NANAIMO BARS

There are good things in life and one of them is definitely having a Nanaimo bar. Since more than one Canadian family claims ownership over it, the one sure thing is where it came from; Nanaimo, B.C. Otherwise it would be called Winnipeg Bars or Vancouver Bars or something like that. Oh it's Canadian all right, as Canadian as maple syrup.

Use good cocoa and real butter. You can get away with margarine in the base but not in the middle and top layers. Always use unsweetened, fine coconut. Sweetened coconut would upset the flavor balance, and large strands of coconut would interfere with the texture of the base. But the most important factor is the bitter chocolate on the top, the chocolate glaze has to be from unsweetened chocolate. Any hint of sugar and it would spoil this magnificent cookie bar. It’s hard to slice it neatly. If you freeze the cookie first, the chocolate will loose its luster. Otherwise the chocolate smears on the middle layer when sliced. A neat freak will have a lot of fun slicing this bar...LOL.

NANAIMO BARS

Base:

1/2 cup butter

5 Tbsp sugar

5 Tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg, beaten

2 cups graham wafer crumbs

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup fine unsweetened coconut

Filling:

4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp cream
2 Tbsp Bird’s Custard Powder
2 cups icing sugar
Topping:
4 squares of unsweetened chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp butter

• Line a square pan with parchment paper leaving extra paper to hang over two sides.
• Melt the first 3 ingredients in top of a double boiler.
• Add the egg and vanilla and stir to cook and thicken.
• Remove from heat and stir in the crumbs, coconut and nuts.
• Press mixture firmly into the pan.
• Combine the butter, cream, custard powder and the icing sugar.
• Beat until light.
• Spread over the bottom layer. 
• Melt the chocolate and butter over low heat.
• Let it cool.
• When cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in the refrigerator.
• Lightly score the top before the chocolate completely hardens.
• Refrigerate the bar for several hours. 
• Chilling solidifies the base and aids in the development of the flavors.
• Cut around the sides to loosen bar from the pan.
• Grasp the parchment overhangs and gently lift the bar onto a cutting board.
• Run hot water on a sharp chef's knife before each cut.
• This is a rich bar, so cut into bite size pieces.
• Makes 16 squares

DEEP FRIED VEGETABLES

A photo of fried beans from last summer, but I call the recipe deep fried vegetables, because most fresh vegetable would be good prepared this way. Slice or chop them to 1/4 of an inch in depth, the most important factor being that they be tender and fresh. A while back I posted Jamie Oliver’s vegetable tempura on my site. Would it sound conceited if I told you I liked this better?

DEEP FRIED VEGETABLES

1 handful of green beans
1 egg to start, add more if needed
1 cup flour
3-4 cups peanut oil
salt and pepper to taste

• Remove the ends and discard blemished parts.
• Wash green beans thoroughly.
• Let them drip dry.
• Meanwhile pour the oil into a heavy, deep pot and bring to 350F.
• Beat the egg in a medium sized bowl until frothy.
• Place the flour in a large bowl.
• Add the handful of beans to the beaten egg.
• Toss with your hands until beans are well coated with the egg.
• Grab the handful of beans with your hands.
• The egg wash will drip, but don’t shake off the excess.
• Plunge the beans into the flour and drench them completely.
• When the oil is ready, add the beans and fry to golden crisp.
• Drain on paper towel and serve piping hot.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

REGAN DALEY SUGAR COOKIES

I was never a fan of sugar cookies until I tasted this one. Oh I made them, a different one every year, just so Olivia could decorate them. But I often found them sickly sweet, or floury and tough. Much like the beautifully decorated Christmas and Easter cookies from the bakery. Then I saw Regan Daley make Sugar Cookies with Rock Sugar Border on CityLine. That is what convinced me to try yet another sugar cookie recipe and I was simply blown away how good they turned out to be. These are crisp and soft at the same time, sweet, but not too sweet, they have substance, but are not floury... These Regan Daley sugar cookies are simply perfect and perfectly simple to make. 

REGAN DALEY SUGAR COOKIES

For the Cookie Dough:

1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour

To Decorate:
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles.

• In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

• Stir in the flour, and using your hands gently combine ingredients.

• Mix quickly but lightly, so as not to overwork the flour.

