The Gdańsk fair is a special event for us, during which we can exhibit our Christmas offer of cakes and cookies. What's more, on December 14, Jacek Placek's stand had the opportunity to appear on the program "Pytanie na Śniadanie", thanks to which we could present ourselves to an even wider group of recipients. We invite you to visit - we are at the fair until December 23!

And our Christmas assortment is full of delicious sweets! You will find here traditional cheesecakes, poppy seed cakes or gingerbreads, as well as baked goods in a more modern version. Check out our offer at:

=>https://jacekplacek.com.pl/kategoria-produktu/boze-narodzenie/ 

We are still accepting orders until December 21st, and we will also deliver them to homes on Christmas Eve.

Sweet pastries – Christmas recipes step by step

Christmas is a special time that we all look forward to – full of kindness, family gatherings, gifts and delicious dishes on the table! The festive atmosphere accompanies us from the moment of preparations, when the tempting smells of prepared dishes, including sweet baked goods, waft through the house. What cakes should you bake for the holidays? Which ones can be prepared in advance? Below we share a few proven recipes on how to prepare traditional Christmas sweets step by step.

Aromatic Christmas gingerbread

=>Gingerbread is one of the most characteristic Christmas pastries. It is soft, moist, with a sweet and spicy flavor. You can also layer it with plum jam and decorate it with chocolate icing. This gingerbread is suitable for freezing.

Ingredients:

• 200g honey
• 150g sugar
• 125 g butter
• 2 eggs
• 500g flour
• 2 teaspoons gingerbread spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 200 ml milk

Step by step recipe:

1. In a small saucepan, melt the honey, sugar, and butter over low heat. Then set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, gingerbread spice, and baking soda.
3. Add honey, eggs and milk to dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
4. Pour the batter into a baking tray lined with baking paper.
5. Bake at 170°C for 50-60 minutes. Once cooled, transfer plum jam and decorate with chocolate icing.

Christmas cake

=>Cake is a cake generously filled with dried fruit and nuts, which according to tradition is supposed to ensure abundance. You can bake it a few days before Christmas and leave it in a cool place – or even better, freeze it.

Ingredients:

• 200g sugar
• 200g butter
• 5 eggs
• 350 g dried fruit
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 300 g wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Step by step recipe:

1. Line the cake tin with baking paper and preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add 5 eggs, one at a time. The mixture may seem curdled, but that's how it's supposed to be.
4. Prepare the dried fruit and mix them with 2 tablespoons of flour.
5. Add 300g of wheat flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the butter, sugar and eggs. Mix until combined.
6. Add dried fruit and mix with a spoon. Transfer the mixture to a baking tin and bake at 180°C for about an hour – check with a stick whether the cake is baked.
7. Carefully remove the finished cake from the pan and let it cool on a rack.

Makowiec Beaded

This pastry is a classic on the holiday table in Polish homes. Contrary to appearances, =>poppy seed cake is not difficult to make. Just roll the dough skillfully before baking so that it maintains the right shape. Poppy seed cake stays fresh for several days, so it can be prepared in advance.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of wheat flour
• 40 g fresh yeast
• 1 cup of warm milk
• 2 eggs (yolks and whites separately)
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1 pack of vanilla sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 can of poppy seed mass

Step by step recipe:

1. Put all the ingredients (except the poppy seed mixture) in a bowl and knead into a smooth dough – it should come off easily. Cover it with a cloth and wait until it doubles in size.
2. Mix the poppy seed mass with 2 egg whites.
3. Divide the risen dough into 2 parts. Roll them out into rectangles the size of 1.5 A4 sheets.
4. Place half of the poppy seed mixture with egg whites on each one.
5. Form a roll, then wrap it quite tightly in baking paper (but leave about 1 cm for rising). Transfer to a baking tray.
6. Bake the poppy seed cake at 180°C for about an hour.
7. Take the cake out of the oven and after it has cooled down a bit, unfold the paper. The poppy seed cake looks beautiful decorated with icing and orange peel.

Exquisite cheesecake with chocolate icing

=>Cheesecake is a very universal cake that appears on our tables not only on the occasion of holidays. This fluffy, delicate dessert can be prepared in various versions. In our recipe it is enriched with chocolate icing.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of ground cottage cheese
• 200g sugar
• 100g butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 vanilla pudding
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A bar of dark chocolate

Step by step recipe:

1. Cream the butter with the sugar, add the eggs, then the cottage cheese and pudding.
2. Add vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
3. Transfer the cheese mass to a cake tin lined with baking paper.
4. Bake at 160°C for about 1.5 hours.
5. Once cooled, pour melted chocolate over the cake.

Gingerbread cookies

It's hard to imagine a real Christmas without these spicy cookies. =>Gingerbread cookies it's a good idea to prepare them at least 2 weeks in advance and then store them in a tin container. They're the perfect sweet treat to enjoy throughout December - and decorating them is great fun for the whole family!

Ingredients:

• 500 g wheat flour
• 200g honey
• 150 g powdered sugar
• 120 g butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2-3 teaspoons of gingerbread spice 
• 2 tablespoons cocoa (optional, for a darker color)
• a pinch of salt

Step by step recipe:

1. Melt butter and honey in a saucepan – do not boil. Once combined, set aside to cool.
2. Pour flour into a large bowl, add powdered sugar, baking soda, cocoa, gingerbread spice and a pinch of salt. Mix everything thoroughly.
3. Pour the cooled honey and butter into the dry ingredients, add the eggs and knead into a smooth, elastic dough. If it comes out too sticky, you can sprinkle it with a little flour.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (you can also leave it overnight).
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3-4 mm. Cut out the gingerbread cookies using cookie cutters of various shapes.
6. Place the gingerbread cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to burn them – they harden as they cool.
7. Once the cookies have cooled, decorate them with icing, chocolate icing or sprinkles. To make the icing, mix powdered sugar with a little water or lemon juice.