Rakoczi Curd Cheese Cake -Special /Rákóczi-Túrós

I already made this Hungarian speciality(the original is here), named after a Hungarian mater pastry chef János Rákóczi. It is well famous all over the world and Hungary (whichever party shop you go in Hungary, you will find this dessert among many others). It made up from several layers: biscuit like bottom pasty, curd cheese, apricot and soft meringue. This time I adapted this recipe for my new baking pan: the 8 slice cake moulds.

Rákóczi-túrós in Zila Cake Mould

For the base

250 g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

120 g butter

120 g sugar

1 egg yolk

1 dl soured cream

1 tbsp lemon zest

For the curd cheese filling

2 eggs+1 extra egg yolk

500 g curd cheese/Quark *more on this at the Tricks and Recommendations

120 g sugar

50 g semolina

1-2 tbsp bread crumbs

1 vanilla pod

For the filling

apricot jam

tinned/fresh apricot

For the meringue

2 egg whites

80 g icing sugar 

Shift the flour and the baking powder together in a bowl, then add the butter, sugar, egg yolk, soured cream and lemon zest and work it together. Form a dough ball and knead a little so all ingredients are well incorporated. Wrap it in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

In the meantime you can prepare the filling. Mix together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, then add in the curd cheese, semolina and vanilla seeds and mix again.

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.On a floured surface roll the pastry to about 5-8mm thick(or to the size of the Zila Cake Mould).

Spray the Zila Cake Mould with a vegetable based releasing agent and pour in the curd cheese filling. With a soft spatula try to compress the filing into all cavities and when finished tap the Mould (placing first on a pan) to the work-surface a few times.
This is very important to avoid empty bubbles when turned up side down after baking

Sprinkle on top the bread crumbs(in case the curd cheese layer would release any juice after turned upside down the breadcrumbs would absorb it). Place on top the pastry, trim the edges and prick with a fork. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is nice golden brown.

Leave it to cool as we take out from the oven for 10-15 minutes, then turn it up side down. Remove the silicon part and the stainless steel ring and leave it to cool completely.

Place chopped apricots to the cavities and fill them with apricot jam.

In a mixing bowl whip the egg whites to soft peaks then add the icing sugar and mix it to further 5 minutes until the mixture is nice and shiny. Place the meringue in a piping bag and pipe on top of the cake, leaving the slice divider lines exposed, so you know where you should cut it.  

You can either put back the cake into the lukewarm oven until the top hardened or you can use a blow torch(much faster if you ask me).

All left is have a slice and enjoy.

Gundel Pancake/Gundel Palacsinta

This year the pancake day will be on the 12th of February. To celebrate this grand occasion, I made some pancakes in preparation, to have a practise run before the big day. Gundel Pancake is a traditional Hungarian pancake created and invented by Karoly Gundel. It is a pancake with ground walnuts, raisins and rum filling served flambéed dark chocolate sauce. It is quite heavy, I would be surprised if you could eat more than two even if you are a big guy. Due to traditions I included my dear friend, Kabi's kitchen pancake batter recipe.

Gundel Pancake / Gundel Palacsinta

For the Batter (makes about 20)

400g plain flour

3 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

500ml milk

250ml sparkling water of soda water

4 eggs

sunflower oil

For the filling(for 4-7 pancakes)

4 tbsp rum

80 g of raisins

60 g grated walnut

65 g chopped walnut

150 ml double cream

50 g caster sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

For the chocolate sauce

80 g dark chocolate, chopped

100 ml single cream

2 egg yolks

1/2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp caster sugar

2 ek rum

Before you start the pancakes, put the raisins in a bow and pour the rum on top. Leave it to soak for 1 hour, or until you ready with the pancakes. As the rum won't cover the raisins, stir it time to time.

Sift the flour in a mixing bowl and add the salt and sugar. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs and the milk(add the milk in two portion mixing well in between). Mix it well, and slowly add the sparkling water until it reach the consistency  of thicker single cream. 

Stir it up before you start to make them. Heat up the pan until very hot with some oil and make the first batch of the pancakes. Poor the mixture in the middle of the pan, and with circular motion of your wrist spread it evenly. When the edges start to brown flip it with a plastic spatula or a flat wooden spoon. In order to get out of the kitchen before midnight use at least 2 frying pan/pancake pan...I usually do it with three and create a small production line.

Put the double cream in a heavy based pan, add the sugar and bring it to boil. When it reached boiling point add the chopped and the grated walnut, cinnamon and cook it for further 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool for a few minutes then add the rum soaked raisins and the rum if left any. Stir it well, and add some more rum, if you require so.

Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl over boiling water with the single cream and stir it until the chocolate is incorporated with the single cream. Take off from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks first then the butter and sugar. Return the bowl above the boiling water and reheat it.