• Divide dough and form two firm cylinders.

• Wrap the cylinders tightly with plastic wrap.

• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

• Preheat the oven to 350F.

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

• Work with one portion of dough at a time, leaving the other in the refrigerator.

• Brush the first cylinder with the lightly beaten egg yolk.

• Roll the dough into rainbow sprinkles.

• Rotate the log every few slices to avoid flattening the roll on any one side.

• With a large knife slice the dough into 3/8-inch wide slices.

• Lay them 3/4 inch apart on the baking sheets.

• Repeat the procedure with second log, then go to finish.

• Bake the cookies for 12-18 minutes, or until the bottoms begin to colour.

• Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.

• Carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

• Makes 36 cookies

Or simply slice and bake the cookies and finish them up with royal icing and chocolate chips on the tops.

              

CANDIED CITRUS PEEL

I made candied citrus peel the other day – I could have eaten it all in one sitting… it was that good! But I valiantly packed it away into a jar, intending to make several more batches for the stollen I am planning to bake for Easter. Christmas was a hectic time, I was happy I got the beigli made. So I candied the peel and THEN I looked at some of the recipes and to my surprise I found an endless variety of peel recipes and all promising to be great. I remove the pith from the peel myself, that’s the white spongy lining that separates citrus fruits from their outer skin. The pith you see is bitter, especially when cooked or baked with. But then I read that “the pith makes the skin far more succulent once candied” Hmm. I should try that too. But in the meantime I am slowly filling the jar with candied peel.   

CANDIED CITRUS PEEL

skin of 2 lemons
skin of 2 oranges
1-1/2 cups water
3/4 cup + 2/3 cup sugar

• Wash and dry the fruit well.
• Cut off both the top and the bottom of each fruit.
• Cut the peel off lengthwise in 1/2 inch sections with a sharp paring knife.
• Reserve the fruit for another use.
• Discard all pithy fruit membranes from peel.
• Cut peel into thin strips.
• Place the peel into a medium sized pot.
• Add 1-1/2 cups water and 3/4 cup sugar to the pot.
• Stir and bring to simmer. Cover the pot.
• Quietly simmer for two hours.
• After two hours remove uncover pot and continue slow simmer.
• When the liquid is reduced to 1/4 remove pot from heat.
• With a slotted spoon take out the cooked peel and place it on a platter for a short time.
• Reserve sugar syrup for another use.
• Put 2/3 cup of sugar in a bowl.
• Add the peels to the bowl and shake it a bit until sugar coats the peel.
• Line a large tray with parchment of wax paper.
• Transfer the peel to the tray and let it air-dry for a couple of hours.
• Pack candied peel into a clean jar and cover with a well fitting lid.
• Store candied peel in the cupboard.

WALDORF SALAD

Aaah the real waldorf! It is best of course with homemade mayo, but a good quality full fat mayonnaise will work too.

WALDORF SALAD

1/2 cup mayonnaise, full fat
1/2 cup sour cream 14%
1 Tbsp sugar
2 apples, diced
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 lettuce leaves (optional)

• Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and the sugar and stir smooth.
• Mix the diced apples, chopped celery and walnuts.
• Fold the apple mixture into the mayonnaise blend.
• Serve the Waldorf salad on lettuce leaves.

RASPBERRY STREUSEL BARS

There are several versions of this bar circulating on the Internet, sometimes with a slightly different write up, but always with the same ingredients. I saw it on the Church Cook and she saw it on Cooks Illustrated. It’s a good bar, but I had to sweeten the berry mixture a bit. Taste it before you spread it on the shortbread crust. Depending on the type of berries and your own personal taste, you may want to adjust the sweetness of the berry mix. It should be a bit tart, but not too tart. In the end I added 2 Tbsp of sugar, because my frozen berries [I grow them myself] are on the tart side. I didn’t roast my walnuts, because these too came from my own backyard and are crisp and fresh, but if I had to use commercially packaged walnuts I would lightly pan-roast them before chopping them up with a chef’s knife. I also added lemon rind to the crust.

RASPBERRY STREUSEL BARS

2-1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp lemon rinds
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup + 2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped fine
3/4 cup raspberry jam
3/4 cup fresh raspberries [if frozen thaw first]
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• Line a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper allowing it to overhang pan edges.

