Poppy Seed Filling

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Make scrumptious pastries filled with my favorite Poppy Seed Filling. Once you taste it, you’ll see why it’s such a favorite in my family.

If you love sweet fillings, then you should try these Sweet Poppy Seed Pull-Apart Buns and these Easy Cheese Danish Pastries (VIDEO).

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details

Poppy Seed Filling is used in many pastries, especially European ones, and we typically incorporate it into most of our yeast breads. There is something so delicious about this sweet paste, and homemade is just the best!

• TASTE: This filling is sweet and nutty. The walnuts and poppy seeds are highlighted by the golden sweetness of the honey.
• TEXTURE: This Poppy Seed Filling is a paste that’s full of ground poppy seeds, finely chopped walnuts, and thick gooey honey.
• TIME: This recipe will take 18 minutes.
• EASE: This is so easy to make at home and you only need 4 ingredients.

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

• Poppy seeds- These seeds are the star of this dish and they add a nutty flavor, as well as hints of fruitiness.
• Milk- This will be used to soak and soften the dry poppy seeds. Any type will work.
• Honey- This sweet syrup adds thickness as well as great flavor to this Poppy Seed Filling
• Walnuts- Choose raw chopped walnuts (or chop them yourself) so they add only their own nutty, tangy flavor.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Substitute condensed milk- Instead of honey, you can add condensed milk to your strained and ground poppy seeds for sweetness and a thick consistency.
• Add raisins- Add some chopped raisins (or whole) for extra texture and sweetness. This is terrific as a pastry filling.
• Make it dairy-free- If you soak the poppy seeds in water or plant-based milk instead of regular milk, then you can serve this to those who can’t have dairy.
• Add citrus- The flavors in this Poppy Seed Filling go really well with citrus, so try it with some lemon or orange peel mixed in for bright, citrusy notes.

How to Make Poppy Seed Filling

• Simmer poppy seeds and milk. Add dry poppy seeds and milk into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer (not a boil) continuously stir until most of the milk is absorbed. (About 6-8 minutes).
• Strain the poppy seeds. Strain the poppy seeds through a cheesecloth.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can also use a fine mesh sieve lined with coffee filters to drain the poppy seeds.

• Grind the poppy seeds. Using a coffee grinder, grind the poppy seeds in small batches.
• Combine everything and store. In a bowl, combine the ground poppy seeds, honey, and walnuts. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Recipe Tips

• Use fresh walnuts- Walnuts have a lot of oil and they can easily go rancid in warmer temperatures. Make sure yours are fresh before using them, and store them in an airtight container.
• Batch grind the poppy seeds in a food processor- If you want to grind more, use a food processor with a fine grinding plate. Otherwise, for small batches, a coffee grinder works fine.
• Finely chop the walnuts- Since this is going to be a paste, you want to finely chop the walnuts, either by hand or with a food processor so the pieces are not too large and crunchy.
• Store it immediately- Just as the raw walnuts can turn, so can this Poppy Seed Filling if it’s not stored correctly in an airtight container in a cool place.

FAQs

Do poppy seeds need to be soaked before grinding?

Poppy seeds have a rough exterior. Soaking them breaks them down and makes them softer. The first step of simmering them in milk is enough of a soak to break down this coating.

Is it necessary to grind poppy seeds?

Yes, you definitely need to grind the poppy seeds. Since this is going to make a pastry filling, you want it to resemble a paste, not a bunch of individual seeds.

Serving Suggestions

This delicious Poppy Seed Filling is great in pastries, but can be served in other ways, too. Here are some delicious ideas to try.

• Pastries: Use it in your favorite pastries, such as in this Danish Recipe with Almonds and Cream Cheese, Apple Strudel, Bite Size Poppy Seed Roll, or Easy Cheese Danish Pastry (VIDEO).
• Breads: Stuff sweet and savory breads with this Poppy Seed Filling or spread it on top, such as with this Sourdough Bread, Brioche Buns (VIDEO), Khachapuri – Georgian Cheese Bread, and Brioche Hot Cross Buns (VIDEO),
• Cakes: Fill delicious cakes with this nutty, sweet dish. Try it in this Russian Poppy Seed Honey Cake, Lemon Pound Cake (VIDEO), and Chocolate Honey Cake (Spartak Cake).
• Donuts: Use this filling to brighten up homemade donuts. You can smear it on top or pipe it into these Air Fryer Donuts (VIDEO), Homemade Donut Holes, or Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can make this recipe days ahead and store it until you’re ready to use. Or if you want it fresh, soak and grind the poppy seeds, then store them in the fridge until you’re ready to mix in the honey and walnuts.

