Christmas is coming soon. Therefore, the time has come to create a festive atmosphere at home and prepare a special dinner for this year’s Christmas Eve. We came up with a classic Hungarian Christmas menu with which you can impress your loved ones and provide an unforgettable culinary experience on this special occasion. Enjoy!

Hungarian fish soup

In Hungary, fish soup is one of the classic starters of the Christmas menu. The preparation might be a bit time-consuming (approx. 150 minutes); however, its divine taste is definitely worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 2 kg carp
• 1 kg catfish
• 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
• 2 large onions
• 1 pepper (large)
• 1 large tomato
• 2 teaspoons of spicy paprika
• 8 fish soup cubes
• 4 l water
• salt

Preparation

Clean and fillet the fish. Dice the meat. Keep the head and the tail, leaving a little meat on them. Dice the onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Sauté the onion in a little oil until translucent. Add the diced peppers and tomatoes – or a little hot paprika to taste – and continue to sauté for a few minutes. Then add the fish head and tail and add enough water to cover them. Cook the fish stock over medium heat until just simmering, about 40-45 minutes. Remove the meat from the cooked fish pieces, and then strain the vegetables and a little stock. Make sure not to leave any fishbone in the sauce. Pour the stock into the saucepan and add the filleted fish pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook the fish for about 30 minutes until tender. In the meantime, flavour the fish dumplings and add hot pepper. As Nosalty reports, the classic Hungarian fish soup is served hot, with thick slices of fresh white bread and green hot peppers.

Read also: These are the best places to find the iconic Hungarian fish soup

Christmas Stuffed Cabbage

A favourite end-of-year festive dish that can only be made in large portions to feed all the hungry mouths of the family is the famous stuffed cabbage.

Ingredients

• For the filling: 100 g rice, 1 kg minced pork leg, 1 head of red onion, 3 cloves of garlic, salt, ground black pepper, red pepper
• For the cabbage: 1 head of sauerkraut, sautéed sauerkraut oil, 2 tablespoons of flour, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, red pepper

Preparation

Wash the rice, add the minced meat, chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper, and knead gently. Wash the cabbage, then roll the filling up in the drained leaves. Cut the remaining cabbage leaves into pieces and place them at the bottom of the casserole, together with the washed smoked ribs. Place the stuffed cabbages on top and add enough water to cover. Cover with 2-3 larger cabbage leaves and bring to a boil. Cook for about 70-80 minutes (time depends on the meat), according to Mindmegette. When the stuffed cabbage is cooked, prepare the roux. Heat a little oil and fry the flour in it, then remove from heat and add red pepper to give it a nice colour, along with two tablespoons of sour cream. Add enough of the cabbage juice to make it about the same temperature, pour it over the cabbage, and bring to a boil. Serve with sour cream and fresh bread.

Christmas bejgli

Whichever flavour you prefer, one thing is for sure: there is no Hungarian Christmas without bejgli.

Ingredients

• For the dough: 200 ml milk, 50 g icing sugar, 20 g yeast, 500 g flour, 250 g butter or margarine, 3 egg yolks, 1 pinch of salt, 1 lemon
• For the filling: 250 g chopped walnuts, 250 g ground poppy seed, 200 g sugar, 200 ml milk, 100 g raisins, 1 pinch of vanilla sugar, 1 lemon, 250 g butter, 250 g margarine

Preparation

To make the bejgli dough, dissolve the icing sugar in lukewarm milk and then dissolve the yeast in it. Sift the flour into a bowl and melt the butter. Add the milk with the yeast and 2 egg yolks to the flour, then add the butter, salt, and grated lemon zest. Mix the dough well: you should get a relatively stiff, elastic dough. Leave to rest in a warm place while you prepare the fillings. Following Mindmegette‘s advice, put the chopped walnuts and poppy seed in a separate bowl and mix with 100-100 g sugar and 100-100 ml milk. The vanilla sugar is also divided in two and mixed into the fillings. You can also mix in raisins and grated lemon zest to taste. Divide the dough into 2 and roll it into rectangles. Spread the filling over the entire surface of the dough to a thickness of about 1 cm and roll up carefully. Place the two rolls in the pan, making sure they are still rising when baked. Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining egg yolk, to which you can add 1 spoonful of milk for a brighter colour. Stab them with a meat fork and bake them in a 200°C oven for about 50 minutes until golden brown.