• Spray parchment paper with cooking spray.

• In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt.

• Add 2 cups of softened butter and rub between hands until well combined.

• Take out 1-1/4 cups from the flour mixture into a smaller bowl and set it aside.

• Press remaining flour mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

• Bake until crust is light golden and the edges begin to brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

• Meanwhile add brown sugar, oats, and finely chopped nuts to the reserved flour mixture.

• Toss to combine.

• Rub the remaining 2 Tbsp butter into the mixture until butter is fully incorporated.

• In small bowl combine the jam, raspberries, and the lemon juice.

• Spread the raspberry mix evenly over the hot crust.

• Sprinkle the streusel topping over filling, but do not press.

• Return pan to oven and bake for 25 minutes until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

• Let it cool and then remove from pan by lifting out with parchment extensions.

• With a large chef's knife, cut into squares and serve.

STUFFED TENDERLOIN - TÖLTÖTT HÚS

Observe the ingredients and the preparation. There can be no tastier or more tender stuffed pork. Chef training is solely lacking in North America. Everything is hinged on convenience and profiting large corporations. Food chemists work day and night to sneak ingredients into our food. It is hard to find real food anymore. Restaurants just heat or fry up what they receive from their suppliers. Who needs real chefs anymore? 

    

STUFFED TENDERLOIN

1 large pork tenderloin

250 g ground pork
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 eggs
3 Tbsp oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp dry parsley
1/2 tsp marjoram

• Make a slit down the tenderloin and filet into a thin rectangle.
• Pound it to even thickness with a meat tenderizer.
• Slightly salt it on both sides and set it aside for a few hours on the counter.
• Place the ground pork in a bowl.
• In a fry pan sauté diced onions in oil until soft.
• Add to the bowl with the ground pork.
• Add the egg, minced garlic, pepper, salt, parsley and marjoram.
• With clean hands combine until all ingredients are well distributed.
• Arrange the stuffing on the tenderloin shaping it into a log.
• Roll up the tenderloin around the stuffing and fasten it with toothpicks.
• Place the rolled up tenderloin in an oiled roasting pan and cover.
• Bake at 350F, basting often.
• Tenderloin will be done when clear juices run.
• Remove from oven, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Remove toothpicks and slice.

MY CARROT AND ALMOND CAKE WAS PUBLISHED!

My complimentary copy by the Dietitians of Canada titled "Cook!" with 275 recipes that "celebrate food from field to table" by Mary Sue Wais is just arrived in the mail. And the best part is they used my own Swiss Carrot Cake! No, I am not a dietitian! But there it is on page 348 titled as Carrot and Almond Cake, and there is a full page photo of it and a smaller one on the back cover. Wow!

  

LEMON RIND

You need lemon rind so you grate the skin and then end up throwing away the lemon, because it goes soft in a couple of days. Then you need lemon juice and the rind gets tossed. So making lemon rind and juice at the same time or making rind and fresh lemonade is an economically sound practice, not to mention a time saver when you need one or the other or sometimes both. Its flu season so I don’t make lemon juice these days, I am making fresh lemonade and a lot of it. This way I use all the edible parts of the lemon.

LEMON RIND

• Wash and dry the lemons.
• Cut off the ends and don’t forget to peel off the stickers.
• With a small sharp knife peel off the yellow skin with as little of the white pulp as possible.
• Put the peels inside the food processor and hit the pulse button a couple of times.
• Pack the rind into a plastic food container with a well fitting lid and freeze.
• When you need lemon rind for your next recipe, you will be glad to have lemon rind all ready to go.
   

FOAM KISSES - HABCSÓK

These tiny confectioneries look great among a tray of petit fours or small cookie bars. I sandwiched a tiny amount of left over icing between some of the meringues, but in retrospect a bit of lemon curd would have been better. I don’t much care for North American style meringues; they are baked too long and too hard. But I rather like the Hungarian “melt in your mouth” type habcsók. My piping apparatus was not at home, so I used a zyploc bag to pipe these ones.

