For as long as we’ve had this blog we’ve been talking about Mock Cake, A Polish sweet bread with poppy seed filling that we make twice a year—for Christmas and Easter. Frankly, I can’t imagine either of the holidays without it. Whether we’ve been in Colorado or New York, at home or traveling to see family, the Mock Cake has been a constant. And for the last seven years, it’s been gluten-free too.
We make it from scratch, of course, though for years we used Solo brand poppy seed filling. The last few holidays we’ve been working to change that, testing and refining a truly from-scratch filling much more in line with our approach to baking. This recipe is the result of that work.
This recipe, I suspect, is for us more than anyone else. I freely admit that the number of folks who’ll be looking for a recipe such as this are pretty small. The subset of the gluten-free community specifically looking for a a recipe for a gluten-free Polish sweet bread made only twice per year for certain Christian holidays has got to be a tiny group. And of those folks, the ones looking for a from-scratch filling rather than the convenience of the store-bought canned stuff is even smaller.
But recipes like this matter. Sure, recipes for the masses can be insanely popular. But recipes like this, where we take a traditional family food that’s been part of our food heritage for generations, are the ones that truly bridge the divide between our pre- and post-gluten-free lives. Pancakes and cookies and bread are one thing. Specialty foods like this are quite another.
Easter—and spring—are, for many, about rebirth. Nowhere is that more important than with specialty, family heritage recipes such as this. Even if you don’t have a need for a from-scratch poppy seed filling to go with your gluten-free Polish sweet bread, I hope this recipe inspires you to take another specialty recipe that means much to you, and bring it fully into your gluten-free life.
Poppy Seed Filling
Makes 1 2/3 cups
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups (176 g) poppy seeds
1/2 cup cow’s or almond milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon rum
Zest of one small lemon
Steps
1. Grind the poppy seeds into a powder in a spice grinder or high-power blender.
2. Combine the milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the ground seeds, honey, and rum. When the mixture returns to a simmer, cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest.
5. Cool completely before using.
Enjoy!
P.S. If you’re looking for other gluten-free Easter recipes, might we suggest our:
–Pete and Kelli
But what about the bread part?! I lived in Ukraine for a bit and fell in love with the buns filled with poppy seeds. I would love to be able to recreate that, or at least make something similar. Can you share the other half?
(Ha ha ha…..As I was writing this, I had the brilliant idea to actually check your cookbooks to see if it was in it. It is! Joyous be! I take it you haven’t made any significant changes? )
This year, I am trying a gluten-free version of paska–a Ukrainian easter bread. Actually, I am cheating and doing a Panetonne since I read that they are basically the same only baked into a different shape. I was actually doing some searches for gluten-free paska, kulich, babka (different names for the same thing), so, I had to chuckle at the sentence, “the subset of the gluten-free community specifically looking for a recipe for a sweet bread made only twice per year for certain Christian holidays has to be a tiny group.”
I am one of those people very excited about this recipe. I lived in Washington state for many years, and had a Ukrainian friend whose Mom made this bread. Since moving to the Midwest, where there isn’t a very large Polish community, I haven’t been able to find the premade version of the poppy seed filling, and my friend couldn’t find a recipe – her mom used the store bought as well. So thank you for posting less than popular recipes. You’ve made my day. 🙂
This filling is even better with sultanas added to it. Equally tasty is walnut filling. Same recipe just use grounded walnuts instead of poppy seeds.
Poppy seeds are eaten by all of us East/central Europeans. I’m Hungarian and have eaten my share of poppy seeds in my life, that’s for sure.
What you really need is one of those hand cranked poppy seed ‘crushers’. Poppy seeds are not supposed to be ground up in a food processor. You can buy these things on line. There is a qualitative difference when poppy seeds are crushed compared to ground up with sharp blades.
I don’t know about Polish recipes, but when I was a kid we put them on egg noodles too. These days with gluten free alternatives for noodles (and not just spaghetti and macaroni). The Italians are producing some interesting ‘shapes’ these days (about time). Not the same as egg noodles but probably with a gluten free ‘flour’ mix, a person could make egg noodles too. (I’ve never tried. My kneading skills leave a lot to be desired.)
Put some butter on the cooked noodles. Mix the ‘ground’ poppy seeds with a little bit of icing sugar just so you don’t get clumping. Sprinkle lots and lots and lots (yes, I’m a poppy seed addict of longstanding) onto the noodles. You can add a tablespoon of honey too………. and mix it up. Heaven in a bowl!!
Would love the bread portion of the mock cake recipe!! I grew up eating Poppyseed Roll as we called twice a year.Have not had any for 15 years & would be thrillef to make it.So if you would kindly provide the yeast bread portion I can give it a go! Thank you!
yes, please post your fabulous mock cake recipe for the bread part. Then I’ll make this for the Polish side of my family!
First, many thanks for the recipe. And, don’t kid yourself, there are many ethnic groups other than Christians who fondly remember many poppy seed delights. We’re gluten free and am looking for a filling for the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim. I look forward to using this recipe.
Gail, you’re quite right. Christians have no exclusive claim to poppy seed fillings! 🙂 Some of my closest friends growing up were Jewish. I remember holidays spent at their houses very fondly.
Cheers, Pete
I, too, grew up with the polish poppyseed roll and nut roll. I would like to have the yeast bread recipe portion of this!