Wikipedia
Mazurek may refer to:
- Mazurek (surname) (includes a list of people with the name)
- Mazurek (cake), a traditional Polish Easter cake
- Mazurek was the sloop used by Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz for her circumnavigation
- Polish name for the Mazurka, a dance and type of music
- " Dąbrowski's Mazurka" (Mazurek Dąbrowskiego), the Polish national anthem, written by Józef Wybicki in 1797
Mazurek (archaic feminine Mazurkowa for "wife"; Mazurkówna for "daughter of Mr. Mazurek"; Mazurkowie for plural) is one of the most common surnames in Poland and the 2nd most popular in Lublin Land (9,644). It is uncommon as a given name. People with the name include:
Mazurek is a variety of very sweet, flat cake baked in Poland for Easter. In some regions it is also prepared at Christmas and holiday season.
According to Polish gastronomy coursebooks, typical mazurek is a cake that can be made of one or two sheets of short (or "half-short") pastry or one sheet of short (or "half-short") pastry covered with a sheet of butter sponge cake. The two sheets are "glued" together with a help of a layer of marmalade. In case of one-sheet version, marmalade is skipped or goes on top, under the layer of icing. The top of mazurek is covered with a layer of icing (i.e. sugar icing or fudge caramel cream) or jelly. It is also decorated with nut-based icing or almond-based icing and candied fruits. Traditionally, home-baked mazurek cakes are often decorated with dried fruits and nuts .
In case of one-sheet version the cake includes the borders made of rolled "half-short" pastry. Sometimes the shortcrust base is crowned with a lattice made of half-short or macaroon pastry.
Among other versions, easy to found in popular cook books and gastronomy coursebooks is "Gypsy mazurek" (mazurek cygański). A sheet of "half-short" pastry is "half-baked", covered with a layer made of dried fruit, almonds, egg yolks creamed with sugar and whipped egg white and baked again.