3 effortless Hungarian desserts to bare the summer heat – RECIPES
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As temperatures soar and the summer sun beats down, there’s no better way to beat the heat than with a sweet treat. Hungary, known for its rich culinary heritage, offers a delightful array of desserts that are not only delicious but also wonderfully refreshing. From creamy custards to fruity delights, Hungarian desserts are the perfect way to indulge your sweet tooth while staying cool during the sweltering summer months.
The iconic strudel (rétes) for lazy people
Hungarian rétes, also known as strudel, is a beloved pastry with a rich history dating back centuries. This delicate, flaky treat is traditionally filled with sweet or savoury fillings, such as apples, cherries, cheese or cabbage, and is a popular Hungarian dessert. While rétes is undoubtedly delicious, it is notorious for being challenging to make.
The difficulty lies in the thinness and elasticity of the dough, which requires skill and patience to stretch and roll out properly. The dough, made from flour, water and a touch of oil or butter, must be stretched by hand until it is nearly transparent, a process that demands precision and finesse. If the summer heat was not enough to make you sweat, making this sweet delicacy surely will. Why not take a different take on this Hungarian dessert that is equally as tasty but much easier to make?
Ingredients
- 100g butter
- 1 can of halved peach
- 200g flour
- 200g icing sugar
- 1 baking powder
- 450g Hungarian cottage cheese (túró)
- 4 eggs
- 0.5 litre milk
- 1 vanilla sugar
Preparation
- Grease a baking pan with half the butter.
- Pour off the juice from the peaches and cut them into small pieces.
- Mix the flour, icing sugar and baking powder and sprinkle half of the mixture into the buttered pan. Sprinkle over the cottage cheese, then the peach pieces and sprinkle the other half of the sugar and flour mixture over the top.
- Beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla sugar with a whisk and pour over the top of the cake, covering the flour mixture completely. Shake the pan slightly. Pipe the remaining butter over the top.
- Bake in a 180°C (356°F) oven until golden brown. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.
The ultimate Hungarian dessert for the summer: Semolina pudding-currant cubes
Semolina pudding, also known as semolina porridge or semolina dessert, is popular in various European countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. In Hungary, we often call it “tejbedara” or “tejbegríz”. Now, let’s make something even better out of it! For this recipe, you can swap out the currant with any fruit of your choice.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 8 eggs
- 8 tbsp sugar
- 8 tbsp flour
- 1 baking powder
- 1 baking soda
For the cream:
- 1l milk
- 8 tbsp semolina
- 200 g margarine
- 200 g icing sugar
- 500 g currants
