Hungarian Heritage Review, 1991 (20. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)

1991-03-01 / 3. szám

ip

The Culinary Art of Hungary

CHOCOLATE NUT ROLL Serves 8 to 16

For the cake:

6 eggs

6 heaping tablespoons sugar 6 tablespoons finely ground walnuts

1 tablespoon fine white fresh breadcrumbs (see appendix)

1 /4 teaspoon baking powder

For the icing:

1 cup unsalted butter 1 egg

8 to 10 tablespoons powered sugar 8 to 10 tablespoons Dutch cocoa 1 tablespoon boiling water 1 to 2 tablespoons brandy or rum (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°. Beat eggs with sugar on high speed in an electric mixer 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are light, fluffy, lemon-colored, resemling whipped cream just before it starts to form peaks. By hand, gently fold in the nuts (sprinkled spoonful by spoonful over the surface), then the breadcrumbs combined with the baking powder.

Grease a 10 x 15 jelly-roll pan and line it with waxed paper. Pour in batter and bake 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven, invert on a clean kitchen towel, and roll the dough up with the towel jellyroll fashion. Leave it rolled up and let it cool.

For the icing, beat to a light, fluffy consistency the unsalted butter with egg. Gradually add powered sugar sifted together with cocoa. Add boiling water and blend. Spread this icing over the surface of the unrolled cake; roll it up and frost the outside. If you wish, add 1 or 2 tablespoons brandy or rum to the icing.

For a Yule Log, cover the chocolate icing with a thin layer of whipped cream, chill, then make rows with a fork so it resembles the bark of a tree.

CHEF'S SECRET

You may bake this same batter in two 8-or-9-inch round cake pans and make a two-layer chocolate nut törte. You may also omit the cocoa in the frosting; instead add 6 tablespoons ground walnuts and 2 tablespoons rum, and decorate the slices with nut halves.

For a plain nut törte, use almonds, filbert (hazelnuts), pecans, or walnuts. The ratio remains the

same.

Be sure to cover the bottom of a Springform pan with waxed paper, and always bake this type of cake in a lined pan. After cooling, freeze layers for easier handling.

CHOCOLATE TORTE Serves 8 to 16

One of our most popular desserts is the Chocolate Torte. To make it, follow the recipe for the Chocolate Nut Roll, page 276, but don't roll it up. Instead, cut the sheet into thirds lengthwise, assemble with the chocolate buttercream icing between the layers, then cover with the same chocolate buttercream. We find it much easier to do a nice, even covering job if we chill the assembled cake to the point where it is firm to the touch, but leave the buttercream at room temperature.

To decorate, we use a star tube and a pastry bag to press out a small rosette or star on each slice. We add one whole nut from the nuts used to make the törte itself. For instance, if we use ground hazelnuts, then a toasted hazelnut goes into the middle of the little chocolate star.

FROM THE BAKERY RESTAURANT COOKBOOK *

COPYRIGHT BY LOUIS SZATHMARY,PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR

MARCH 1991

HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW

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