Survivor, Lena Goldstein, spent most of the war in the Warsaw Ghetto, before escaping and spending the last few years hiding in an underground bunker. After the war, she married and emigrated to Australia in 1949.  This recipe featured in the very first Monday Morning Cookery Club (“MMCC”) book but was such a favourite, it has made a reappearance — with a new filling — in the just-published baking book, Now for Something Sweet. The MMCC write that the sour cream pastry is lightly flaky, easy to work with and freezes well. Note: You will need to start this the day before serving.

Start this recipe the day before serving.

Method: 

• For the pastry: combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the sour cream, egg yolks and vanilla, mix until a soft and slightly sticky dough forms.
• Divide the dough in 2, wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate overnight. 
• The next day: preheat oven to 180°C. Grease or line a baking tray. Cut each piece of dough into quarters (each piece makes 1 roll). Working with 1 piece at a time, lightly knead the dough on a surface sprinkled with a little flour. The dough may be wrapped and frozen at this stage to use in the future.
• With a floured rolling pin, roll out 1 piece of dough thinly until you have a rough rectangle measuring about 30 x 15 cm. The pastry should be a little translucent.
• Spread the jam over the pastry, to the edges, then sprinkle with chocolate and sultanas. Roll from the long side to form a log, then place, seam side down, on the prepared tray. Brush with egg wash and prick a few times with a fork to let the air escape and prevent cracking. Repeat with as many of the remaining pieces as you wish to make, or freeze the dough for another day.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until golden. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes then gently move to a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, use a sharp serrated knife to slice into 2.5cm diagonal slices.

Recipe adapted from Now For Something Sweet by the Monday Morning Cooking Club, Harper Collins