Storing: Store this Poppy Seed Filling in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Freeze this paste in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. It should last 3-4 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight and stir it well before using.

More Sweet Treats!

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down.

Full Recipe Instructions

• dry poppy seeds

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Reader Interactions

Poppy seed filling for hamantaschen or other pastries and baked goods is a great addition to your baking arsenal. I will show you how to make the base recipe flavored with lemon and so many optional flavor additions.

You will also love my olive oil hamantaschen dough.

For ease of browsing, find all of my Purim recipes in one place.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links – if you click on one and purchase something, I receive a very tiny percentage of the sale. Your price is never affected.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Full disclosure here: I have never been a poppy seed hamantaschen lover. In fact, until I wrote my cookbook and included a recipe for a delicious poppy seed coffee cake, I didn’t think I liked poppy seeds in pastry, bagels or cake.

Still, a poppy seed (also called mohn) filling still isn’t my first choice as a filling for baked goods. But this blog isn’t for me, it’s for my readers. And so many of you love poppy seed hamantaschen.

And I know you’ll love this recipe. It’s easy and flexible – two of my favorite recipe characteristics. I’ll give you a base recipe plus lots of ideas for how to make this filling your own, depending on what flavor profiles you enjoy.

Ingredients You’ll Need and Substitutions

These are the base ingredients and I’ll also share possible substitutions and additions.

Poppy seeds: I purchased mine at a little local Russian market. Note the seeds might be called blue poppy seeds – that is ok! Also check your local groceries that sell products in bins and of course you can purchase online. But take note of the freshness as poppy seeds have a lot of oil in them and can go rancid. (store unused portion in the freezer). You can also buy in grocery stores in the spice aisle in a small jar – you may need more than one but it’s a good option.

Almond milk: I used almond milk to keep the filling dairy-free and potentially kosher. Plus almond is a good pairing with poppy seeds. But you can use other dairy-free milks or regular milk or even water.

Sugar: I used white granulated sugar but you could also try other sugars or an alternative sweetener like date syrup. But if you use a liquid sweetener like honey or date syrup, use about ⅔ as much as the sugar, because it’s sweeter. You may need to reduce the other liquids by just a smidge too.

Lemon juice and zest: Lemon is a wonderful complement to poppy seeds and provides a contrast to the sweet. No lemon? Try orange juice and zest.

Kosher salt: Just a dab to bring out the flavors.

Poppy seed filling flavor enhancements:

I tested out many other flavor additions and found quite a few that were terrific if you want a complement to the poppy seed flavor and something a little different:

• Cinnamon: this was our favorite because it enhanced the poppy seed flavor without masking it.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: Also a favorite because it tones down the sweetness just a bit and provides just a subtle chocolate background flavor.
• Almond extract: Wonderful pairing but tread lightly because it can overwhelm the poppy seed flavor.
• Raspberry jam: Very nice texturally and a good companion. Tends to mask the poppy flavor a bit but it was quite nice.
• Toasted and chopped walnuts (almonds would be great too): Great pairing flavor-wise and texturally.
• Vanilla extract: Nice on its own and could be paired with the cinnamon or cocoa powder too.
• Lemon curd: I didn’t try this but I bet it would be great!

How to make this recipe

The key steps to this recipe are grinding up the poppy seeds and then mixing and cooking them until they thicken.

1.To grind the poppy seeds, I used a coffee grinder (that I don’t use for coffee). This is very handy for grinding any kind of spices. If you don’t have one, you can use a high speed blender such as Vitamix. Or put the poppy seeds in a plastic bag and use a heavy rolling pin to grind them down or even a mortar and pestle.

2. Place the ground poppy seeds, almond milk, lemon juice and zest, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat. Turn down to medium low to maintain a low boil. Let it cook for 10 – 15 minutes. It will thicken up but still be loose enough to slide easily off the spoon.

3.Taste your filling for sweetness and flavor and adjust if necessary. Then take it off the heat to cool. It will seem a little too loose at first, but once it cools down, the texture will be just right. Place it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

4. Optional mix-ins: Before you form your hamantaschen or other poppy seed pastry, experiment with some of the other mix-ins mentioned above, if you want. Start by taking just a small amount of the filling and just a bit of the mix-in (such as cinnamon or almond extract or chopped walnuts) and mix together. If you like the flavor combination, then you can divide the filling up and make different combinations or add one mix-in to the whole batch. Or just leave it as is.