Read alsoTOP 5 Budapest restaurants open on Christmas Day – PHOTOS

It is that time of the year again! For many of us, the holidays are synonymous with an endless food parade. It is no different in Hungary either where baking Christmas munchies is a beloved tradition. It is not only fun but also brings the family together. Since many of you requested earlier, now we have gathered 5 local recipes for you. These yummy Hungarian Christmas cookie recipes are easy to make, you do not need to hold a black belt in the kitchen. Your friends and family will absolutely love them!

Linzer 

There are no holidays without these sweet buttery cookies that are made of light shortbread and fruit jam. To make them look even more festive, you can use Christmas cookie cutters. The combination of the soft dough and the creamy apricot or plum jam will literally melt in your mouth. Just be patient and wait until they cool down after baking!

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit

2. To make the dough: Beat the margarine, sugar, and zest until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. Add the yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and the salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over-beat.

4. Let the dough rest for an hour in the fridge
5. To assemble: Remove the dough from the fridge, and let it soften for a couple of minutes, until it feels soft enough to roll. It should still feel cold, but should not feel rock-hard. On a floured surface, roll one disc of dough out about 4 millimetres. Using a Christmas cookie cutter, cut out different shapes. Use a smaller round cookie cutter to cut windows in half the cookies, if desired. Mix the eggwhites and the yolk and then apply a glaze on top with a brush. the Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the scrap dough, roll, and repeat. 
6. Bake the cookies on 180 degrees celsius / 356 Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.
7. Once they cooled down, dust the window cookies with powdered sugar. Spread a dollop of jam on the other cookies and gently place the window cookies on top to form cute little cookie sandwiches. Enjoy!

   

   Read more: 3 traditional Hungarian desserts you need to try with a twist

Hókifli 

My grandma’s hókifli (snowy crescent) was famous in her village. Once you tried them, you just could not get them out of your mind. They came back to you even in your dreams with that irresistible wintery walnut-vanilla flavour. In my family, everyone likes to participate in the cookie making, both adults and children. Baking hókifli can be a fun holiday program that brings together you and your loved ones. 

Ingredients:

[one_second] 33 dkg all-purpose flour 

13.5 dkg icing sugar

2 packets of vanilla sugar[/one_second]

[one_second] 25 dkg unsalted butter or margarine

12 dkg grounded walnut or almond

pinch of salt[/one_second]

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 347 Fahrenheit
2. To make the dough: In a mixing bowl, add the grounded walnut, the icing sugar, the vanilla sugar, the pinch of salt, and the all-purpose flower. Beat in the room-temperature margarine or butter. 
3. Knead the dough until it becomes completely smooth without any margarine crumbs. 
4. Wrap the ready dough in a transparent foil and place it in the fridge for an hour. It is better if you flatten the dough out a little so it will cool down faster.
5. To assemble: Once you haven taken out the dough from the fridge, form little balls that weigh approximately 20 grams each. 
6. With hands, curve each cookie dough portion into a crescent moon shape.
7. Place them on a baking sheet in a trail and off they go to the oven.
8. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes. 
9. Once they are done, remove them from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes, or until only slightly warm to touch before coating them with icing sugar or vanilla sugar (depends on your preference) to get their signature snowy look.

   

Zserbó

Zserbó is a real classic when it comes to Hungarian Christmas cookie recipes! It cannot be missed from the Hungarian homes during the festive season. What is the secret of a good zserbó? The more filling you put between the layers, the happier you make everyone in your family. You also should not be thrifty with the chocolate sauce you drizzle on top. 

Ingredients:

[one_second]50 dkg all-purpose flour

25dkg margarine

10 dkg icing sugar

2dkg vanilla sugar

1 large egg yolk[/one_second]

[one_second] 1 packet og baking powder

2.5 dkg yeast

pinch of salt

1.5 dl sourcream or milk

[/one_second]

For the filling:

45 dkg grounded walnut

zest of 2 lemons

60dkg peach or apricot jam

For the chocolate cover: 

20 dkg dark chocolate

2 tbsp. cooking oil

0.3 dl milk or sour cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit
2. To make the dough: Take a smaller pan and warm up the milk or the sour cream until it becomes lukewarm. It is easier to dissolve the yeast in it. Also mix the egg yolk in it. 
3. Mix the flour with the margarine and than add the baking powder, salt, vanilla sugar, icing sugar, and finally the milk and yeast mixture. It will be a bit crumbly, but do not worry! 
4. Knead the dough and divide it into 4 balls. 
5. Cover them up and let them rest in room temperature for 40-45 minutes. 
6. To assemble: Butter and flour your baking tin. On a floured surface roll out one part of the dough to the size of the baking tin, then lay it in.
7. Brush the dough with the jam and sprinkle a good amount of grounded walnuts and some lemon zest on top. Roll out another portion and place it on top. Repeat the previous procedure with the filling. 
8. Once you placed the last layer on top, transfer the cake into the oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes. Let it cool down before the last touch. 
9. For the chocolate cover: Melt the dark chocolate over steam, and then stir in the the oil and the milk. Cover your zserbó with the chocolate sauce and place it in the fridge for a while. The chocolate cover will give the cake a glassy elegant look. Once the cover has cooled, cut the cake into rectangles and serve. 

