CHERRY BUTTER CAKE – CSERESZNYÉS VAJAS PISKÓTA

This is so Yummy! I could eat the whole cake as soon it comes out of the oven!! Not only that, it has few ingredients and is really easy to make! ENJOY!!

NB. Do not add more cherries than stated or cake will not bake properly. It will be doughy in middle. 

Makes 8 - 10 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c (113 grams) unsalted butter
• 3/4 lb (350 grams or about 45 cherries) fresh sweet cherries(I like to use Bing cherries)
• 1 c (130 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/2 c (55 grams) ground almonds (or flour)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 c (150 grams) granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract(optional)
• 1/3 c (80 ml) milk

NB. If you don't have almond meal just use another 1/2 c of flour.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (200 degrees C). 

2. Butter, or spray with a non stick cooking spray, an 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan. If you chose, you can line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper. I have also substituted used a 9" x 11" glass pan.

3. Melt the butter. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

4. Rinse, dry, and pit about 45 cherries. Cut 1/3 or 15 cherries in half, and set them aside (place on a sheet of paper towel, cut side down) to be placed on the top of the cake during baking.

5. Cut remaining cherries in quarters (to be folded into the cake batter). It's about 1/2 cup of halved cherries and 2 cups of quartered cherries.

quartered and halved cherries

6. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt.

dry ingredients

7. With mixer, beat eggs and sugar until thick and light colored (about 3-5 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract (if using). Then fold in, with a rubber spatula or wire whisk, the melted and cooled butter and milk just until incorporated.

eggs & sugar

8. Gently fold quartered cherries into flour until they are all coated. (not the cherries that you have halved for the top of the cake)

flour coated cherries

9. Next, fold wet mixture into flour just until moistened.

liquid & dry mixed together

10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula or back of a spoon.

11. Arrange the remaining cherries, cut side down, on the top of the cake.

12. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean then remove from oven. If you find the cake over browning, cover with a piece of aluminum foil.

13. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly (about 10-15 minutes). Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of softly whipped cream.


NOTE: I have also used a 9" x 11" glass pan and baked for 20 minutes or until done.

Potato Dumpling Soup ~ Gombóc Leves

This is delicious!! It's basic, simple and so very, very tasty! The dumplings took some time, but I'd definitely make it again and again! 

Video to come!

Prep Time: 60-120 minutes

Serves: 6-8 

Ingredients:
Soup:

• 6-7 (about 2.5 pounds) large potatoes peeled cut into 1" cubes (speeds cooking time) *SAVE WATER FOR  SOUP BROTH
• 3 tbsp lard or olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 large carrots thinly sliced
• 1 large parsnip thinly sliced
• 1 small tomato finely chopped
• 1 hot pepper finely chopped
• 7-8 slices of bacon (alt: sausage, smoke ham)
• 1/4 cup paprika 
• 2 tbsp hot pepper flakes
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 L broth (from cooking the potatos)

Dumplings: 

• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2.5 lbs or 6 large potatoes

Method:

1. Put cut potato into large pot with about 2 liters of water & 1 tsp salt.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cook until potatoes are tender (when poked with a fork, they fall off the fork)
3. In another pot or frying pan fry cut up bacon until browned. 
4. Add to bacon; lard, chopped onion, sliced carrots, sliced parsnip, tomato and hot pepper. Cover and sweat until all are tender. 
5. Next, add paprika, black pepper, pepper flakes and parsley. Stir gently to mix. 
6. Remove from heat and set aside. 
7. When potato is cooked (about 20 minutes) use slotted spoon to remove them to large bowl, saving the potato cooking water. 
8. Add the vegetable mixture to the saved potato water. Add about 1 litre more of water. Bring to boil and then let simmer (slow boil).
9. Mash the potatoes.
10. Once potatoes are cooled, add the flour, eggs, salt and oil, knead to make dough.
11. Shape dough into little balls or dumplings 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter (size of your thumb nail). I wasn't sure about the consistency of the dough. Mine was rather sticky so I dusted my hands with flour to help with the dumpling rolling. 
12. Drop into soup and cook 6-7 minutes. 

Download recipe here:

Karfiolleves (Paprika-Spiced Cauliflower Soup)

SOUP INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tbsp oil 
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 
• 3 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped or grated 
• 8 cups vegetable stock 
• 1 small head cauliflower, large stem removed, cut into florets 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and finely chopped 
• 2-3 tbsp. Hungarian hot paprika 
• 2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped

Method:

1. Heat 3 tbsp oil in soup pot over medium-high heat; add garlic and onion and carrots and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add vegetable stock, cauliflower; season with salt and pepper and parsley and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Rántás Ingredients: (Rue or thickener) Ingredients: (optional)

• 5 tbsp oil
• 1/2 C flour

Start rántás

1. heat up 5 tbsp of olive oil 
2. stir in flour quickly be careful not to burn the flour 
3. add rántás to the cauliflower soup, stirring quickly to make sure it does not turn into dumplings 
4. simmer soup for ~45 min

Optional 

Dumplings Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup flour 
• ½ tsp. kosher salt 
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled 
• 1 egg

Dumplings Method:

1. Make the dumplings: In a bowl, stir together flour and salt; add 2 tbsp. butter, and using your fingers, rub into flour until pea-size crumbles form. Add egg, and stir until dough forms; refrigerate until ready to use. 
2. Using a ½-tsp. measuring spoon, portion out and drop all dumpling dough into simmering soup; cook, stirring occasionally, until dumplings are cooked through, about 3 minutes. 

To serve, ladle soup and dumplings into 4 serving bowls, and garnish with parsley.