Mazurek Królewski: Polish Royal Mazurek Recipe

By Barbara Rolek

Updated 09/20/19

Flaky Polish Royal "Mazurek"

Barbara Rolek

  • Total: 50 mins
  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 20 mins
  • Yield: 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
385 Calories
28g Fat
22g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 385
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 36%
Saturated Fat 13g 67%
Cholesterol 272mg 91%
Sodium 308mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 11g
Calcium 90mg 7%
*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 butter (room temperature)
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 ounces almonds (ground blanched, 6 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (grated)
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 large egg yolks (hard-cooked, sieved)
  • 1 large egg yolk (raw)
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch cinnamon
  • 6 ounces apricot preserves
  • 6 ounces raspberry preserves (or cherry preserves)
  • Confectioners' sugar (for dusting)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

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

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

  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.

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

  6. Heat oven to 375 F.

  7. 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. Using pastry brush, egg wash (1 beaten egg with 1 teaspoon water) dough.

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

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

  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.

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.

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