FOAM KISSES - HABCSÓK

1/2 cup egg whites
2 cups icing sugar
1 pkg. vanilla sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

• Preheat oven to 200°F.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl beat whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add the icing sugar, beating continually.
• Add the vanilla sugar and the lemon juice.
• Beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks.
• Transfer part of the meringue into a zyploc bag.
• Close the zyploc and cut off a small corner of the bag.
• In a circular motion press a small amount of meringue onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Leave about an inch space between the meringues.
• Bake for 1/2 an hour.
• Remove from oven.
• With metal spatula loosen the bottoms from the parchment paper.
• Keep meringue kisses in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

     

RUSTIC SOURDOUGH BREAD

So far this is the closest I have come recreating the type of bread I grew up with.

RUSTIC SOURDOUGH BREAD
1 cup shortcut sourdough starter 
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
4-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
cornmeal

• Place starter, yeast, sugar and warm water in a large bowl and stir well.
• Let stand 5-10 minutes or until foamy.
• Add salt and 4 cups of bread flour and stir to make a stiff dough.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface; kneed in flour to make soft dough.
• Kneed until smooth and elastic; 15 minutes.
• Place dough in greased bowl; turn to coat.
• Cover and let rise in a warm draft free place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.
• Grease baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
• Punch dough down and shape into a large oval loaf.
• Place on baking sheet.
• Cover and let rise until doubled.
• Preheat oven to 375F. Cut diagonal across top of loaf and brush with water.
• Bake 45-50 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Makes 1 large loaf

SHORTCUT SOURDOUGH STARTER

Make the starter 3 days before you plan to use it. It will develop for two days and will be ready to use on the third. Use a large non reacting bowl; glass, pottery or plastic. The bowl should be a large one, because the starter will rise at one point during the first day. It will deflate after that, but it can make a glorious mess on your counter top, not to mention the tea towel if the bowl is not deep enough. Do not use metal to stir it. I used a disposable fork. Once ready, store the starter in the fridge. When you remove starter for a recipe, replenish what you have taken with equal amounts of flour and water. For instance if you use 1 cup of starter; add back 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water.

SHORTCUT SOURDOUGH STARTER
1 pkg. active dry yeast.
2 cups warm water [40-45C]
2 cups all purpose flour

• Sprinkle yeast into a large, dry non metallic bowl.
• Add warm water slowly.
• Stir with a non metallic utensil.
• Add the flour gradually, stirring constantly.
• Stir the mixture to breakup all the lumps.
• Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let stand for two days at room temperature.
• Stir down occasionally.
• Use on the third day.
• Replenish with equal amount of flour and water and refrigerate.
• If you don’t feed it for two weeks, chuck it and start anew.
• Recipe makes 3 cups of starter.

Begin the starter in a large bowl and transfer it to a smaller container for the fridge. But make sure it still has airspace for the yeast activity for when you replenish the starter.

CHALLAH

Holy cow this is the best! This one is the most amazing bread loaf I ever tasted, so it’s well worth doubling the recipe. You won’t be able to stop eating the first one and then the next day you will be mourning it all gone. Tall and magnificent, it didn’t spread out in the baking pan, instead it rose upwards. Fluffy, fluffy light braided loaf and unlike other breads it didn’t deflate when I cut off a slice hot out of the oven. Truly amazing, this recipe is a work of art! From the wonderful book called Secrets of a Jewish Baker by George Greenstein. The original recipe called for 4-1/2 cups of bread flour. I reduced it to 4 cups and the challah was just right for me. The recipe below reflects the adjustments I made to it. And instead of two small, I made one large four braided loaf. I have to work on my braiding technique though; a 6 braided loaf would have been even higher. Apparently, the height of the challah increases with the number of braids used, the simplest 3 braided loaf being the least of these. All purpose flour will not work all that well, you have to use bread flour to get the desired results. Normally everything has to be room temperature, including the eggs. But according to Mr Greenstein in really hot weather it's advisable to use cold ingredients to keep the dough temperature from becoming too high.

