Eastern riches
Cookbook author Silvena Rowe shares some recipes for desserts from the home kitchens, cafés and pastry shops of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland
Blackberry and buttermilk tart
Serves 8
Buttermilk is a slightly sour liquid made by separating butter fat from cream after churning it. It has a tangy flavour and is widely used in Eastern European bread and desserts, especially in Russia and the Baltic countries. This tart is best made when the berry season is in full swing, but you can substitute other fruits when fresh berries are not available.
Ingredients
225 g plain flour
50 g caster sugar
115 g unsalted butter, chopped
1/4 teaspoon almond essence
Buttermilk filling
2 large egg yolks
1 whole egg
65 g soft brown sugar
50 g vanilla sugar seeds from a plump vanilla pod
1 teaspoon cornflour
250 ml buttermilk
50 ml double cream
500 g blackberries
Place the flour and sugar in a food processor and combine well. Add the butter and mix in short bursts until it resembles breadcrumbs, then the almond essence and some water, if needed, for the pastry to come together.
Place the dough on a floured work surface and knead gently. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for an hour. When ready, roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it’s 4mm thick, then line a tart dish of about 22-24cm in diameter. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4. Line the tart shell with baking paper and fill it with baking weights, dried beans or other pulses you may have in the cupboard (and keep specially for this purpose). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
To make the filling, whisk together the egg yolks, egg, sugar, vanilla sugar, vanilla seeds and flour. Gently heat the buttermilk and double cream together, and whisk into the egg mixture. Place the blackberries in the tart shell and very carefully pour in the warm buttermilk mixture. Place in the oven, having reduced the heat to 160ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3, and bake for 35-40 minutes until the buttermilk filling is firm.
Rich chocolate hazelnut torte
Serves 8–10
This cake is inspired by the rich and delectable tortes served in Café Ruszwurm in Budapest (Szentháromság utca 7, www.ruszwurm.hu), easily the best place to find classic Hungarian patisserie. My version is different, but not too different, and can be adapted to become one of your family traditions.
Ingredients
150 g butter
200 g dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids, chopped
6 large eggs, separated
150 g soft, brown sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour
100 g ground hazelnuts
Chocolate ganache
150 ml double cream
200 g dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids, chopped
Hazelnut topping
150 g caster sugar
200 g shelled hazelnuts, peeled and roasted
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4. Have a 20cm-wide round baking tin ready, buttered and lined with kitchen paper.
Melt the butter very slowly over a low heat. Remove it from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring all the time so that the chocolate melts in the hot butter. Leave to cool. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then put aside until needed.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well. Sprinkle in the flour and ground hazelnuts, and mix together carefully. Add the egg whites, and fold them in carefully to retain as much air as possible.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes. The cake should be set, but slightly wobbly in the centre. Allow it to cool in the tin.
To prepare the chocolate ganache, heat the cream almost to boiling point. Immediately remove from the heat, and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until it’s all mixed together. Cool, then pour over the cake to glaze. Allow to set.
To make the hazelnut topping, place the sugar and 100 millilitres of water in a saucepan and cook until lightly caramelised. Remove from the heat and add the whole hazelnuts. Stir briefly to coat. Using tongs, and working quickly, remove the sticky nuts in clusters, and place on lightly oiled baking paper to cool. Top the cake with hazelnut clusters and serve.
Makowiec Polish poppy seed and almond cake
Serves 8
Using poppy seeds in desserts is a great tradition in Russia, Ukraine, Hungary and Poland. They can be ground into a powder and used in a variety of dishes. This cake is called a makowiec in Poland and is extremely popular in café shops.
Ingredients
325 ml milk
60 g butter
80 g caster sugar
15 g fresh yeast
1 egg
650 g plain flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Poppy seed and almond filling
250 g poppy seeds
100 g caster sugar
60 g butter, cubed
150 g ground almonds
the zest of 3 lemons
4 teaspoons clear honey
Bring 275 ml of the milk to the boil in a medium, heavy-based saucepan, then add the butter and 65 g of the sugar while stirring. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Place the remaining milk in a small pan and warm on a low heat until lukewarm. Place in a bowl and add the yeast, egg, remaining sugar and a tablespoon of the flour, then mix well. Keep in a warm place until foamy.
Transfer the milk and butter to a large bowl and add the yeast mixture. Stir to combine and slowly add the remaining flour. Mix well, then knead the dough on a lightly floured surface in front of you until it’s smooth and elastic. Stand the dough in a bowl for an hour, until doubled in volume.
Meanwhile, make the poppy-seed filling. Place the poppy seeds in a large pan and cover with water. Simmer for 40 minutes and drain. Put the poppy seeds through a grinder until they turn to powder. Place in a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.
When the dough is ready to cook, divide it into two balls and roll each piece into a rectangle measuring 20cm by 40cm. Spread half of the filling over each rectangle and roll them up to form two Swiss rolls. Brush the rolls with the egg white and bake for 25 minutes, then leave to cool on a cooling rack.
Apple strudel
Serves 6
Making a strudel is a dying art. In the depth of the Hungarian countryside housewives still make their own filo pastry, but ready-made is the next best thing. A true strudel should be fine, crisp and light, and have very thin pastry filled with fruit. Apple is the most common filling, but you can also use cherries, or savoury fillings such as sauerkraut.
Ingredients
60 g melted butter, plus extra
500 g cooking apples, peeled, cored and cubed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
75 g shelled pecans, roughly chopped
85 g caster sugar, plus extra
35 g brioche breadcrumbs
10 large sheets filo pastry icing sugar to decorate
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400/gas mark 6. Butter and line a flat baking tray. Place the apples and lemon juice in a medium saucepan and cook over a medium heat for around 5 minutes until the apples are soft. In a bowl, mix the apples, nuts, sugar and breadcrumbs.
Lay out a damp cloth on a work surface and place a sheet of filo pastry on it. Brush generously with melted butter. Repeat the process with the rest of the sheets.
Once you have all the filo buttered and stacked in front of you, place the apple-and-pecan mixture in the middle of it and roll up the pastry like a Swiss roll. Butter the roll on all sides and sprinkle on some extra caster sugar. Place on the prepared tray and bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Feasts by Silvena Rowe, published by Mitchell Beazley, is available on www.amazon.com from around €30
Bookmark This Post
