Treats to celebrate Ukrainian Christmas

Ukrainian Christmas Eve falls on Jan. 6, 2020, and with one of the highest Ukrainian populations outside of Ukraine, there will be plenty of feasting taking place on the Canadian prairies.

Traditionally, Ukrainian Christmas Eve is an elaborate 12-course meatless feast (the 12 courses originally represented the 12 apostles). Although the specific dishes served varies according to regions and family traditions, there are some standard offerings. There's always kutya, an eastern European grain pudding made with wheat berries or barley, poppyseed, dried fruit and almonds, sweetened with honey.

There are often fancy, braided breads (kolach) and soup — often red borscht, perhaps topped with mushroom dumplings (vushka). There are typically pickled things on the table, often herring. And freshwater fish such as whitefish, trout, pickerel, cooked any number of ways — pan-fried, roasted or poached.

There are meatless cabbage rolls (holubtsi) and perogies (varenyky), a bean dish, or cabbage with peas (kapusta). There are mushrooms, often creamed or with gravy (pidpenky), a fruit compote, and dessert — perhaps a sweet rolled poppyseed cake (pampushky) filled with prunes or sweet poppyseed filling.

Here's how to make a batch of kutya or a poppyseed roll, whether or not you're celebrating Ukrainian Christmas Eve this coming week.

Kutya

• 1 cup pearl or pot barley, or wheat berries.
• Salt.
• Milk, for cooking (optional).
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup poppyseed.
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins, chopped apricots or other dried fruit.
• 1/4 cup honey (or to taste).
• 1/3 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds, or chopped walnuts or pecans.

If you're cooking wheat berries, cover them with water in a medium saucepan and let soak overnight — this will jump-start the cooking process.

Simmer your barley or soaked wheat berries with enough water (or milk) to cover them by a couple inches, along with a big pinch of salt, for about 40 minutes for barley, 1 to 1½ hours for wheat berries, or until they're tender but still have a bit of chew. Drain them well and transfer to a bowl.

Stir in the poppyseed (grind the seed first in a spice grinder if you like — this will release more flavour), raisins or other dried fruit and honey. Sprinkle with nuts when you're ready to serve it.

Serves 4-6. (The recipe can be easily doubled.)

Poppyseed roll

Dough:

• 3/4 cup milk, warmed.
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast.
• 1/3 cup sugar.
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
• 1 tsp. salt.
• 1 large egg.
• 1/4 cup butter, melted.
• 1 tsp. vanilla.
• Grated zest of a lemon (optional).

Poppyseed filling:

• 1/2 cup poppyseed.
• 1/3 cup ground almonds or ground/finely chopped walnuts.
• 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk.
• 1/4 cup sugar.
• 1 egg, lightly beaten, for brushing.

To make the dough, put the warm milk in a large bowl (the bowl of your stand mixer, if you have one) and sprinkle with the yeast and a pinch of the sugar. Let stand for five minutes, or until it gets foamy. (If it doesn't, you may need fresh yeast.)

Add the rest of the sugar along with the flour, salt, egg, butter, vanilla and lemon zest, if you're using it.

Stir until the dough comes together and is smooth and sticky. Cover and let rest for an hour or so. Meanwhile, make the filling: if you like, grind the poppyseed in a spice grinder or using the finest setting of a food mill.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in the ground almonds, sweetened condensed milk and sugar. (Some like to boil their poppy seeds to soften them first. To do this, cover with water in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, remove from the heat and let sit for 20 minutes or so, then strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve).

Divide the dough in half and roll each into a large oval that's about 8x12-inches. Spread each with half the poppyseed filling, leaving about an inch gap around the edges.

Roll each up loosely, starting from a long side, and place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rest for another hour while you preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Brush the loaves with beaten egg. (I dipped my fork into the remaining sweetened condensed milk before stirring up the egg, to give it a little extra sweetness, which will create a darker, glossier crust). Bake for 25-30 minutes, until deep golden. Let cool slightly before slicing on a slight diagonal.

Makes 2 loaves, serves about 12.