Easter Bread for Paska Basket

I can't believe that I have not blogged on Easter Bread as it is very much something my granddaughter and enjoy doing together.   There was a lot of excitement especially by the older grandkid and planning to make the different breads for Easter.  The individual bread is made for each of the girl's basket to be taken to be blessed Easter weekend for Easter Sunday Brunch.

The girls love to make the birds for their Paska bread.

So proud of her Paska

Each of the girls have their own Paska Basket and are learning the traditional foods that are part of this and the symbolism.   

There is always an air of excitement with everyone when the food is displayed and blessed.  The love put into preparing and arranging the basket is apparent.

Finnish Bread

Part of an email to my brother and cousin

A couple of days ago, I phoned Aunt Florence and Aunt Marion looking for a smaller recipe in making Easter bread.  Aunty Florence is just getting over pneumonia but feeling much better.  She quickly found me a recipe that is Julie's relative's, Betty.  According to Aunty it is a Finnish bread as uses Cardamom and the dough can be used to make a lovely Babka bread.  Aunty makes two braided loaves with it all though the recipe says to make one loaf.. She does an egg wash and sprinkles Almonds or Poppy Seed on it.  I made one braided loaf and then added raisins and mixed peel to the other half of the dough and baked it in a coffee tin.  This Babka Bread went to BC with my daughter.  My grandmother used cardamon in the prune torte or Vine torte, but not in her Babka Bread, it is a very unique tasting spice.   She did use Saffron in her Babka Bread to give it a orange color.

Vernon, I am sending this to you as Aunty said it can be started in the Bread Maker.  It is as Aunty said a " lovely bread" and as always her recipe are very precise, although I didn't add the water.  Aunty said you could use more cardamon, but I found there was more than enough flavor using just the 1//2 teaspoon.  I use tradition yeast, so it needs to be proofed first or the dough will be grainy. I baked my loaves at 325 for 30 minutes.  I probably could have baked it for less.

I have never mixed up such a small amount for bread.  I was surprised it made two loaves of bread. 

Braided Cardamon Bread

2/3 cup scalded milk, cool

1 oz water 

1 egg beaten

2 Tablespoon of butter

2 1/2 cup  flour

2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cardamon

11/2 teaspoon yeast (if traditional yeast proof in a bit of lukewarm water). 

Use Bread maker, low setting, turn out when dough is mixed.

Let rise until double in size.

Divide dough into three part and make a braided loaf.  

Glaze with beaten egg, sprinkle sugar and sliced almonds.

Let rise on a prepared cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Preheat oven

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. 

After finally being able to reach Aunty Marion who had her phone off the hook most of the morning, Aunty told me "to just half the recipe that I had!"  I just love talking to them as they are so different in personalities!  

Let me know if you make the recipe.  I will be making it again

Easter Bread- Babka

Aunty Marion gave me this recipe this morning. Although she has not made this in a couple of years, she likes the addition of oranges and says it’s much better than lemon. My Mom used to make one  with orange and it is interesting that this recipe also doesn't use as many eggs. Some Babka recipes add as many as 12 eggs to the dough. My mom did not like the taste of a very eggy dough.. Not to mention that it needs to be handled very carefully during and after baking so this very light dough does not collapse.. Some cooks suggest cooling the baked bread on a pillow, this I did when I first cooked the Babka in Winnipeg.. much to the amusement of my Mom and today my Aunt!  She also suggests as did my Mom to cook at one temperature, depending on your oven, 325 or 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.  

Here is her recipe

2 cups of lukewarm scaled milk

1/2 c lukewarm water. 

2 packages of quick rise, now she only uses regular so the yeast has to be proofed first in the lukewarm water and milk 

1 cup of sugar or least

pinch of salt 

1/2 cup of butter

6 egg yolks or whole egg

vanilla

2 oranges, rind and juce of the 2 oranges

1/2 pound of golden seedless raisins

10 cups of flour , more or less according to her!!LOl


Tomorrow I will be doing Easter breads with my nephew's wife and their kids, twins that are almost 3 and a 5 year old.. we will be using coffee tins, in this case the size is 19 inches circumference, 6 1/2 inches diameter and height. 
Since the three children will be taking their own Easter Basket to Bless at the Church on Easter weekend, we will be making individual sized Paska and Babka bread!