CINNAMON SUGAR MUFFINS

 

I will not use the C word, but 2020 has been a dreadful year and we are not yet done with it. Perhaps add some cinnamon sugar to sweeten things up? Olivia was hankering after cinnamon muffins. “Not spice grandmama, only cinnamon.” So using large cup liners I made nine of these lovelies. If more is needed, simply double the ingredients. All but one muffin was passed on in a socially distanced manner. You see Olivia is back at school with a cohort of 150 students plus teachers; which in reality means several thousand souls, some of which “don’t believe in masks” or in the possibility that relatives or good friends can infect them. Because the virus cares who is related to whom. Thanks to the absence of critical thinking, the two of us had to isolate ourselves. I haven’t had a haircut since February, …. I might as well keep baking.

CINNAMON SUGAR MUFFINS 

3/4 cup 1% milk 

1 Tbsp vinegar 

1/4 cup melted butter 

1 3/4 cups flour 

3/4 cup golden sugar 

2 tsp baking powder 

2 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 beaten egg 

1/4 cup whipping cream 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

Topping: 

1/4 cup melted butter 

1/4 cup sugar 

1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon 

• In a small dish melt the butter. 
• In a measuring cup combine the milk and the vinegar. 
• Preheat the oven to 420F. 
• Line a muffin pan with 9 large or 12 medium sized parchment muffin liners. 
• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and the salt. 
• In a medium sized bowl combine the melted butter, egg, milk-vinegar mixture, whipping cream and the vanilla. 
•  Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture. 
• With a wooden spoon lightly stir just to combine. 
• Mixture should be lumpy. 
• Don’t combine it with the batter; gingerly stir in 1 tsp of ground cinnamon. 
• You should see streaks of cinnamon in the still lumpy batter. 
• Divide the batter evenly in the muffin papers. 
• Bake only until cake tester comes out clean. 
• Don’t worry about baking it “golden”. 
• Remove from the oven and let the muffins rest in the pan for a few minutes. 
• In the meantime melt the butter for the topping and combine the sugar with the cinnamon. 
• Dip the tops into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar. 
•  Place muffins on a cooling rack. 
• These are delicious served warm.

PORK PEPPER STEW - SERTÉSHÚSOS LECSÓ

This one is basically a combination of two iconic dishes, Hungarian pork stew, [pörkölt] and Hungarian pepper stew, [lecsó].

I prefer to use pork tenderloin for this; tougher cuts of pork would make it a much bigger and lengthier operation than a lecsó should be. The seemingly large amounts of onions give sweetness and bulk and the carrots serve similar purpose here. As for the fresh peppers, it is best to use Hungarian peppers, but in a pinch smaller yellow, orange and red peppers are a good substitution. Those large dark green bell peppers are not suitable for lecsó. They lack the flavor and go limp and soggy when cooked in liquid.

PORK PEPPER STEW 

3 Tbsp oil 

 2 large onions [do not reduce amount] 

1 1/2 cups chopped pork tenderloin 

2 tsp Hungarian paprika 

2 cloves of garlic 

salt and pepper to taste 

2 carrots 

3 medium size tomatoes 

5 fresh peppers cut into rings

• Cut the tenderloin into smallish cubes.
• Dice the onions and mince the garlic.
• Place 3 Tbsp olive oil in the pot on medium heat.
• Add the onions and sauté until soft, but not brown.
• Add the pork tenderloin cubes and keep turning them over until no pink is visible.
• Add the Hungarian paprika, garlic, salt and pepper and give the pot a good stir.
• Add about a cup of water [not quite covering the meat] and bring it to a slow simmer.
• Cook until the meat is almost tender.
• Meanwhile chop the peppers into rings.
• Peel and slice the carrots.
• Chop the tomatoes; I used 1 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes.
• When the meat is almost tender, add the sliced carrots, the fresh pepper rings and the tomatoes and give it a stir.
• Bring it to a slow simmer on medium heat and slow cook until the pepper rings and the pork is tender.
• Adjust the salt and the pepper to taste.

SWEET CHERRY STRUDEL - CSERESZNYÉS RÉTES

- with fresh cherries and laminated filo: 

As long as you follow a few basic rules, it is possible to make strudel from frozen filo. Some videos suggest scattering the filling, generally fruit, all over the dough. Don’t do this with commercial filo.

There are two types of cherries, sweet and tart and they cannot be used interchangeably. Sour cherries have a robust flavor and can be enhanced with ground cinnamon and ground walnuts. Sweet cherries on the other hand are mild, so cinnamon and walnuts would just overpower the delicate cherry flavor.  Therefore always pair sweet cherries with finely ground almonds and for flavoring use vanilla or some type of sweet liquor instead.

SWEET CHERRY STRUDEL

For one strudel use:

4 sheets of commercial filo pastry

1/3 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups sweet pitted cherries

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup finely ground almonds

2 Tbsp sugar 

2 Tbsp melted butter

1 egg whisked

1 Tbsp sugar for sprinkling

icing sugar for dusting

Strudel should be soft and sweet on the inside and wispy and crispy on the outside. The introduction is a must read. It contains pertinent information.

Place the frozen filo dough in the refrigerator to thaw for at least 12 hours. If thawed too quickly the filo will harden and crack.

Once the dough is fully thawed, prepare the fruit.

Remove the stems and wash the cherries.

Pit them and combine them with 1 cup sugar.

Set them aside for 1 hour.

Meanwhile line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

After one hour drain the juice.

Then using your hands squeeze out all remaining juice. 

Set the cherries aside.

Next take out 4 sheets per strudel and place immediately on a large piece of plastic wrap on a smooth, clean surface.

Cover the filo right away with a large piece of plastic wrap.

Place a damp kitchen towel on top of the plastic.

Rewrap the extra dough tightly in plastic wrap, box it and put it in the freezer or refrigerator for storage.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Place one sheet of filo on the work surface.

Dip a soft pastry brush into the melted butter and brush it all over the pastry lightly.

Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of ground almond all over.

Place the next sheet on top.

Butter and sprinkle with the ground almonds again.

Try not to position tears on top of one another.

After the last sheet is buttered, lift the laminated filo onto a clean kitchen towel.

With a spoon place the remaining finely ground almonds along the long end.

Gently arrange the prepared cherries on top of the ground almonds.

Using the tablecloth flip the filo over the filling.

Gently lift the roll onto parchment lined baking sheet.

Tuck the ends under.

Brush the top first with butter and then with the egg wash.

Sprinkle sugar on the top

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let the strudel cool to room temperature.

Dust with icing sugar and cut into slices 

Cover up leftovers with a clean kitchen towel and store on the counter or in the cupboard. It will keep for a couple of days. However strudel is best on the day it was made.