Take one pancake fill it with the hot walnut filling and fold it in half then to another half, to get the typical quarter shape. Place one or two on the plate, pour on top the chocolate sauce. To flambé the pancakes, just pour some rum on top of the chocolate sauce than light it with a blow torch. Please be really careful and if you don't want flambéed Gudnel pancakes, just simply pour the rum into the chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Fingers Celebration Cake with Red Berries

It is my friend's birthday today so true to traditions I baked her a birthday cake. I always wanted to make a similar cake but the chocolate cigarellos just way out of my budget range(for a small cake  it would cost 30-40 pounds at least). But, there is a cheaper alternative: Chocolate fingers! I modified my previous flourless brownie recipe (but added some flour to make it more sturdy) as I just couldn't have enough of it since yesterday.

Chocolate Fingers Celebration Cake with Red Berries

Ingredients for the cake
250 g dark chocolate broken into pieces (around 60%-70 cocoa solids)
250 g unsalted butter, diced
100 g golden caster sugar
4 medium eggs
100 g  ground almonds
50 g plain flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder, sifted
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

For the cream and decoration
250 g mascarpone
100 g dark chocolate broken into pieces
2-5 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
2.5 box of Cadbury Chocolate Fingers

300 g raspberries
150 g strawberries

red ribbon for decorating
2 coloured pearl headed pins

Preheat the oven to 170C and prepare two 19 cm sandwich tin.

Melt the chocolate (250 g) with the butter in a bowl set over a pan with a little simmering water in it. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and stir to combine, then leave to cool slightly. Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture, one by one, beating after each addition until the mixture is very glossy.

Gently fold in the ground almonds, flour, baking powder and cinnamon without overmixing.

Spread the chocolate mixture in the tins and bake for 25-35 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean with just a few moist crumbs on it.

In the meantime  you can prepare the filling. Melt the 100 g chocolate in a bowl set over a pan with a little simmering water in it. Remove from the heat then leave to cool slightly. Add the mascarpone and work it until fully incorporated then add Amaretto liqueur to taste (as this cake made for a birthday girl, I wasn't shy with the amount:))

When the cake is ready and completeley cooled, level with a cake leveller. Place one layer on the cake stand and spread some chocoalte filling and sandwich with the other sponge layer.

Cover the cake with the rest of the chocolate cream (leaving a thicker layer on the top rather than the sides) and start to press lightly the chocolate fingers to the sides. You should face the cake eye level otherwise after a few chocolate you tend to misplace the fingers and they won't stand straight.

I prepared the bow while baking the sponge. Just cut a piece of ribbon, tie it, then insert a headed pin from behind. Cut a bigger piece of ribbon, tie it around the cake and fix it with another headed pin(obviously please wash the pins before use, and just before cutting the cake remove the ribbon with the needles to avoid any accidents). When you happy with the position of the ribbon just insert the bow on top.

Place or arrange the washed fruits on top.............and you can start preparing for the birthday party.

and Happy Birthday Rimma!!!!!

Flourless Chocolate Brownies

The second recipe I tried from my new Annie Bell book was this brownie. I was quite curious how this would turn out, as I modified the recipe (I don't normally change recipe without trying out first the original, but there are exceptions) . First of all I used half the sugar the recipe originally suggested (200 g) - and was still sweet enough -, left out the additional 50 g of dark chocolate chips and added some berries. These days I go to the gym 5 times a week and I didn't want to ruin my hard earned -kgs. The result was a beautifully moist, melt in your mouth light brownies. As it doesn't contain any flour it is gluten free, but crumblier than the usual brownies.

Flourless Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients
250 g dark chocolate broken into pieces (around 60%-70 cocoa solids)
250 g unsalted butter, diced
100 g golden caster sugar
4 medium eggs
150 g  ground almonds
1 heaped tsp baking powder, sifted
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
handful of berries

Preheat the oven to 170C and prepare a 23 cm square tin (rectangle is fine as well).

Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl set over a pan with a little simmering water in it. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and stir to combine, then leave to cool slightly. Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture, one by one, beating after each addition until the mixture is very glossy.

Gently fold in the ground almonds, baking powder and cinnamon without overmixing.

Spread the chocolate mixture in the tin, sprinkle over the fruits and bake for 25-35 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean with just a few moist crumbs on it.

Leave to cool completely in the tin - it will be very crumbly to begin with, but will firm up a little by the following day. The brownies will keep well in an airtight container for several days (ha-ha not in our household).

Hints and tips:

You can also replace the sugar with fruit sugar(Tate Lyle what I use sometimes) or agave to make your brownies totally sugar and flour free as well