Ingredient: ginger & nutmeg

Plachinda

Plachinda, also spelled as Blachinda, Platchenda, Platchinta, Blachinde, and Blagenda, is a pastry dessert with a flaky pie crust and a delicious pumpkin filling. It resembles a turnover or a hand-pie.

The history of Plachinda is intertwined with the Germans from Russia culture. In 1910, approximately 60,000 Germans from Russia settled in what is now North Dakota, USA. They brought their customs, traditions, and food recipes with them. Plachinda is one such culinary delight that continues to be enjoyed today.

Once again, I set out to bring back the ‘taste of a memory’. Of course, this used to start with some discussion about the meal with my sister Loretta. Between the two of us we could usually remember enough so I can attempt to recreate the taste.

It seemed whenever my mother made plachinda it was served with a white bean soup or ‘Weisse Bohnensuppe’.  Kind of an unusual pairing of sorts  —  bean soup with a sweet pumpkin pastry but it was so good.

It seems most recipes you find on the internet make plachinda as individual turnovers. I think I recall my mother making it in a rectangle casserole dish with the pastry on the bottom and up the sides and the filling showing. I decided to make it as a ‘jelly roll’.

Here’s my ‘spin’ on this much-loved plachinda. Good but as usual never quite as wonderful as my mother’s. 

Print Recipe
 Plachinda
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Cuisine European
Keyword plachinda
Servings
SLICES
Ingredients
Pumpkin Plachinda Filling
Plachinda Pastry Dough
Cuisine European
Keyword plachinda
Servings
SLICES
Ingredients
Pumpkin Plachinda Filling
Plachinda Pastry Dough
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Pumpkin Filling
  1. In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients & set aside.
Plachinda Pastry
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Whisk together eggs, milk & oil; add dry ingredients, working into a soft, stiff dough.
  3. Turn onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into a 14 x 14-inch square; spread pumpkin filling down the center & halfway out to the sides -- about 1/4-inch thickness.
  4. Fold the outside third of the dough over filling, repeating with the last third; pinch to seal. Leaving plachinda on paper, transfer to a baking sheet.
  5. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice & serve warm.
Recipe Notes
  • If preferred, individual turnovers can be made instead.

White Bean Soup with Pumpkin Pastry

This meal, better known in German ‘circles’ as  Weisse Bohnensuppe & Plachinda.  Kind of an unusual pairing of sorts  —  bean soup with a sweet pumpkin pastry?? It is one of those meals my mother used to make that got pushed into the back of my memory. With pumpkin season approaching and the weather feeling like fall, hearty soups start to come to mind.

Once again I set out to bring back the ‘taste of a memory’. Of course, this usually starts with some discussion about the meal with my sister Loretta. Between the two of us we can usually remember enough so I can attempt to recreate the taste.

It seems most recipes you find on the internet make plachinda as individual turnovers. I think I recall my mother making it in a rectangle casserole dish with the pastry on the bottom and up the sides and the filling showing. I decided to make it as a ‘jelly roll’.

Here’s my ‘spin’ on this much loved meal. Good but as usual never quite as wonderful as my mother’s. 


Print Recipe


White Bean Soup with Pumpkin Pastry

A full-bodied soup with a rich appetizing flavor served with a German pumpkin pastry.

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!

Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine German

Servings


Ingredients
White Bean Soup

Pumpkin Plachinda Filling

Plachinda Pastry Dough

Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine German

Servings


Ingredients
White Bean Soup

Pumpkin Plachinda Filling

Plachinda Pastry Dough

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!


Instructions
White Bean Soup
  1. Cover beans with water in a large stock pot & soak overnight.
    Rinse & drain beans well; return to pot with ham bone & 12 cups water. Simmer uncovered for 2 hours.

  2. Add parsley, onions, garlic, celery with tops, salt & pepper as well as the extra 6 cups of hot water. Simmer, uncovered for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove ham bone, dice the meat & add to soup. Serve with pumpkin plachinda.

Pumpkin Plachinda
  1. In a small bowl, combine filling ingredients; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (or line with parchment paper).

  2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Whisk together eggs, milk & oil; add dry ingredients, working into a soft, stiff dough. Turn onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into a 14 x 14-inch square; spread pumpkin filling down the center & half way out to the sides -- about 1/4 -inch thick.

  3. Fold outside third of the dough over filling, repeating with the last third; pinch to seal. Leaving plachinda on paper, transfer to a baking sheet. If preferred, individual turnovers can be made instead. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice & serve warm.