Bobalki...A Slovak Christmas Eve Tradition

Bobalki

One of the traditions that we share with our children and extended family every Christmas.  I had the extreme blessing of living with my grandmother for years before I married...and then only living 5 minutes away until she passed.  I've always been fascinated with all her old stories and traditions and have passed them on to my children....and Christmas Eve dinner wouldn't be quite the same without our Bobalki!

I was asked to post the recipe, and since now, after making them for so many years I simply don't measure, I had to look it up, but here is how we make my grandmother's bobalki.

• 2 cups water
  • • 3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2teaspoons salt
• 5 tablespoons canola oil or butter (if not fasting)
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour

Mix the water (making sure it is very warm...almost the temp. of bathwater) with the sugar and yeast, stir and allow to 'proof' or foam up...then add the oil to yeast mixture and mix the whole thing with the flour...mixing and kneading on an oiled surface until smooth and elastic.Place into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel.   To ensure a good rise in this cold winter weather, I preheat my oven to 200 degrees, then shut it off, put a pie tin filled with boiling water on the bottom and place bowl of dough in oven.  Let rise till more than doubled in size.  Punch it down.  

Now...this is when the fun starts.  Gather helpers or in my case...children and give each one a butter knife.  Break off small pieces of dough....roll into thin "snakes" of dough, then cut each 'snake' into little nuggets and place onto a lightly floured jelly roll pan.  When pan is full, let rise again.  (then work on more pans)  When risen, bake for 10-20 minutes (depending on the size of your bobalki) until light golden brown...then with spatula, turn so they brown on all sides...bake for just a few minutes more.  When done, let cool and store in a large container, tin or ziplock bag until ready to mix for dinner.

Now some people like to mix theirs with honey and poppyseed...but that is not our families tradition.  We like ours with browned butter and sauerkraut.  So  on Christmas Eve morning....

Place a large pot of water onto boil.  While waiting for the water (because a watched pot truly does NOT boil), you will drain and rinse your sauerkraut in a colander.  Rinse very well, and squeeze most of the water out.  Set aside.  In a large pan, melt butter....watching very closely as it turns a beautiful light brown color and smells almost "nutty"...then add your sauerkraut to pan and stir...turn on low.  Now, I am not telling you how much butter or how many cans of sauerkraut, because it depends on your preference and how much bobalki you've ended up with...we like a lot of butter and sauerkraut and use at least 1lb of butter and 3 large cans of kraut.

Ok...you are ready for your final step....once water has boiled, add salt, stir and now dump all bobalki 'dough balls' into boiling water and stir gently JUST UNTIL SOFTENED...then drain in colander gently and slowly...and when drained fold into the browned butter/sauerkraut mixture....and ENJOY!

We will have this on Christmas Eve with traditional mushroom soup (even though I am the only one who likes it..everyone must have at least a spoonful), pierogies, fish and peas.....and then we'll have our bobalki again Christmas morning with our Polish traditions from my mother's side....fresh kielbasi, bobalki, eggs and 'palacinta'....or blintzes filled with a dried cottage cheese mixture.

And there you have it!  I've found that for our family....it isn't the presents and parties that make Christmas special for us...it is following our Advent devotions and traditions leading up to the birth of Jesus...and then celebrating His birth with the same traditions that our ancestors did...giving thanks for our Savior and giving thanks for the blessings of family.  Enjoy!

(PLEASE FORGIVE HOW THE TEXT POSTED...I CANT SEEM TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THIS, MY APOLOGIES!)

(and yes...I've figured out a way to make gluten free versions of all of this...has taken me years, and I have to make both versions...but it is so worth it! LOL)