William Penn Life, 2003 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2003-12-01 / 12. szám
The Hungarian Kitchen with Főszakács Béla Sweet seasons greetings FÁRADJON BE A MAGYAR KONYHÁBA. How long does it take to go through 580 pieces of holiday desserts? The answer is 45 minutes! When I made all the recipes for the students to try on the last day before winter break, it took that long before they were all gone! Here we are halfway into the holiday season, closer to Christmas and the New Year. Again, Chef Vilmos and I want to wish you all a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Let me say thank you again, to all the readers who support the Hungarian Kitchen. By the emails and letters I receive, I know people want to learn more about cooking and Hungarian food. While this is the final column of the Hungarian Kitchen for 2003, rest assured Vilmos and I already have many new things to bring your way in 2004. Without further delay let me give you some more recipes I know will make your holidays a little sweeter. I have also included a very special traditional recipe for mézeskalács or honey bread. When I find an excellent recipe, I always give credit to the source. In this case, it's George Lang. The recipe appears in his book "Cuisine of Hungary". This months selected recipes are easy to prepare and very scrumptious. For the kifli and kalac recipes, I have given you two fillings. For the prune or apricot filling, use a good brand from the store or get the real thing at your local Hungarian butcher shop. Buy French vanilla icing because it has extra flavor. Get yourself a small set of food coloring so you can decorate your holiday cookies. Another cooking tip I will give you deals with flavorings. I use cordials and alcohol for extra flavor. When I make anything with nuts, I use amaretto instead of vanilla. I also use the butter-flavored Crisco when called for in any recipe. Have fun with all the recipes and remember: you're only limited by your imagination and creativity when in the kitchen. Merry Christmas to you all! Jo Hungarian Kifli 6 cups sifter flour I teaspoon salt I pound Crisco 'A pound butter 8 ounces cream cheese 3 egg yolks I pint sour cream I teaspoon vanilla I teaspoon grated lemon rind In a large bowl mix flour and all dry ingredients. Cut in the Crisco, butter and cream cheese. In a separate bowl put the egg yolks, sour cream and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add this mixture to the flour bowl and blend well making a dough which is smooth. Put dough in refrigerator overnight. The next day, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough into four parts, rolling one at a time. Roll out very thin on a floured board. Cut into 3-inch squares. Put filling of choice in center and roll into a half moon. Dust kifli with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Cool and serve to your guests. Kifli Nut Filling 4 egg whites V* cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 finger pinches of salt 1 Zi cups ground walnuts In bowl blend egg whites, sugar, salt and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in ground walnuts and refrigerate until ready for use. Poppyseed Tilling 2 cups water I cup granulated sugar 3 cups ground poppyseeds I small apple peeled, cored and chopped fine Heat water and sugar in saucepan to make simple syrup. When syrup comes to a boil, add poppyseeds and mix thoroughly, wetting all the poppyseeds. Stir in finely chopped apple. Refrigerate until ready to use. Flaky Dough Kifli I pound Crisco 3 cups flour I teaspoon salt I yeast cake 1 cup milk 2 eggs 2 tablespoons vinegar I egg yolk 'A cup sugar Dissolve yeast cake into cup of warm milk, about 110 degrees. Sift flour, salt and sugar into a mixing Continued on next page 10 WOliu Ptu Life, December 2003