Read more: Hungarian cottage cheese dumpling recipe has become world-famous

Bejgli

If you want to bake the perfect beigli this winter, look no further! There are many legends circulating about the origin of this tasty pastry. Ever since it appeared in Hungary in the 19th century, there has been no Christmas without beigli. You can prepare it with walnut, poppyseed (the two classic flavours), chestnut, orange-marzipan, or even with nutella. If you like to experiment, you can have a lots of fun creating unique versions of this classic treat. 

Ingredients:

[one_second]55 dkg all-purpose flour 

15 dkg butter 

8 dkg icing sugar 

10 dkg pig or duck fat[/one_second]

[one_second] 1 dl milk

2 large egg yolks

8 g fresh yeast

pinch of salt

[/one_second]

For the filling:

[one_second] 40 dkg grounded walnut or poppyseed

27 dkg icing sugar 

2 packets of vanilla sugar

2.5 dl milk[/one_second] 

[one_second]zest of a lemon 

60 g raisins

2 sp cinnamon

[/one_second]

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 392 Fahrenheit
2. To make the dough: combine the flour, butter, fat, icing sugar, and pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade and process well.
3. We mix the yeast, milk, and the egg yolks in a separate bowl. 
4. Marry the two mixtures in one bowl and knead until it becomes homogeneous. If the dough feels too wet, add a little more flour; if it’s too dry, add milk a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be moist and easy to work with.
5. Divide the dough into 25 dkg portions, adjust them into flattened rectangle forms and transfer them in the fridge. Let them rest for an hour there.
6. To make the filling: Heat the milk and the sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Add the walnuts or the poppyseed and stir to combine. Remove the saucepan from the heat; stir in the lemon zest and the raisins, and let the filling cool.
7. To assemble: Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll the portions out and adjust them into rectangle forms on a slightly floured baking pan. 
8. Spread the filling evenly on the dough. Roll the dough up to form a log, and press to seal. Place the dough, seam-side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
9. Stick the rolled-up dough with a toothpick a couple of times and than glaze it with the egg yolk. Let it rest until the yolk dries and then repeat the procedure. This technique will give a marble-like cover to the beigli. 
10. Once the second layer dried as well, transfer the cake into the oven. 
11. Bake it for 15 minutes on 200 degrees Celsius / 392 Fahrenheit, and then reduce the heat to 190 degrees Celsius / 374 Fahrenheit for another 15 minutes. Voilà, you just got your very first Hungarian beigli.  

    

    

Tepertős pogácsa

Tepertős pogácsa (pork crackling biscuits) is guaranteed to become everyone’s favourite snack on Christmas day for its unique savoury taste. Crackling is a by-product that is made after the pig slaughter. It is actually the skin and fat of the animal which is baked until it gets a nice crispy texture. As you bite into your first freshly baked pogácsa, it will virtually fly you to rural Hungary. Locals often become nostalgic when they get to taste this beloved salty treat as it brings back happy memories from their childhood. 

Ingredients:

[one_second]50 dkg all-purpose flour

25 dkg crackling 

2 dkg yeast 

2.5 dl milk

1 sp grounded pepper[/one_second]

[one_second]1 sp sugar 

2.5 dkg salt 

10 dkg sour cream 

1 egg for glazing

[/one_second]

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 185 degrees Celsius / 365 Fahrenheit.
2. To make the dough: Warm up the milk in a saucepan until it becomes luke warm. Stir in the yeast and the sugar to dissolve. We let it rest for 15-20 minutes. 
3. We combine the crackling with the grounded pepper in a mixer. Once it is done, add all the ingredients in the bowl of the mixer and beat them on low speed for a couple of minutes. 
4. Cover the dough and let it rest on room temperature for an hour. 
5. Roll dough 2 cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Make a shallow cross-hatched pattern with the point of a sharp knife over the top of the dough. You can sprinkle some of the remaining cracklings on top. Cut out 0.5 cm rounds with a cutter.
6. Arrange circles in rows on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about a centimetre apart. Brush the biscuits with egg yoll. Let the dough rest for 30-40 minutes. 
7. Finally, bake them for 12 minutes on 185 degrees Celsius / 365 Fahrenheit. Enjoy! 

   

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