Our regional cuisine on a European scene Our regional cuisine on a European scene | Page 19

shortbread can be made of different kinds of dough and toppings, for example
marmalade, chocolate glazing, dried fruit or nuts.
SERNIK (CHEESE CAKE)
Sernik is a rich creamy baked cheesecake. You could try to replace the exclusively
Polish cheese called twaróg with country/ cottage/ quark /curd cheese or ricotta but it
won't do the trick. Twaróg is more dense, sweet and less wet than those cheeses
and less smooth than ricotta. Sources say that sernik dates back to ancient Greece
and Rome.
EASTER BABKA
The tall airy Easter babka is a no-knead yeast cake baked in a Bundt pan. It can be
laced with rum syrup and drizzled with icing but custom dictates that it has no filling.
The name derives from the word "grandmother" and probably refers to its shape: a
grandmother's wide, pleated skirt.
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