Makivnyk

Makivnyk is a popular Ukrainian festive bake, a rich roll of yeasted dough generously filled with a dense poppy-seed filling. In our tradition poppy is a symbol of abundance, fertility, and remembrance, so dishes with it held a special place on the festive table, notably at Christmas.

For the filling, the poppy seeds are first scalded and ground, mixed with honey or sugar, and sometimes with raisins or nuts. A rolled-out sheet of sweet dough is spread with this filling, tightly rolled up, and baked to a golden crust. In cross-section makivnyk has a beautiful spiral pattern of dark poppy swirls. Aromatic, moist, and moderately sweet, it remains to this day a favourite home bake that invariably recalls the warmth of family holidays and the taste of childhood.