CHALLAH
1 cup warm water
2 pkg. active dry yeast (1-1/2 tablespoons)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
4 cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
vegetable oil, for coating bowl
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water and a pinch of salt, for egg wash
poppy or sesame seeds, for topping (optional)
cornmeal, for dusting baking pan

• In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let it soften.
• In a small bowl lightly beat the egg, egg yolks and the oil.
• Add to the yeast mixture in the large bowl.
• In a small bowl combine the sugar and the salt.
• Add to the yeast mixture in the large bowl.
• Add 4 cups minus 1/8 of a cup of the flour to the large bowl.
• Stir until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
Add the remaining 1/8 cup of flour to the kneading surface.
• This is important: Knead the dough for 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and the gluten is well developed.
• When you push down, the dough should feel firm and push back.
• Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to coat, and let rise, covered, until dough is tripled in volume.
• The dough is fully raised when an indentation made with a finger into the center remains and does not recede..
• Punch down the dough, cut in half, cover, and let it rise for 15 minutes.
• Punch down again and, on a very lightly floured work surface, use your palms to roll the 4 long ropes, tapering the ends to a point.
• Braid the challah and transfer to a cornmeal-dusted baking pan.
• Brush with the egg wash, using care to cover completely, but do not let excess egg drip into the crevices.
• Let the egg wash dry and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if desired.
• Brush with egg wash a second time.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Bake for 35 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven until the loaf has a rich mahogany color and emit a hollow sound when tapped lightly on the bottom.
• If the top begins to brown excessively and the bottom is raw, cover the bread with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil that has been creased down the center to form a tent.
• To test for doneness, press lightly between the braids on the highest part of the bread; it should be firm.
• If you feel the creases give when lightly pressed, continue baking until they firm up. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Challah keeps very well for several days in a plastic bag in a bread box.
• It can be frozen; defrost slowly, preferably wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

FRESH LEMONADE

Refreshing chilled in hot weather and a soothing winter drink when heated up. This lemonade is lemony and mild, not overly sweet and doesn’t make your lips pucker. Let the flavor develop in the fridge overnight. Don’t worry about the seeds, because they won’t get crushed in the blender.

FRESH LEMONADE
6 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
3 lemons, peeled

• Place 6 cups of water in a pot.
• Add the sugar and bring it to full boil.
• Remove pot from heat.
• Ladle out 1 cup of sugar water into a bowl and let it cool somewhat.
• Meanwhile peel 3 lemons, removing most of the white rind.
• Place the pealed lemons in a blender and pour in the 1/2 cup of sugar water.
• Cover and process.
• Place a fine sieve over the pot with the remaining sugar water.
• Pour the lemon juice through the sieve and into the pot.
• Discard the pulp and the seeds.
• Heat the lemonade but do not let it come to boil.
• Pour it in a glass jug.
• Let it cool and then refrigerate overnight.
• Serve it on a bed of ice or heat up a cup as needed.
• Makes 6-1/2 to 7 cups of lemonade.
   

COCOA BREAD LOAF - KAKAÓS KALÁCS

These are easier to bake in bread tins, but feeling nostalgic, I made them to look like my grandmother's. She would have never guessed I will learn to cook one day. 

COCOA BREAD LOAF 
Dough:
2+2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 Tbsp instant dry yeast
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk, lukewarm
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter, slightly melted
2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk
1/8 cup melted butter
Filling:
1/3 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup sugar
Glaze:
1 egg white

• Assemble all the ingredients.
• In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of bread flour with the remaining dough ingredients.
• Beat the dough with and electric beater for 4 minutes.
• If you have a dough hook attachment, replace the regular beater. Otherwise, the rest of the beating will have to be done manually.
• Gradually [not all at once] incorporate the remaining 2 cups of bread flour into the yeasty mixture.
• Knead the dough with the dough hook for 5 more minutes or knead the dough on a lightly floured kneading surface for 10 minutes by hand. This is important to develop the gluten.
• Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm, draft free place until tripled.
• Punch down dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide the dough and roll into two 10X15 inch rectangles.
• Brush the rectangles with melted butter, leaving a 1/2inch margin all around.
• Sprinkle the fillings over the buttered area spreading it evenly.
• Fold the ends inward and roll up to enclose the filling.
• Place the loaves in greased bread-tins, or on a parchment lined baking sheet.
and let them rise until doubled.
• Beat the reserved egg white with 1tsp water and brush the tops.
• Bake the loaves separately in a preheated 350F oven for 25 minutes.
• Remove loaf from the pan and cool on racks.

