The polonaise aversana, sweet born in the province of Caserta, is a thin shell of dough similar to the brioche, with a heart of delicious custard rich in sour cherries in syrup. In the bars and bakeries of Aversa, and not only that, you can also find the ankle boots, single-portions of the same dessert. As with almost all recipes, several variations of this dessert have arisen, for example you could replace the black cherries with the chocolate chips or of the jam At your leisure.

The goodness of this cake is so infectious that it is said to have been particularly appreciated even by famous people, including the President of the Republic John Leone and Pope John Paul II. It was the pope himself who was pleasantly impressed as it brought him back to the flavors of his homeland, the Poland; indeed, the story we are about to tell you explains why the name Polish.

How the dessert came about

In 1920 a nun Polish woman who moved to Aversa used to make a typical Polish dessert for the other sisters in the convent, until the cake passed through the baker's palate. Nicola Mungiguerra. The confectioner transformed the original recipe by creating his own variant suited to the Neapolitan taste, the Grand Polish, which was an incredible success among citizens.

In 1926, in fact, Nicholas opened a bakery, dedicating the name of this new hybrid dessert to him, the Aversan polonaise to be exact. From then on, every Sunday Nicholas and his wife thanked the nuns of the convent by giving them the cake, and this tradition continued for 50 years, until it became a typical custom of all families in the area to end the lunch Sunday.

Although the flavors and textures of the ingredients are contrasting, they blend perfectly within this envelope made crispy by the sugar coating the brioche. Trust us, you absolutely must make this!

The recipe

Ingredients for a 22-cm mold.

For the brioche:

  • Manitoba flour 255 g
  • Eggs at room temperature 60 g
  • Water at room temperature 54 g
  • Butter at room temperature 40 g
  • Sugar 40 g
  • Whole milk at room temperature 16 g
  • Fresh brewer's yeast 4 g
  • Lemon peel (small) 1
  • A pinch of fine salt 

For the cream:

  • Whole milk 500 g
  • Sugar 150 g
  • Amarena cherries in syrup100 g
  • Egg yolks(about 4) 75 g
  • 00 flour 65 g
  • 1 vanilla pod

Proceedings

  1. To prepare the dough sift the flour into a bowl, then add the fresh brewer's yeast by crumbling it directly with your hands, add the sugar and mix well. Pour the mixture into a planetary mixer (or use electric whips) with the dough hook and start mixing at low speed; while the planetary mixer is running, pour in the room-temperature water, the milk, also at room temperature, and the eggs beaten previously in a small bowl (also at room temperature).
  2. When the eggs have absorbed, also add the salt and grated zest of a small lemon (only the colored zest as it is less tart). Finally, add the softened butter a little at a time, letting each piece be absorbed first. Knead the dough until it is elastic.
  3. Place the dough on a work surface and create a ball, place it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and let it rise in an oven off with the light on for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in volume.
  4. To prepare the cream, start by pouring the milk into a fairly large saucepan, add the seeds of the vanilla pod and bring it almost to a boil.
  5. In another bowl, beat the yolks and sugar with a whisk, then sift in the flour and continue to mix the mixture. Add a ladleful of warm milk to the egg mixture and stir.
  6. Pour the mixture inside the saucepan with the rest of the milk and bring it to a boil over gentle heat for about 10 minutes, stirring continuously with a whisk until thick.
  7. Once the cream has thickened, transfer it to an ovenproof dish and cover with clingfilm and let it cool for about 20 minutes, then put it in the refrigerator for two hours.
  8. Meanwhile, drain the black cherries from their syrup and cut them in half. Prepare a work surface with a little flour, take the risen dough and divide it in two, rolling each side out to form a disc 24 cm in diameter and 4 or 5 mm thick. Roll one of the two discs on the rolling pin to transfer it to a baking sheet.
  9. Take the cream from the refrigerator, fill a piping bag and squeeze the cream starting in a spiral from the center of the disk. Lightly spread the cream making sure to leave 2cm between the cream to the edge of the disk.
  10. Spread the cut black cherries on top of the cream, then gently lay the second disc of dough on top of the cream so that the filling is covered.
  11. Take a steel ring with a diameter of 22 cm (alternatively, you can use the hinge of a cake pan without the bottom), place it on top of the cream-filled disks and remove the excess dough, then with your fingertips carefully seal the edges of the two dough disks.
  12. In a bowl, beat the egg yolk with milk and brush the surface, then coat it with granulated sugar. Bake the polacca in a static oven preheated to 180° for about 30 minutes, until the surface is nice and golden.
  13. Once baked, take the cake out of the oven and let it cool. You can finally enjoy your treat!