Check out my poppy seed filling web story for a quick visual guide to this recipe.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQs

1. Be sure the filling is chilled when you make your hamantaschen or other baked good.
2. Poppy seeds go rancid rather quickly, so check the date of the package you buy, smell them when you open the package, and store the package in the freezer, with a date written on it, after you open it.
3. Don’t overfill each cookie — less is more with hamantaschen! This is true of poppy seed filling, or any kind of filling.

How long will my poppy seed filling last?

It should last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for as long as 2-3 weeks. You can always smell and taste a small bit if you are unsure.

Can I freeze the poppy seed filling?

Yes, you can freeze it, again in an airtight container marked with the date and it should be ok in the freezer for 3 to 6 months. Once thawed, use it within 3 days.

What else can I use my poppy seed filling for?

Poppy seed filling can be used in pastries such as a babka, or Hungarian beigli or Czech kolaches, just to name a few. Try it in a thumbprint cookie or as a layer in a coffee cake.

Can I add other fruits or nuts to poppy seed filling?

Many poppy seed filling recipes add raisins in after it is cooked. And as I mentioned above, walnuts and almonds are a nice addition. This filling recipe is wonderful as is, but it is like a blank canvas for you to make all your own with other flavors and ingredients.

More Purim Recipes on OMG! Yummy

• How to Make Lekvar (Prune Butter)

• Hamantaschen Recipe with Orange and Olive Oil

• Date Thumbprint Cookies with Walnuts (Koloocheh): for Tu B’shevat or Purim

If you eat gluten-free, be sure to check out these gluten-free hamantaschen on Fearless Dining.

P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!

Poppy seed filling for hamantaschen or other pastries and baked goods is a great addition to your baking arsenal. I will show you how to make the base recipe flavored with lemon and so many optional flavor additions.

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Jewish Holiday Baking

Servings 12

Calories 56 kcal

• ½ cup poppy seeds
• ½ cup almond milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• Grind the poppy seeds, with a coffee grinder or a high speed blender such as a Vitamix. Or put the poppy seeds in a plastic bag and use a heavy rolling pin to grind them down or even a mortar and pestle.

  

• Place the poppy seeds, almond milk, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat.

  

• Turn down to medium low to maintain a low boil. Let it cook for 10 – 15 minutes. It will thicken up but still be loose enough to slide easily off the spoon.

  

• Taste your filling for sweetness and flavor and adjust if necessary. Then take it off the heat to cool. It will seem a little too loose at first, but once it cools down, the texture will be just right. Place it in the refrigerator until ready to use. This recipe makes 1 cup of filling.

  

• Optional mix-ins: Before you fill your hamantaschen dough or other poppy seed pastry, experiment with some of the other mix-ins, if you want. Start by taking just a small amount of the filling and just a bit of the mix-in (such as cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa powder, almond or vanilla extract, raspberry jam, or chopped walnuts) and mix together. If you like the flavor combination, then you can divide the filling up and make different combinations or add one mix-in to the whole batch. Start with just a little, you can always add more. For example: ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon for ½ cup of poppy seed filling, as a starting point.

  

• Be sure the filling is chilled when you make your hamantaschen or other baked good.
• Poppy seeds go rancid rather quickly, so check the date of the package you buy, smell them when you open the package, and store the package in the freezer, with a date written on it, after you open it.
• Don’t overfill each cookie — less is more with hamantaschen! This is true of poppy seed filling, or any kind of filling.

Calories: 56kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 63mgPotassium: 32mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 0.1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 0.4mg

Keyword hamantaschen, poppy seeds, purim

Let us know how it was!

If you’re looking for a unique twist on classic bundt cakes, then this Czech bundt cake with a homemade poppy seed filling is the perfect recipe. The combination of soft yeast dough and luscious poppy seed flavor in one showstopping cake will have your taste buds jumping for joy!

➜ About the cake

Typically, when you hear about poppy seed cake, you envision a baked cake with poppy seeds incorporated into the batter. The cake in this recipe, however, is entirely different; it is made from yeast dough.

Raised dough is shaped into a rectangle and given a coat of poppy seed filling. Then, it is rolled into a log and baked in a bundt pan. The result is a nice, rich, and perfectly dense bundt cake with a great moisture level thanks to the filling.

➜ Maková bábovka – Czech pronunciation

The recipe comes from the Czech Republic, where this type of rolled cake is traditionally baked on weekends and for festive occasions. Its Czech name is “maková bábovka,” where the word “maková” means “made with poppy seeds” and “bábovka” is a bundt cake!