SWISS ROLL - PISKÓTA TEKERCS

Piskóta is light and airy and very versatile. There is no agreement between cooking references to what piskóta actually is. It’s a foam cake according to some and a chiffon cake according to others. One reference site even called it a sponge. The best description is probably foam cake, but I opted to call it Swiss Cake/Piskóta, simply because Swiss cakes are foam cakes in general.

Piskóta is the quintessential starting point for Hungarian torts and dessert recipes. Piskóta contains many eggs, but the main identifying mark of piskóta is that it has no added fat [except for what is already in the egg] and no leavening agents. The leavening comes entirely from beaten egg whites. So it’s quite important to have the right flour, any kind of cake and pastry flour is suitable, but the absolute best results I had was from Swan’s Down Cake Flour. It is found near the cake mixes, in a box, but don’t mistake it for cake mix, it really is a cake flour. It is equally important to preheat the oven and to prepare all the baking pans in advance. Bake the piskóta as soon as it is ready or the egg whites will deflate. If the cake layers are to be baked separately, you will need more than one cake tin, because the remaining cake batter will deflate while the first layer is in the oven. To cut long layers, a serrated knife is recommended.

Ölbő 1993. My sister in law is making piskóta. Halló Karesz!

SWISS ROLL

6 eggs separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup cake flour
lemon zest, finely grated
apricot jam
2 Tbsp icing sugar

• Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and lemon colored.
• Add zest to sifted cake flour.
• Stir the flour mixture into the yolk mix.
• Wash the beaters and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
• Gently incorporate egg whites with the yolk mixture.
• Line a large, rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Pour the batter on the cookie sheet.
• Gently smooth out the top.
• Bake at 350F until the middle springs back.
• Scatter icing sugar on a clean tea towel, the same size as the cake.
• Carefully invert cake over sugar and peel away base paper.
• Using towel to guide, roll up from the short side and leave to cool.
• Carefully unroll cake.
• With serrated knife, trim short ends of cake.
• Spread with apricot jam. 

• Re-roll the cake and place, seam-side down, on a plate.

• Serve cake cut into slices.

ROLLED POTATO DUMPLINGS - KRUMPLI NUDLI

If you don’t know what "nudli" is shaped after, I will give you a hint: think of - naked baby boys. Now that we have that one out of the way, let’s just concentrate on the dough. Nudli dough starts out the same way as plum dumpling, in fact my grandmother made them both at the same time. We kids preferred the nudli and the adults generally ate the dumpling. I tend to make one or the other. 

ROLLED POTATO DUMPLINGS
3 cups cooked red potatoes, riced and still warm
1/8 cup butter
2-1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
Coating Mix:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup ground walnuts
2 Tbsp brown sugar

• Cook the potatoes in their jackets.

• Make the crumb mixture while the potatoes cook.

• Place 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp oil into a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

• Add the bread crumbs and ground walnuts, stirring frequently, until crumbs are golden and crisp.

• Stir in couple of tablespoons of brown sugar.

• Remove the crumbs from heat and set aside.

• When the potatoes are tender, pour off the water and set aside the potatoes.

• Let them cool a bit for easy handling.

• Peel and chop potatoes while still warm.

• Put them through a ricer or mash them really well with no chunks left.

• Mix in the butter; it will melt into the potatoes. Let it cool down to room temperature.

• Add the flour, eggs and the salt and mix thoroughly.

• Kneed the dough until smooth; adding more flour if needed.

• Dough should be pliable and light, but not sticky.

• Working with small portions, roll the dough into “snakes” on a lightly floured surface.

• Cut into 2” lengths and roll them lightly one by one.

• Boil a large pot of water.

• Add the nudli to the boiling water in batches so as not to over-crowd them, and gently simmer until they float to the top.

• Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a colander.

• Drain for a minute or two and then roll them in bread crumbs.

• Pour the prepared breadcrumbs into a medium sized, deep, round bowl.

• Add the nudli to the bowl with the breadcrumbs.

• Gently shake the bowl to coat nudli with breadcrumbs.

• Move nudli to a serving bowl and repeat the procedure with the next batch.

• Place the nudli in the breadcrumbs as soon as they come out of the boiling water or the breadcrumbs will not stick.