EASTER BABKA

It's Easter.  And it's time to get your Babka on.

This comes from my Aunt Stephanie Marrinan, also made by her mother, Jean Hladchuk, of Ukranian heritage.  As it says on the recipe (below) , this is my cousin Jenny's favorite and she's been meaning to get this recipe for years.  If we're lucky, we'll be getting a bunch of recipes from Aunt Stephanie, who is an excellent cook and at one time had a catering company in Wycoff, New Jersey.

Thanks for Stephanie and Mike for the excellent photo essay (bottom) detailing the step-by-step process of making Babka!

"Babka - Jenny's favorite

4 cups flour

1 package yeast

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) [melted]

1 1/4 cup milk [warmed]

4 egg yolks [beaten]

1 cup raisins

lemon or orange rind [grated]

Put your yeast in a bowl and pour over the warm milk and melted butter, add the sugar, salt, egg yolks, cinnamon and rind.  Whisk in a cup and half flour and raisins...then add the rest of the flour .  Mix with your large rubber scraper. Then put a little flour on your board and dump your dough on top and start to knead.  You will need more flour.  [Place back in bowl, cover and keep in warm place. Wait for dough to rise, about double volume.*] You can make one large round or two loaf pans.  350 degrees for 30-40 minutes."

*Will confirm this step. Appears in photo step ten (below).


Step one:  Gather your ingredients.

Step two:
Warm milk and melt butter.

Step three:
Add half of flour and other dry ingredients. 

Step four:
Add grated rind from one orange or lemon.

Step five:
Add other half of flour and raisins.

Step six:
Mix with rubber spatula.

Step seven:
Flour work surface and dump out dough.

Step eight:
Knead dough on floured surface.

Step nine:

Place dough back in bowl and cover.

Step ten:

Wait for babka to rise.

Step eleven:

Put in baking dish (or split into two) to prepare to bake.

Step twelve:
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Done!  Good Times!

"I always loved going to take the food to get blessed at Easter.  My mom, grandma and I would take a big basket of food to the Ukrainian church.  There was some embroidered napkin placed over the top of the food – it was the same napkin every year....There was usually some Farmer’s cheese(I don’t even know what that is!), kielbasa, a shot glass of salt, hard boiled eggs(without the shell) and I think a babka in the basket.  We’d be in some room with rows and rows of tables and lots of ladies with their food.  The priest would come around saying a bunch of stuff in Ukrainian with something that looked like a giant rattle in his hand and shake holy water on everyone’s food." Jennifer Marrinan


Big thanks to Stephanie, Mike and Jenny Marrinan for the wonderfully detailed Easter submission!