Recipes: Heart-warming Hungarian dishes for the autumn season – VIDEOS

The weather in Hungary might not remind you of autumn yet, but it is better to be prepared for chilly days. What could be better than a warm meal on a cold autumn day? Whether you are a fan of sweet meals or soups, we have the perfect recipes for you! These Hungarian dishes are quick to make: you will love them!

Traditional cocoa buns/swirls

As you have probably noticed by now, Hungarians love cocoa buns. They are available at every single bakery in the country. Baking these tasty treats is not overly complicated either.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 0.5 kg flour
• 25 g fresh yeast
• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour (optional)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 egg
• 0.25 l milk
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 70 g butter
• 1 pinch of salt

Ingredients for the filling:

• 100 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 100 g icing sugar
• 100 g butter

Preparation:

1. Using the kneading head of a food processor (or by hand), mix the flour, a pinch of salt, sugar, and the grated yeast, then add the whole egg and the extra egg yolk and start kneading.
2. Add the milk, and when you have a smooth dough, add the room-temperature butter.
3. Continue kneading, after about 10 minutes, the dough will not change. It will be gooey and sticky, but that’s how it should be.
4. Using floured hands, take out the dough, and put flour all around it to prevent it from sticking. Then, cover it with a kitchen towel, leave it in a warm place and let it rise for about an hour until it doubles in size.
5. Knead the dough very lightly, then stretch it out on a floured board into a rectangle and make it very thin.
6. Brush the rolled-out dough thoroughly with melted butter. Sprinkle the sweetened cocoa powder over the butter. Don’t spare any of this, it should be everywhere, right up to the edges.
7. Sprinkle some melted butter over it so that the cocoa powder does not transfer while rolling the dough up.
8. Roll up the dough. It should not be too loose, but not too tight either. Next, cut the dough into 4–5 cm pieces.
9. Let the chopped buns rise for another 20 minutes, sprinkle the tops loosely with milk and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Do not pack the buns too tightly, as they will rise in the oven!
10. After it cools down a bit, sprinkle with icing sugar. Fresh, lukewarm, cold, and even on the next day, it is delicious either way!

You can find the original recipe in Hungarian on Nosalty.

Lebbencs soup

If you are not in the mood for a sweet treat, this delicious soup might be the perfect choice for you! It does not require many ingredients and it is easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 medium-sized onion
• 0.25 kg potatoes
• 0.1 kg smoked bacon
• 0.2 kg of pasta
• salt
• pepper
• ground cumin
• bay leaf
• paprika
• 1 l water (approximately)

Preparation:

1. Prepare the vegetables and bacon, cut into cubes or smaller pieces.
2. Take a large pan and brown the bacon.
3. Remove the browned bacon from the pan using a strainer, then sauté the chopped onion in the rendered fat until translucent.
4. Add the pasta, which you can fry a little on the onion.
5. Add the spices, stir gently and add about 0.2 l of water. Allow the base to simmer for a short time.
6. Add the diced potatoes and add enough water to cover them.
7. If needed, you can add more spices.
8. When the potatoes and the pasta are tender, sprinkle with parsley and fried bacon, and serve!

You can find the original article in Hungary on Nosalty.

Read also:

• Paul Taylor in Budapest, be part of a special gastronomic experience in Hungary
• Mark your calendars: Chimney Cake Festival in Hungary!