Because we're so accustomed to seeing poppy seeds in hamantash recipes, we easily disregard this ingredient as a useful and tasty element for many recipes. Poppy seeds add flavor and texture, and compliments many different flavors including chocolate, coconut, apples, and more.
Before we reveal the recipes, here are 5 tips for bringing poppy seeds into your kitchen:
-Buy the full poppy seeds and grind them up in a spice store, where a special machine is used to for an accurate grind.
-Poppy seeds tend to go bad relatively fast, what gives them a bitter taste and short shelf-life. To avoid this, store your poppy seeds in a sealed container in the freezer.
-Using poppy seeds that have been freshly ground is always recommended.
-In order to make rich and thick filling from poppy seeds, use sugar, milk, honey and butter.
-Poppy seeds have a slightly nutty flavor, thus work well in desserts, salad seasonings, casseroles, and pastas.
Poppy Crunch Cake:
(Roni Venezia)
Ingredients:
For the filling-
100 grams ground poppy seeds
1/3 cup milk
Lemon zest from half a lemon
50 grams butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cookie crumble
For the cake-
1 and 3/4 cups white flour
15 grams dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup minus 2 teaspoons water
1 egg
75 grams softened butter, cubed
Instructions-
- Make the filling- combine all the ingredients, besides the cookie crumble, in a medium pot. Bring to a simmer on a medium flame while mixing, until reaching a smooth consistency. Remove from heat, add the cookie crumble and leave to cool until reaching room temperature.
- Make the cake- combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a mixer and knead. Set the mixer on medium speed and gradually add the water and egg. Continue kneading for 5 minutes on low-medium speed until the dough separates from the bowl and sticks to the kneader. Gradually add the butter cubes. Increase the kneading speed to medium and continue kneading for 3 minutes until the butter is incorporated in the dough. Continue kneading for 8 -10 minutes, while scarping the sides, until the butter is fully absorbed in the dough. Knead for an additional minute or two on high speed, until the dough becomes very soft and sticks to the bowl.
- Put the dough on a floured surface and knead by hand for another 30 seconds. Transfer to a buttered bowl, cover and let rise for about an hour at room temperature, until the dough doubles in size. Flour the dough and bowl, cover, and let rise overnight in the fridge.
- Assemble the cake- punch the dough to deflate it and transfer to a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a 36 by 28 centimeter rectangle. Spread a thin layer of the filling on the dough, leaving a 1 and 1/2 centimeter outline.
- Roll the dough, split it through the middle length-wise, and twist the two pieces. Transfer to the buttered baking dish (preferable English cake). Cover and let rise for an hour at room temperature.
- Bake at 180 degrees for 25 minutes, let cool for 10 minutes at least, and enjoy!
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
(Roni Venezia)
Ingredients:
2 eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
200 grams sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250 grams cake flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups fine sugar
Lemon zest from 5 lemons
1/3 cup full poppy seeds (not ground!)
200 grams soft butter
For the syrup-
7 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, yolk, 1/4 cup of the sour cream, and vanilla until reaching smooth consistency.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixer bowl. Add the sugar, lemon zest, and poppy seeds, mix on low speed for a few seconds until reaching smooth consistency.
- Add in the butter and the rest of the sour cream, mix on low speed until reaching smooth consistency. Increase to medium-high speed and mix another minute or two, until the mixture is puffy and light.
- Add the mixture and the eggs gradually while mixing at medium speed for about 30 second intervals.
- Pour the mixture into a Gugelhupf cake tin and bake at 170 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Make the syrup- Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small pot on a low flame while mixing, until the sugar melts (make sure not to boil). Remove from the flame and cover.
- Transfer the cake onto a cooling rack and poke small holes, brush about 1/3 cup of the hot syrup and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Flip the cake and remove from the tin, brush over remaining syrup, cool, and enjoy!
Poppy and Strawberry Scones
(Oshrat Solimani)
Ingredients:
315 grams flour
50 grams sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 Tablespoons poppy seeds
Lemon zest from one lemon
170 grams cold butter, cubed
242 grams sour cream
Thyme leaves
1 cup strawberries, chopped
Egg and milk mixture for brushing
Instructions:
- Mix the cold butter with the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until crumbs start to form.
- Add the sour cream, mix, and add the thyme and strawberries and knead. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Flatten the dough on a floured surface to 4 cm width, let rest for another 5 minutes and break apart into balls of 6 cm diameter- between 12-15 balls.
- Brush the balls with the egg and milk mixture, sprinkle sugar over them and refrigerate for about 10 minutes
- Bake at 175 degrees, until golden or for about 18-25 minutes.
- Cool, and enjoy!
Viennese Strudel with Apples and Poppy
(Orgad Roesh)
Ingredients:
For the filling-
200 grams ground poppy seeds
150 grams milk
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
100 grams butter
120 grams sugar
25 grams ground almonds
For the caramelized apples-
6 apples, peeled and chopped
A pinch of cinnamon
20 grams butter
35 grams demerara sugar
For the strudel-
250 grams flour
25 milliliters oil
5 grams salt
125 grams water
45 grams bread crumbs
10 grams butter
Instructions:
- In a pot, mix together the milk, sugar, and butter, bring to boil. Add the poppy seeds and lemon zest and cook another 3 minutes. Add the ground almonds and cool.
