Just like grandma used to do: Autumnal sweet treats the Hungarian way – RECIPE

There is an odd sense of nostalgia in eating the meals your grandma used to make, they are a reminder of crisp autumn afternoons. As you returned from school, the aroma of her cooking filled the house with the comforting scent of spices. Nostalgic meals take us back to simpler times like that. Here we have collected some sweet treats that every Hungarian grandmother spoiled their beloved grandchildren with. Hopefully, you will find equally as much joy in making and trying these dishes as we did after a long school day.

A sweet treat on an autumn afternoon

Currently, some are enjoying the last days of summer and shading under palm trees. Meanwhile, others are thrilled about stepping into the next season, and cannot wait for this heat to leave. Autumn has a magical sphere, it is usually associated with the passing of something and nostalgia. What would be a better idea than making nostalgic meals on a gloomy autumn afternoon?

Hungarians all have a set of sweet treats that their grandmothers used to make growing up. Each bite of these beloved dishes stands as a reminder of the warmth and love our grandmothers infused into these meals. The rustling leaves outside and the soft, fading light of autumn add to the bittersweet feeling.

Hungarian plum dumplings (szilvás gombóc)

Claiming a dish as a national food of a particular nation is a slippery slope. Throughout history, nations met and shared culinary experiences. Thus other nations also have a take on the Hungarian plum dumplings. In Hungary, every family has its own set of traditions. Some may eat plum dumplings as a main course after a hearty soup (such as goulash), while others eat this sweet treat as a dessert. Here is a recipe from Nosalty:

Ingredients:

• 1 kg potatoes
• salt
• 50 g + 1 tbsp butter
• 350 g fine flour
• 10 plums (10-15 depending on the size)
• 13 teaspoons brown sugar
• cinnamon
• 100 g breadcrumbs

Preparation:

Wash the potatoes and boil them in salted water. Peel, mash and leave to cool. Add the salt, 50 g of butter and the flour and knead into a dough. On a floured surface, stretch to a thickness of 0.5-1 cm and cut into squares. Place halved plums in the middle of the squares, sprinkle them with sugar and cinnamon, fold and form into dumplings.

Cook the dumplings in boiling salted water, while you heat the butter in a pan and fry the breadcrumbs with a little sugar until golden brown. Drain the cooked dumplings, roll them in the toasted breadcrumbs and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Bonfire stack (máglyarakás)

Making a bonfire stack as a sweet treat could be a great idea even if you are not a pro in the kitchen. We can promise that this recipe does not take more than an hour to make.

Ingredients:

• 8 rolls (kifli)
• 4 medium apples (peeled)
• 0.6 l milk
• 4 eggs
• 150 g sugar
• 4 tbsp plum jam (plus two for the egg whites)
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 5 dkg butter
• 1 vanilla pod (scraped out)

Preparation:

Dice the buns and drizzle with the milk. Separate the eggs, and beat the yolks with the sugar and vanilla, leaving the whites aside. Pour the yolks over the buns, mixing them thoroughly. Peel and core the apples, cut them into thin slices and fry them in butter in a pan for a few minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and two tablespoons of sugar.

Grease a medium baking dish and line it with half of the milk and egg rolls, then the apples that have been steamed beforehand and the other half of the rolls. Spread with 3 tablespoons of jam. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, then remove, brush with the pre-whipped egg whites mixed with jam and return to the oven for a few minutes, bake until browned.

Cabbage strudel

Strudel is always a good sweet treat. The options for the filling are almost endless. While the cabbage filling for a strudel may be controversial, you have to try it at least once. Here is a speedy recipe to make this cosy autumnal sweet treat if you already have the strudel dough:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cabbage
• 2 large onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 tbsp sugar
• black pepper
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 package of strudel dough/puff pastry

Preparation:

Grate the cabbage, and salt thoroughly and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Fry the chopped onion and the grated garlic in oil, add the sugar and caramelise. Once cooked, stir in the squeezed cabbage and simmer under the lid for half an hour until tender. Meanwhile, add pepper and a little apple cider vinegar. Divide the defrosted puff pastry into 4 parts, roll one out to a nice thin layer, pour 1/4 of the filling over the edge and roll up. When all 4 strudels are ready, brush with egg yolk and bake until golden brown.

Read also:

• Two Hungarian soups are among the world’s best – here are their recipes
• 3 easy Hungarian desserts for your busiest weekdays – RECIPES

Featured image: depositphotos.com