Diaspora

Myroslava Lemko

The Edmonton-based food blogger and bestselling cookbook author, Karlynn Johnston, has recently published another masterpiece of more than 100 recipes inspired by her Ukrainian heritage and family gatherings.

The Prairie Table (Appetite by Random House, 2019) features a number of Ukrainian staples, including holubtsi (cabbage rolls), varenyky, medivnyk, and Johnston's personal favourite, nalysnyky, or Ukrainian crepes, made with dill and a cottage cheese/ricotta filling. Johnson  offers endless preparations of the local bounty from salads to vegetable dishes; home-baked breakfasts to easy main meals; crowd-pleasing appetizers to portable desserts. The Prairie Table is filled with Karlynn's approachable and tasty dishes which have been tested by generations of her family. Best of all is that these traditional Ukrainian recipes offer measurements and proportions, it is no longer baba’s antiquated method of look and touch. Paired with gorgeous photography and candid stories, every recipe in this book can easily be cut in half for a smaller family meal or doubled for a large event, and there are even quick "cheater" recipes for when you are in a hurry.

MEDIVNYK (UKRAINIAN HONEY CAKE)

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours

Honey Cake:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs

1 cup (250 mL) honey

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup (125 mL) strong black coffee, cooled

Honey Cream Cheese Glaze:

1 package (8 oz/226 g) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (50 mL) honey

1/4 cup icing sugar

1–3 tbsp (15-45 mL) heavy cream

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Grease a 10-inch (25-cm) Bundt pan with butter or cooking spray.

STEP 2

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter to soften it and then add the brown sugar. Beat them together until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the honey and mix well.

STEP 3

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cloves until combined.

STEP 4

Combine the sour cream and coffee in a liquid measuring cup.

STEP 5

Beat one-third of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, followed by one-third of the liquid mixture. Repeat twice, ending with the last of the liquid mixture.

STEP 6

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles and then place it in the oven.

STEP 7

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. As with all Bundt cakes, check in the middle of the cake and also by the inner tube for doneness.

STEP 8

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap to keep moist.

STEP 9

To make the glaze, combine the cream cheese, honey and icing sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Add the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. Adjust the sweetness by adding more icing sugar if needed and balancing the consistency with a bit more cream.

STEP 10

Pour the glaze over the cake and let set for a few minutes. Slice and serve.

STEP 11

This cake will last for 2 to 3 days in the fridge, or wrap the unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes: 12–16 slices

Excerpted from The Prairie Table by Karlynn Johnston. Copyright © 2019 Karlynn Johnston. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.