PEACH CREAM SLICE - BARACKOS KRÉMES

I watched this confectionery prepared by Hungarian chef, Gyarmati Ferenc. Unfortunately the website he posted his videos onto was taken off the web, though a small fraction of it was saved on youtube by gerbeaud28 and Gyarmati's Almás Krémes is among them. He used apples for this recipe and I made mine with fresh peaches. As with all Hungarian recipes, the amounts he used I converted into cups and tablespoons according to North American standards. I reduced the sugar content as well, my first effort turned out too sweet for our liking. I used salted butter, which was a bit too salty when I whipped it up with the icing sugar, yes I replaced the superfine sugar as well, but as it turned out, the salted butter could not be detected in the end. So just use whatever butter you happen to have at home. I am waiting for the first frost, that’s when my apples will be ready. Weather you use peaches or apples, this one is perfect dessert to serve for company.

PEACH CREAM SLICE 

4-6 peaches
6 eggs
8 Tbsp sugar
8 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp oil
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 pkg. 6 serving cooked jell-o pudding
2-2/3 cups milk
1/2+1/8 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 vanilla sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
4 squares semisweet chocolate
2 Tbsp butter
aluminum foil
cooking spray

• Line a rectangular baking tray with aluminum foil.

• Spray it all around with cooking spray.

• Peel and pit the peaches and slice.

• Sprinkle 2 Tbsp ‘Fruit Fresh’ over them and toss to coat.

• Arrange peach slices inside the prepared pan.

• Place the egg yolks, sugar, oil and lemon juice in a large bowl.

• Beat until batter is thick and lemon coloured.

• Sift the flour and baking powder over the batter and mix to combine.

• In a separate bowl whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

• Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter.

• Pour half the batter over the peaches and spread out.

• Add 2 Tbsp of cocoa to the remaining batter and gently mix.

• Pour cocoa batter on top of the previous layer and spread out.

• Bake at 350F until the middle of the cake springs back.

• While the cake bakes, prepare the custard layer.

• Pour the contents of two packages of vanilla pudding mix in a medium pot.

• Place 2-2/3 cups of milk in the microwave and bring to boil.

• Add the boiling milk to the pudding mix.

• Cook the pudding over medium low heat, continually stirring, until very thick.

• Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

• Whip the butter, lemon juice, vanilla and icing sugar until light and fluffy.

• Add to the cooled pudding and whip together to combine.

• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely.

• Place a serving tray over the cake and invert.

• Remove the pan and the foil.

• Spread the top evenly with the custard.

• Place in a fridge to chill thoroughly.

• Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave.

• Stir and cool.

• Pour over chilled cream layer.

• Slice and serve.

   

FUDGE BROWNIES

Brownies are chocolaty heaven for the chocoholic. The presentation can be rustic with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or formal on a tray. Always make it, never buy it, or it’s just not brownies.

FUDGE BROWNIES

Cake:

1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
Icing:
6 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 2/3 cup icing sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

• Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
• Remove from heat and stir in cocoa.
• Blend in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
• Blend in dry ingredients.
• Stir in the chopped nuts.
• Pour batter into a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
• Bake at 350F 30 to 35 minutes.
• To make the icing, cream the butter in a small mixer bowl.
• Add cocoa and icing sugar alternately with milk.
• Beat to spreading consistency.
• Blend in the vanilla.
• Let the brownies cool to lukewarm.
• Spread icing over brownies evenly.
• Cut into squares.

Rustic Brownies 

DRY CURD CHEESECAKE

This rustic cheesecake has a nice texture. Eat it as is or with a fruit coulis. I used a small springform cake pan, but it should work just as well in a regular cake pan. I cut this slice while still warm.

DRY CURD CHEESECAKE

Crust:
1-1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cold butter
1 egg yolk
1-1/2 Tbsp sour cream

Filling:
3 cups dry curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup + 1/2 cups icing sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

• In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and baking powder.

• Add the cold butter and rub into flour with clean hands.

• Add the egg yolk and sour cream and mix to combine.

• Roll dough large enough to line the pan and come up the sides part way.

• Crush the dry curd cottage cheese in a food processor.

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup icing sugar until fluffy.

• Add the cottage cheese.

• Add the egg yolks, flour, cornstarch, baking powder and vanilla.

• Mix ingredients until well combined.

• In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until hard peaks form.

• Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup icing sugar.

• Gradually, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cheese mixture.

• Pour the cheese batter into the pastry lined pan.

• Bake at 350F for 60 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

• Place on a wire rack to cool.

CHICKEN STOCK

The secret of good soup is good homemade stock.

CHICKEN STOCK
1 chicken, cut-up, [except the liver]
1 carrot, cut
1 rib of celery, cut
1 onion, cut,
3 bay leaves
3 parsley sprigs
12 peppercorns
2 whole cloves
10 cups of water

• Place all ingredients in a large stockpot and bring it slowly to boil.
• Skim off the froth, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
• Remove the meat and de-bone.
• Reserve the meat and put the bones back.
• Simmer the bones for 3 hours.
• Strain and discard all the solids.
• Refrigerate stock for 8 hours.
• Skim off the fat that has collected on the surface.
• This makes about 8 cups of chicken stock.

LAYERED PAPRIKA CREPES - CSÚSZTATOTT PAPRIKÁS PALACSINTA

Savoury crepes are thicker than sweet crepes. Whisk up a batch of my crepe recipe, omitting the grated lemon rinds of course, and decrease the milk to 1 cup. This will yield about 5 savory crepes which then can be filled with any leftover paprikás. Or if you have a cup of ground pork or ground chicken at hand, whip up a quick paprikás in less then ten minutes. Then as you stack them, spread each crepe with a thin layer of the paprikás. It will look like this:

LAYERED PAPRIKA CREPES

Savory Crepes:
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1- 1/2 cups flour
1 cup milk
oil for cooking
Paprikás Filling:
1 cup lean ground pork or ground chicken
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced,
1 garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
1 large tomato, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 green pepper, diced

• Whisk together the eggs, salt, flour and milk until smooth.

• Set aside the crepe batter and make up the paprikás.

• Dice the onion and mince the garlic.

• Heat the olive oil in a non-stick fry pan.

• Add the prepared onions and garlic and sauté until soft.

• Add the ground meat and lightly brown the meat, stirring continuously.

• Stir in the tomatoes.

• Stir in the paprika and season with salt and pepper.

• Stir in the diced green pepper.

• Sauté paprikás for a couple of more minutes.

• Cover, remove from heat and set side.

• Add a bit of oil to a clean non-stick fry pan and ladle in some of the crepe batter.

  This amount should yield 5-6 six crepes; more here about frying crepes.

• Stack the crepes on top of one another with a thin layer of paprikás in between.

• Cut and serve with sour cream.

• This amount will serve two people for dinner or give 4 good starter dishes.