How to cook like a Ukrainian baba: Apricot plyatsok

Marrying into a Ukrainian family has been a wonderful and very delicious blessing. Both of my husband’s babas (the Ukrainian name for grandma) brought the cuisine they loved to their new home in America when they immigrated after the Second World War. To this day, Ukrainian food is a regular part of their family meals. 

When I got married, I knew I wanted to learn how to cook a few Ukrainian dishes. To help me out, the women of the family provided me with many of their favorite family recipes, passed down through generations. I don’t know if I can play favorites, but if I had to, this recipe would take the medal. 

The first extended family member I met while my husband and I were dating was Baba Mika. She welcomed me into her home with kindness and, in typical baba fashion, food aplenty! Anytime we visited, there was always apricot plyatsok ready to enjoy with morning coffee or afternoon tea. 

Baba Mika is not with us anymore, but her daughter carries the torch of making plyatsok. It’s so delicious that it gets hidden on family trips, as too many people (guilty!) are tempted to sneak a piece on a pass through the kitchen. 

Baba Mika’s Apricot Plyatsok

Ingredients:

• 3¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 sticks butter
• 3 tsp. baking powder 
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest 
• 7 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs (keep the 7 egg whites)
• 1 jar of apricot preserves 
• 4 cups finely chopped walnuts 
• 2 tbsp. powdered sugar 

Instructions: 

1.     Set the oven to 350 degrees. 

2.     In a 9×13 rectangular casserole dish, combine the flour, butter, baking powder, sugar, powdered sugar, lemon zest, 7 egg yolks, and 2 whole eggs. Set aside the egg whites for later use. 

3.     Cut the ingredients together with a pastry cutter until it forms into a dough ball. 

4.     Take out 1/3 of the dough and form into a ball or log shape and set in the freezer. 

5.     Spread the remaining 2/3 of the dough all over the casserole dish and halfway up the sides. 

6.     Spread the apricot preserves evenly on the dough. 

7.     Beat the egg whites with 2 tbsps. of powdered sugar. 

8.     Incorporate the walnuts into the egg whites, folding gently. Spread on top of apricot preserves. 

9.     Take out solidly frozen dough and grate onto the walnut mixture. 

10.  Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.