Polish St. Martin's Day Croissants (Marcinki)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 08/11/19
Polish St. Martin's Day croissants

 

Darius Dzinnik / 500px / Getty Images 

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
562 Calories
30g Fat
67g Carbs
12g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 562
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 39%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 73mg 24%
Sodium 125mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 67g 24%
Dietary Fiber 7g 26%
Protein 12g
Calcium 410mg 32%
*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.)

St. Martin's Day Croissants – rogale świetomarcinki or simply marcinki – are eaten in Poland on Nov. 11, St. Martin's Day (celebrated throughout Europe), which also happens to be Polish Independence Day.

Unlike French croissants, they are crescent-shaped sweet rolls with a poppy seed-almond filling. White poppy seeds are traditional, but they're hard to come by, so regular ones work fine.

This recipe calls for 3 egg yolks, so freeze leftover egg whites and save for leftover egg white recipes.

SHORTCUT: Use 1 pound purchased sweet-roll dough, thawed, instead of making your own dough.

Ingredients

  • Dough:
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons/1/4-ounce package yeast (instant, same as rapid rise and bread machine yeast)
  • 1 cup milk (lukewarm)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks (room temperature, beaten)
  • 1 cup sugar (confectioners)
  • 4 ounces/1 stick butter (melted, cooled to lukewarm)
  • 4 cups flour (all-purpose)
  • Filling:
  • 1 can/12 ounces poppy seed filling
  • 1 can/12 ounces almond filling
  • Glaze:
  • 3 cups sugar (confectioners)
  • 2 tablespoons water (more or less)
  • 2 ounces almonds (toasted, sliced)

Steps to Make It

Make the Dough

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast (equivalent to a 1/4-ounce packet of yeast), 1 cup lukewarm milk, and 1 tablespoon sugar until yeast has dissolved.

  2. Add 3 large room-temperature beaten egg yolks, 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 4 ounces melted lukewarm butter to bowl and mix. Add 4 cups flour and knead thoroughly until dough is smooth and starts to blister, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled.

  3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. Working with one dough half at a time, roll each into a 1/4-inch-thick circle. Using a pizza wheel or non-serrated pastry cutter, cut into 8 pie-shaped wedges.

Assemble and Bake the Croissants

  1. In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine poppy seed and almond fillings. Place 1 tablespoon filling at the wide edge of each triangle of rolled-out dough and roll away from you. Form rolled-up triangle of dough into a crescent shape and place, point side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining triangles.

  2. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Cover with greased plastic and let crescents rise until doubled.

  3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake crescents about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

Make the Glaze

  1. In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and enough water to make a runny glaze. Frost crescents and sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds. Great with hot tea or coffee.