- Make the caramelized apples- melt the butter in a pan, add in the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook for a bit, drain liquids, and let cool.
- Make the strudel- in a wide pan, melt the butter and add in the bread crumbs until they become dry. In a mixer, knead the flour, oil, salt, and water until a consistent dough forms. Continue kneading for 7 minutes on medium speed until the dough smoothens. Roll into a ball, brush over melted butter, and let rest for 2 hours.
- Assembling - use a rolling pin to open the dough, and spread it over a towel placed on the baking tin, pulling its edges to thin it out until it becomes translucent over the towel. Crumble bread crumbs over the dough, place the apples on top, and sprinkle the poppy over it. Roll the dough using the towel and pinch the edges, brush butter on top.
- Bake at 190 degrees for 40 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!
Chocolate Covered Poppy Muffins
(Ines Shilat Yanai)
Ingredients:
120 grams butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
100 grams ground poppy seeds
3 Tablespoons ground almonds
1 and 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup milk or orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
For the filling-
100 grams dark chocolate
3 Tablespoons milk or water
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Oil a muffin tin.
- Beat the sugar and butter for 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and then add the vanilla and lemon zest. Gradually add in the milk (or juice) and then the poppy seeds and the ground almonds.
- Continue to beat the mixture, add the flour and mix with a spoon until it becomes incorporated- not too much!
- Pour the mixture into the muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate and milk, pour over the muffins, and enjoy!
Coconut Poppy Cake
(Ester Lester)
Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (preferably coconut oil)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 and 1/2 cup ground poppy seeds
1 cup ground coconut
1 cup walnuts, chopped
100 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped
10 grams baking powder
10 grams vanilla sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Beat the eggs and sugar until a light whipped cream is formed.
- Add the oil and orange juice and gently mix.
- Fold the rest of the ingredients into the whipped cream.
- Pour the mixture to a baking tin and bake for 20-30 minutes, cool, and enjoy!
Chocolate Poppy Pie
(Amir Porat and Rosala Yona)
Ingredients:
For the dough-
1 cup flour
1/4 cup almond powder
75 grams butter
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 egg white
Orange zest from half an orange
For the poppy filling-
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup ground poppy seeds
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
Orange zest from half an orange
1 package of vanilla sugar
25 grams butter
For the chocolate ganache-
1/2 cup whipping cream
200 grams dark chocolate, cubed
25 grams butter, room temperature
Instructions:
- Make the dough - mix all the ingredients in a food processor or a mixer until reaching a consistent texture. Cool the dough in the fridge for an hour. Flatten and tighten the dough onto a pie pan, and bake at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes until golden.
- Make the poppy filling- bring the milk to a simmer. Add the poppy, mix well until it absorbs the milk. Lower the flame and add the honey, walnuts, raisins, orange zest, vanilla extract, and butter. Cook on a low flame for 10 minutes, and let cool to room temperature. After the filling has cooled, place in the pie mold.
- Make the ganache- place the chocolate in a bowl, and bring the whipping cream to a simmer on a low flame. Pour the whipping cream onto the chocolate in the bowl and wait about one minute. Whip the mixture until reaching a smooth consistency. Add the butter, and continue to mix until it becomes ganache.
- Cool the ganache to room temperature, and pour it over the poppy filling.
- Tap the pie on a flat surface to evenly distribute the ganache. Let cool for at least 3 hours and enjoy!
Ricotta and Poppy Cake
(Oshrat Solimani)
Ingredients:
For the dough-
115 grams butter, softened
100 grams sugar
8 grams vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
175 grams flour
For the poppy filling-
115 grams butter
125 grams sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
55 grams flour
160 grams ground poppy seeds
For the cheese filling-
500 grams ricotta cheese
2 eggs
100 grams sugar
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
50 grams flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions:
- Make the dough- in a mixer, beat the sugar and butter, adding the eggs and vanilla, and then the flour and baking powder. Mix until reaching consistency.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking tin, flatten it out evenly.
- Make the poppy filling- in a mixer, beat the sugars and the butter, and then add the poppy and flour. Mix well, and pour an even layer over the dough.
- Make the cheese filling- in a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar, add the cheese and then the lemon zest, flour, and baking powder.
- Pour over the poppy filling layer, bake at 170 degrees until slightly golden. Cool and enjoy!
Maple Poppy Muffins
(Amir Porat and Rosala Yona)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup oil
Orange zest from one orange
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup almond powder
200 grams yogurt
1 and 1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup maple syrup
Instructions:
- In a mixer bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for 3 minutes. Add the oil and mix for an additional 3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the poppy with the almond powder and add to the mixer. Mix for 2 minutes until reaching a smooth consistency.
- Mix the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl, add to the mixer. Mix for another 2 minutes until reaching a smooth consistency.
- Add the yogurt, juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract, and mix for 2 additional minutes until reaching a smooth consistency.
- Add the pecans and mix manually for about a minute (not with the mixer).
- Pour the mixture into a muffin tin so that each muffin mold is 3/4 full and bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Heat the maple syrup in the microwave for about a minute, brush over the ready muffins, and enjoy!