Cuisine: Polish
•
Course: Dessert
•
Diet: Vegetarian

Mazurek Kajmakowy (Traditional Polish Easter Tart)

A traditional, buttery Polish Easter tart smothered in thick kajmak caramel and heavily adorned with nuts and peel.
Prep time 20m
Temp 180°C (356°F)
Cook time 25m
Rest time 2h 30m
Total 3h 15m
Yield 12
Per serving:
355 kcal
42g Carbs
6g Protein
18g Fat
By Razziel

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Ingredients

  • 250 g
    Plain Flour
    Plain Flour
  • 150 g
    Butter
    Butter
  • 50 g
    Icing Sugar
    Icing Sugar
  • 2 pcs
    Eggs
    Eggs
  • 2 g
    Salt
    Salt
  • 15 ml
    Ice Cold Water
    Ice Cold Water
  • 400 g
    Kajmak (Dulce de Leche)
    Kajmak (Dulce de Leche)
  • 50 g
    Almonds (Flakes)
    Almonds (Flakes)
  • 50 g
    Walnuts (halves)
    Walnuts (halves)
  • 30 g
    Candied Orange Peel
    Candied Orange Peel

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Kitchen Kit

  • Rectangular tart tin (20x30cm)
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Rolling Pin
  • Baking Parchment
  • Baking Beans
  • Fork
  • Palette Knife
  • Baking Tray

Method

  1. Prep the Kit: Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Lightly butter a rectangular tart tin (approx. 20x30cm) and line the base with baking parchment.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: Tip the plain flour, icing sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Chuck in the cold, cubed butter.
  3. Rub in the Fat: Using your fingertips, quickly rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Don't loiter; keep the fat cold.
  4. Hydrate the Dough: Separate the eggs. Drop the yolks into your crumb mixture and add the ice-cold water.
    Chef’s Tip: Pop the leftover egg whites into a sealed container in the fridge to use for a quick meringue or omelette later.
  5. Resting Phase: Bring the dough together swiftly with your hands until it just forms a smooth ball. Wrap it tightly and chuck it in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
  6. Form the Base: Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm thickness. Drape it into your prepared tin, pressing firmly into the corners. Prick the base all over with a fork to stop it puffing up.
  7. The Blind Bake: Line the pastry with crumpled baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes.
  8. The Final Snap: Remove the parchment and beans, and return the tart to the oven for another 10 minutes until the base is golden brown and crisp like a biscuit.
  9. The 1% Factor (Toasting): While the base is finishing, place your walnut halves and almond flakes on a separate tray in the oven for 5–7 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  10. Cooling: Set the tart base aside to cool completely in the tin (approx. 60 minutes).
  11. The Filling: Once the pastry is cold, spoon the kajmak onto the base. Use a palette knife or the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly right to the edges in all its thick, sticky glory.
  12. Adornment: Scatter the toasted flaked almonds, walnut halves, and candied orange peel over the top in a decorative pattern.
  13. The Set: Let it set at room temperature for one hour before slicing into squares.
Chef's Note & Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Do not refrigerate; the pastry will draw moisture and lose its crispness, and the caramel will turn unpleasantly hard.

The Crown Jewel of the Polish Easter Table

Mazurek is more than just a tart; it is the glorious, sweet reward after the long, austere days of Lent. Originating in Poland, this flat, intricately decorated bake is a true canvas for culinary artistry. The base is an impossibly buttery, crumbly shortcrust—enriched with egg yolks—engineered to hold the dense, luxurious weight of kajmak (a thick, caramelised milk). We are balancing that aggressive, unapologetic sweetness with a heavy hand of toasted nuts and bitter candied peel. No messing about here; this is a proper showstopper.

CHEF'S SECRET: A proper Mazurek crust must snap, not bend. Do not skip the blind bake, and ensure your butter is fridge-cold. To elevate the intensely sweet kajmak, scatter a generous pinch of flaky sea salt over the caramel before decorating—it completely transforms the flavour profile and stops it from becoming cloying.

❖

Mastering the Shortcrust

The key to a short, melt-in-the-mouth pastry is minimal handling. You want to rub the fat into the flour until it resembles coarse sand, then use just enough egg yolk and ice-cold water to bring it together. If you overwork the gluten, you will end up with shoe leather instead of a delicate tart. Keep your hands cold, work quickly, and respect the resting time to prevent the pastry from shrinking in the oven.

