LENTEN

Moscow Larks

⏳ Time

40 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Thanks to Max Smith, in whose book I read this brilliant version of larks. Traditionally, larks are baked on March 22! In Smith's recipe, there is no indication of when to add the baking powder, but it turns out delicious even without this 'chemistry.'

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Honey - 2 tablespoons
Unrefined Sunflower Oil - 3 tablespoons
Baking Powder - ⅓ teaspoon
Salt - a pinch
Raisins - to taste
Dried Apricots - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

In 1/3 cup of hot water, dissolve the salt, oil, and honey. You can boil the kettle and immediately pour the water into a round glass bowl, where you will then knead the dough. There is no need to wait for the water to cool; you can start cooking right away. Tip: do not pour all the water at once and do not add all the flour at once; watch the consistency - from experience, the proportions in the recipe sometimes do not correspond to the ideal dish - we do everything 'by eye.'

Step 2

Knead a stiff dough from the resulting mixture, gradually adding the sifted flour. If necessary, add more flour. Knead the dough for at least 15 minutes (this is important).

Step 3

Roll the finished dough into a sausage shape (thicker than a thumb - slightly thinner than a hot dog) and cut it into not very small equal pieces (do not make them too small, as you need space to twist the birds into knots).

Step 4

From each piece, shape a lark (just tie a knot, from one end make a head and decorate with raisins or dried apricots, and flatten the other end like a tail and use a knife to make feathers). Place in a preheated oven at 356°F and bake for 15-20 minutes.