan resting on towl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  10. Allow to cool completely. Place pastry on a serving plate and spoon fruit preserves alternately into the open spaces of the lattice work. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.

    tart being filled with jam

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Tip

  • This can be a difficult dough to work with for some, but it is a traditional recipe. This pastry dough is not meant to be like pie dough. It is delicate and takes a little coaxing, but the flavor is definitely worth it.

More Polish Mazurka Recipes