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Cook’s Notes & Discussion

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Mazurek Kajmakowy (Traditional Polish Easter Tart)
Cuisine: Polish
Course: Dessert
Diet: Vegetarian

Mazurek Kajmakowy (Traditional Polish Easter Tart)

By Razziel

A traditional, buttery Polish Easter tart smothered in thick kajmak caramel and heavily adorned with nuts and peel.

Prep 20m
Temp 180°C
Cook 25m
Rest 2h 30m
Total 3h 15m
Yield 12
Recipe from Cook & Keeper - www.cookandkeeper.com

Kitchen Kit

  • •Rectangular tart tin (20x30cm)
  • •Mixing Bowl
  • •Rolling Pin
  • •Baking Parchment
  • •Baking Beans
  • •Fork
  • •Palette Knife
  • •Baking Tray
Per serving:
355 kcal
42g Carbs
6g Protein
18g Fat

Ingredients

  • 250 g Plain Flour
  • 150 g Butter
  • 50 g Icing Sugar
  • 2 pcs Eggs
  • 2 g Salt
  • 15 ml Ice Cold Water
  • 400 g Kajmak (Dulce de Leche)
  • 50 g Almonds (Flakes)
  • 50 g Walnuts (halves)
  • 30 g Candied Orange Peel
Recipe from Cook & Keeper - www.cookandkeeper.com

Method

Step-by-step instructions.

Chef's Note:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Do not refrigerate; the pastry will draw moisture and lose its crispness, and the caramel will turn unpleasantly hard.
  1. Prep the Kit: Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Lightly butter a rectangular tart tin (approx. 20x30cm) and line the base with baking parchment.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: Tip the plain flour, icing sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Chuck in the cold, cubed butter.
  3. Rub in the Fat: Using your fingertips, quickly rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Don't loiter; keep the fat cold.
  4. Hydrate the Dough: Separate the eggs. Drop the yolks into your crumb mixture and add the ice-cold water.
    Chef’s Tip: Pop the leftover egg whites into a sealed container in the fridge to use for a quick meringue or omelette later.
  5. Resting Phase: Bring the dough together swiftly with your hands until it just forms a smooth ball. Wrap it tightly and chuck it in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
  6. Form the Base: Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm thickness. Drape it into your prepared tin, pressing firmly into the corners. Prick the base all over with a fork to stop it puffing up.
  7. The Blind Bake: Line the pastry with crumpled baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes.
  8. The Final Snap: Remove the parchment and beans, and return the tart to the oven for another 10 minutes until the base is golden brown and crisp like a biscuit.
  9. The 1% Factor (Toasting): While the base is finishing, place your walnut halves and almond flakes on a separate tray in the oven for 5–7 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  10. Cooling: Set the tart base aside to cool completely in the tin (approx. 60 minutes).
  11. The Filling: Once the pastry is cold, spoon the kajmak onto the base. Use a palette knife or the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly right to the edges in all its thick, sticky glory.
  12. Adornment: Scatter the toasted flaked almonds, walnut halves, and candied orange peel over the top in a decorative pattern.
  13. The Set: Let it set at room temperature for one hour before slicing into squares.
Recipe from Cook & Keeper - www.cookandkeeper.com

Chef's Notes & History

The Crown Jewel of the Polish Easter Table

Mazurek is more than just a tart; it is the glorious, sweet reward after the long, austere days of Lent. Originating in Poland, this flat, intricately decorated bake is a true canvas for culinary artistry. The base is an impossibly buttery, crumbly shortcrust—enriched with egg yolks—engineered to hold the dense, luxurious weight of kajmak (a thick, caramelised milk). We are balancing that aggressive, unapologetic sweetness with a heavy hand of toasted nuts and bitter candied peel. No messing about here; this is a proper showstopper.

CHEF'S SECRET: A proper Mazurek crust must snap, not bend. Do not skip the blind bake, and ensure your butter is fridge-cold. To elevate the intensely sweet kajmak, scatter a generous pinch of flaky sea salt over the caramel before decorating—it completely transforms the flavour profile and stops it from becoming cloying.

❖

Mastering the Shortcrust

The key to a short, melt-in-the-mouth pastry is minimal handling. You want to rub the fat into the flour until it resembles coarse sand, then use just enough egg yolk and ice-cold water to bring it together. If you overwork the gluten, you will end up with shoe leather instead of a delicate tart. Keep your hands cold, work quickly, and respect the resting time to prevent the pastry from shrinking in the oven.

Recipe from Cook & Keeper - www.cookandkeeper.com