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Sometimes there are misunderstandings about Russian food and some of them include that it doesn't offer many great desserts and that the cuisine is all about meat and potatoes. But this stunning yet austere nation is home to many amazing things, such as the mouthwatering selection of exquisite Russian desserts.
Russian cuisine is characterised by the notion of enhancing basic dishes to create something more upscale and sophisticated. The desserts also maintain that tradition. Their sweets and pastries are easily made, yet they have sophisticated flavours and presentations. Russian desserts are warm, comforting, and enticing. The dessert table is where the nation's cuisine really shines in contrast to the popular misconception mentioned above.
Blini
Yeast, milk, eggs, flour, and a dash of salt are used to make these classic Russian pancakes. The use of yeast sets them apart from other pancakes, as most similar recipes call for no leavening ingredient at all. Poured over a hot pan, the batter is formed into a circle and cooked for a few minutes on each side.
This classic Russian recipe dates back thousands of years. It was originally meant to be eaten ceremoniously during the week-long Pagan feast known as Maslenitsa, which honours the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
Medovik
Popular Russian layered honey cake medovik is made of biscuit-like cakes soaked with honey and covered in a thin layer of cream. While there are many different ways to make the cake, condensed milk and butter or whipped cream are typically used to make the custard.
The cake is thought to have originated in the 1820s and was made for Russian Emperor Alexander I's wife. The Soviet era is most likely when the addition of condensed milk originated, while more recent iterations could include chocolate or berries.
Varenye
Varenye is a classic Russian dessert made with sugar-cooked berries and other fruits. When preparing varenye, the components shouldn't melt, lose their form, or cook too much. Before 1801, varenye was originally prepared using honey as imported sugar was too costly and Russia didn't make its own sugar.
Traditionally given during Russian tea parties, varenye is a popular dessert made with apricots, strawberries, blueberries, and cherries. Additionally, there are other unusual variants produced from rose, tangerine, and dandelion petals. It can be eaten on its own, as a pancake topping, or as a filling for different kinds of pies and desserts.
Rugelach
This delicacy, which originated in Poland's Jewish communities and is still popular among Jews worldwide and in Israel, is also a favourite dessert in Russia, having spread there from Poland, which is not too far away. A triangle of delectable dough is rolled around a specific filling to create a crescent of interwoven dough and filling in a traditional Rugelach.
It resembles a French croissant, but is a little darker, made with a cream cheese or sour cream-based dough. Fillings range from chocolate, marzipan, cinnamon, raisins, walnuts, and jams or preserves made from fruit. Savoury variations exist as well, which can be loaded with additional components like cheese.
Kulich
Easter bread, or kulich, as the Russians refer to it, is a festive, spherical, tall delicacy adorned with icing and decorations. The bread is associated with the expansion of Orthodox Christianity, which is said to be the source of the cake's cylindrical shape and is highly popular among Slavic peoples. Following the Easter ceremony, the priest blesses the Kulich, which is traditionally handed in a gorgeously floral-decorated basket.
After the bread cools and is done baking, it is decorated with decorative sprinkles and white frosting and cooked in tall, round pans. Although it is far denser and heavier than Italian panettone, it bakes rather similarly.
Pastila
The 17th century saw the invention of pastila, a typical Russian dessert. Light and airy puffs created from egg whites, sugar, and fruit. They are a mix of candy and meringue cookies.
Though other fruits can also be utilised, sour apples or berries are traditionally used to make pastila. Kolomensky pastila is considered to be the best version, and until the 19th century, the recipe for this dish was highly guarded.
Confectioners began utilising sugar at that same time, a practice that continues to this day, in place of honey.
Pavlova Cake
Russian delicacy pavlova is sweet and fluffy, with a meringue foundation, crunchy crust, and light, creamy centre. An average-sized Pavlova cake, suitable for feeding ten people, can weigh as little as one kilogram.
"Pavlova" is said to have been created in remembrance of the renowned dancer Anna Matveevna Pavlova, perhaps during or during her 1920s tours of Australia and New Zealand.
For enticing decadence and crisp, fruity tones, confectioners garnish the dessert with fruits and berries.
