Poppyseed Cake {Ciasto makowe}

To make your filling place raw poppyseeds in a medium pot and cover with water. Soak for about 10 minutes, then boil for 20 minutes. Keep en eye on it to make sure there is enough water to cover. After 20 minutes drain.

In the mean time, place raisins in a glass and cover with liquor or water and let soak.

Next you will need a meat grinder with the fine grinding plate (smallest holes). Put your poppyseeds through the grinder, TWICE.

Heat a large and deep pan, add butter, sugar, drained raisins, walnuts and ground up poppyseeds and stir until all ingredients combine. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the saved egg white plus the additional 1 egg white (2 egg whites in total) until stiff peeks form. Fold into poppyseed filling.

To make dough place flour in a large mixing bowl, add egg and egg yolk, sugar, baking powder and diced butter (you can do this step in a food processor with a knife attachment). Work with your hands to form a dough.

Line a 9 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper. Cut away about 1/3 of the dough and line the bottom and sides of the pan. Wrap the rest of the dough and the pan with dough in it in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 ℉ / 180 ℃. Take out pan and the remaining dough out of the fridge and fill the crust with cooled off poppyseed filling. Roll out the remaining dough and place on top of the filling - you may choose to only cut out designs and place on top or cover the whole top. Pinch edges of top and bottom dough layers.

Whisk the remaining 1 egg white and brush onto the top of the cake.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool and enjoy!