I recorded a short audio clip with the word “maková bábovka.” I am a native speaker, so you will hear the real Czech language.

Here you will find a recipe for a traditional Czech babovka bundt cake (without filling)

➜ Ingredients

I split the list of ingredients into two parts: the things you need to make the yeast dough and the items you need to make the poppy seed filling.

For yeasted dough:

• All-purpose flour; or plain flour, if you are based in the UK
• Active dry yeast; don’t worry about working with yeast dough. It’s not rocket science!
• Granulated sugar; white granulated sugar is required in the dough to add flavor and activate the yeast
• Unsalted butter; ensures a soft texture
• Milk; lukewarm
• Salt; helps to balance the sweetness of a pastry
• Vanilla; I used vanilla paste. If you don’t have one, vanilla extract is a good substitution.
• Egg yolks; provide a richer, softer dough. They also help bind the ingredients together and give the cake a golden color.

For homemade poppy seed filling:

• Poppy seeds for baking; ground. Use a poppy seed grinder designed for this purpose, or grind the poppy seeds in small batches in a clean electric grinder.
• Milk; thins out the poppy seed filling and makes it easier to spread over the dough
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla, in the form of a paste or essence
• Cloves; crushed cloves add a hint of spice and warmth to the poppy seed filling (learn how to crush cloves by hand)
• Fresh lemon zest; provides a bright and citrusy flavor

For the final dusting, you need about two tablespoons of powdered sugar

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

Equipment: This recipe is designed for a bundt cake pan with a volume of 12 cups, which corresponds to about 2.7 liters in metric units. I have a beautiful ceramic bundt pan that is absolutely stable and always produces a nice, regular shape of baked cake.

➜ How to make poppy seed bundt cake

STEP 1: Make a yeast starter: Heat the milk for the dough to about 110°F (43°C). Stir in one tablespoon of sugar and instant dry yeast. Leave in a warm place; in about 10–15 minutes, light brown foam with bubbles should form on the milk surface.

STEP 2: Start making a yeast dough: Heat the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or melt it on the stovetop. The butter cannot be hot! In a large mixing bowl, add the flour (I recommend sifting it through a sieve beforehand), the melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla, salt, remaining sugar, and the yeast starter.

STEP 3: Knead the dough smooth. First, use a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones in a bowl. Once the dough has come together into a crumbly mass, turn it out onto a floured work surface.

Knead a soft dough that is a little sticky with your hands. If it sticks too much to your hands or the work surface, sprinkle it with a little flour and work it into the dough. 

The whole kneading process takes about 10 minutes and may require a bit of physical work if done by hand.

TIP: If you have a stand kitchen mixer with kneading attachments or a bread machine, feel free to use them to process the dough.

STEP 4: Let the dough rise for an hour in a warm place. I let the dough rise in an oven with a pot of hot water on the bottom and the door shut.

⤍ Learn how to make dough rise in the oven.

STEP 5: In the meantime, make poppyseed filling. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the ground poppy seeds, sugar, vanilla, grated lemon zest, and crushed cloves. Learn how to crush cloves by hand.

Bring to a boil on the stove, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every so often. Allow the poppy seed filling to cool completely.

TIP: Spread the filling as evenly as possible over the surface of a deep bowl. Every 10 minutes or so, give it a good stir. This will allow the poppy seed filling to cool more quickly.

Here are more details on how to make poppy seed filling

STEP 6: Roll out the dough into a 30×12-inch rectangle (50x30cm). The dough should not be overly thin! Spread the cooled poppy seed filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) around the edge free.

STEP 7: Fold the dough over the filling as you see in the pictures below. Basically, you create a simple roll.

STEP 8: Prepare your bundt cake pan. Carefully grease the inside with solid fat (e.g. Crisco) and dust with fine, taste-neutral breadcrumbs or flour. Learn in detail how to grease and dust a bundt pan

STEP 9: Put the folded dough with the filling into the prepared bundt pan so that it fills all the space around the pan evenly. Allow for a second rise in a warm place, this time for 45 minutes.

STEP 10: Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Bake the cake for 1 and ¼ hours. If it starts to turn golden brown on the surface near the end, cover loosely with foil.

➜ How to get bundt cake out of the pan

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let it sit there for 15 to 20 minutes. Then put a cake platter or cutting board on top of the pan and flip it carefully over. If you have greased and floured the pan well before you placed the cake in it, the cake will spring right out.

➜ Serving

Before serving, dust the poppy seed bundt cake with powdered sugar. Cut into individual pieces and serve on a dessert plate with coffee or tea.

This poppy seed bundt cake tastes best the same day it is baked. However, even on the second and third day, it remains moist.

➜ Storage

• Room temperature: Let the bundt cake cool completely and keep it in a covered cake plate on the counter. If you don’t have a cake plate, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Eat within three days.
• In the refrigerator: Cut the cooled bundt cake into pieces, place it in an airtight container, and put it in the fridge, where it will keep for about five to six days.
• In the fridge: I recommend freezing the cake whole, not sliced because the poppy seed filling could cause it to fall apart when thawing. Place the cake in an airtight container in the freezer, where it will last for at least three months.

More poppy seed recipes:

Get more ideas in this category with poppy seed recipes.

Tried this recipe?

Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• 12-cup bundt pan

Poppy seed recipes

Yeast dough:

• active dry yeast
• (240 ml) lukewarm
• or vanilla essence

Poppy seed filling:

• ground poppy seed
• or vanilla essence

Miscellaneous:

• to sprinkle the cake before serving
• to grease the bundt pan
• or flour, to dust the bundt pan

• Make a yeast starter: Heat the milk for the dough to about 110°F (43°C). Stir in one tablespoon of sugar and instant dry yeast. Leave in a warm place; in about 10–15 minutes, light brown foam with bubbles should form on the milk surface.

• Start making a yeast dough: Heat the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or melt it on the stovetop. The butter cannot be hot! In a large mixing bowl, add the flour (I recommend sifting it through a sieve beforehand), the melted butter, egg yolks, vanilla, salt, remaining sugar, and the yeast starter.

• Knead the dough smooth. First, use a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones in a bowl. Once the dough has come together into a crumbly mass, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Knead a soft dough that is a little sticky with your hands. If it sticks too much to your hands or the work surface, sprinkle it with a bit of flour and work it into the dough. The whole kneading process takes about 10 minutes and may require a bit of physical work if done by hand!

• Let the dough rise for an hour in a warm place. I let the dough rise in an oven with a pot of hot water on the bottom and the door shut.

• In the meantime, make poppyseed filling. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the ground poppy seeds, sugar, vanilla, grated lemon zest, and crushed cloves. Bring to a boil on the stove, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every so often. Allow the poppy seed filling to cool completely.

• Roll out the dough into a 30×12-inch rectangle (50x30cm). The dough should not be overly thin! Spread the cooled poppy seed filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) around the edge free.

• Fold the dough over the filling from both sides. Basically, you create a simple roll.

• Prepare your bundt cake pan. Carefully grease the inside with solid fat (e.g. Crisco) and dust with fine, taste-neutral breadcrumbs or flour.

• Put the folded dough with the filling into the prepared bundt pan so that it fills all the space around the pan evenly. Allow for a second rise in a warm place, this time for 45 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Bake the cake for 1 and ¼ hours. If it starts to turn golden brown on the surface near the end, cover loosely with foil.

• Makes about 16-20 pieces, depending on their size.
• Removing the cake from the pan: Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let it sit there for 15 to 20 minutes. Then put a cake platter or cutting board on top of the pan and flip it carefully over. If you have greased and floured the pan well before you placed the cake in it, the cake will spring right out.
• Before serving, dust the poppy seed bundt cake with icing sugar. Cut into individual pieces and serve on a dessert plate with coffee or tea.
• TIP ON MAKING YEAST DOUGH: If you have a stand kitchen mixer with kneading attachments or a bread machine, feel free to use them to process the dough.
• How to help the poppy seed filling cool: Spread the filling as evenly as possible over the surface of a deep bowl. Every 10 minutes or so, give it a good stir. This will allow the poppy seed filling to cool more quickly.

DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

This kolache recipe is a classic Czechoslovakian variation with a poppy seed filling. The sweet yeasted pastry is folded up on itself as you would find in Minnesota.

Updated November 28, 2022

My father gets a faraway look in his eyes when he remembers his Minnesota Czech grandmother’s poppy seed pastries.

Dad loves poppy seed filling, and armed with an old Better Homes and Gardens recipe, he set out to recreate the kolaches of his childhood.

I think he was successful (after quadrupling the filling to dough ratio in the recipe), so much so that the day after making and eating these, he announced that he had gained two pounds, prompting him to give up dessert for two whole days. (Please God, in my next life, could I have my father’s metabolism?)

My father makes these kolaches with canned poppy seed filling. If you want, you can make the filling from scratch; I’ve included a filling recipe that I found online.

More Sweet Breads to Bake

Adapted from a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens, 1997.

• 4 to 4 1/2 (586 to 520g) , divided

• (7-gram) active dry yeast

• or ground nutmeg

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons)

• (50g)

• finely grated

• 1 (12.5-ounce) can filling (or make your own, see below)

• 1/4 cup raisins, optional

Homemade poppy seed filling (if you are not using canned)

• (145g)

• (78g) finely chopped

• (43g) finely chopped nuts (such as walnuts or pecans)

1. Mix 2 cups of the flour with the yeast and nutmeg:

   Combine 2 cups of the flour, plus the yeast and nutmeg or mace in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Make the dough:

   In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk, butter, sugar, and salt just until warm to the touch (120°F to 130°F) and butter is melted.

   Pour the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture mixture. Add the 2 eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds (if using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment).

   Scrape the side of the bowl, then beat on high speed for 3 minutes.

3. Knead dough and let rise:

   Switch to the dough hook (if using a stand mixer) and on low speed, beat in as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a soft, supple dough. Knead on medium speed until smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes.

   Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

4. Make the filling:

   Meanwhile, if you are making the poppy seed filling from scratch, combine the filling ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

   Simple Tip!

   You should have about 1 1/2 cups of filling, which is more than you’ll need to fill the kolache. You can freeze any extras, or stir them into your next batch of banana bread.

5. Deflate and divide the dough:

   Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

   Divide the dough in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Grease 2 baking sheets.

6. Roll out the dough and cut into squares:

   Roll each dough half into a 16×8-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle into eight 4×4 squares.

7. Shape the kolache:

   Place 1 heaping tablespoon of poppy seed filling onto the center of each square. If you want, add a few raisins on top of the filling. Brush the four corners of each square with water. Draw the corners up and gently press together. Secure with a toothpick.

8. Proof the shaped kolache:

   Preheat the oven to 375°F.

   Place the kolache on the greased baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double, about 35 minutes.

9. Brush with the egg wash:

   Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of milk. Lightly brush the egg wash over the kolache.

10. Bake at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

    Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Remove toothpicks.

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Homemade poppy seeds filling is an ideal addition to cakes and pastries. Its preparation is very simple, and also quite quick and not very laborious. This poppy seed filling will definitely work in Christmas pastries such as roulades, buns, cakes and many others.

I start the preparation of the poppy seeds filling by cooking the poppy seeds. These are dry blue poppy seeds, which I pour into a pot, add water or milk and cook for several minutes over low heat. During cooking, the poppy loses its bitterness and becomes moist, which makes it easy to grind it in a grinder.

Along with the poppy seeds, I also pass walnuts and almond flakes through the grinder, and combine the whole thing with liquid butter, honey, sugar, raisins and orange peel. I encourage you to prepare this homemade poppy seeds filling, and below I leave you a recipe for it. I think it will work great during the upcoming Christmas season.

Ingredients for poppy seeds filling.

• 500 g dry poppy seeds
• 1,2 l water or milk
• 100 g walnuts
• 100 g almond flakes
• 100 g candied orange peel
• 100 g raisins
• 100 g butter
• 100 g honey
• 100 g crystal sugar

How to make poppy seeds filling.

Put the poppy seeds in a pot, pour milk in, bring it to a boil and from that moment, cook over low heat for 20 minutes. While cooking, stir the poppy from time to time. Pour the cooked poppy seeds into a fine sieve, then set it aside to cool down.

Grind the cold poppy seeds along with almond flakes and walnuts twice through a grinding machine.

Melt honey with sugar and butter in a pot. When liquid, pour into a large bowl, to which add ground poppy seeds, raisins, and diced candied orange peel. Mix thoroughly.

Good to know when making poppy seeds filling.

Dried apricots, dried cranberries and prunes can also be used as additions to the poppy seed filling. You can replace walnuts with pecans, and instead of almond flakes, reach for whole almonds.

You can flavour the poppy seeds filling by adding a few drops of almond oil or orange oil to it.

The given amounts of ingredients yield a large amount of poppy seeds filling, about 1.6 kg in total.

Poppy filling prepared in such a way can be frozen. The cold filling should be placed in a plastic, tightly closed container and put in the freezer. The poppy filling can be kept in the freezer for about three months.

Do you like cakes with poppy seeds? If so, try our recipe for Poppy roll.

Poppy seeds filling

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