Hungarian Crepe / Palacsinta

Since discovering this recipe from No Salty, a Hungarian food and recipes site, I have already made it twice. These are not as thin as crepe but the texture for me is spot on, a bit chewy , just the way I like it!

Palacsinta
https://www.nosalty.hu/recept/edes-palacsinta-alapteszta

Ingredients (at room temperatureÖ
makes : 12 crepes
3 eggs
4 Tbsp sugar (I used only 3)
1 sachet vanilla sugar
a pinch of salt
12 Tbsp of flour
480ml milk
50ml cooking milk


Just follow the video included in the link above for instructions.

Chocolate Babka

Hungarian Fried Bread { Lángos II }

Over the years I have tried to recreate the nation's favourite street food at home, with so-so but acceptable (to me) results. See https://cookingeasttowest.blogspot.com/2015/11/hungarian-fried-dough-langos.html and https://cookingeasttowest.blogspot.com/2016/05/native-american-fried-bread.html

Am glad I found this following recipe which is easy and comes with video instructions.

Hungarian Fried Bread { Lángos II }
via https://www.nosalty.hu/recept/igazi-strandos-langos
Makes 4 regular-size / 7 mini-size

300gm Bread flour
10ml lukewarm milk
150ml water
25g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp icing sugar

Topping suggestions
3 cloves of garlic, mince
200ml sour cream
200gm cheese

Method :-
1) In a cup, add lukewarm milk, fresh yeast and icing sugar for 10 mins. to activate the yeast.
2) In a bowl, sift in bread flour and salt, make a well, add in the proof yeast and about 150ml of water. Mix it well and let it rest for an hour at a warm place covered with kitchen cloth.
3) Heat up vegetable oil to deep fry. Tear a ball off the dough, stretch it (see video in link given) and fry until golden brown.
4) Serve hot , top with topping of choice.

Native American Fried Bread

This fried-bread looks very much like the Hungarian Lángos. However, the Hungarian version is leaven using yeast. While this Native American version uses baking powder ; which makes the process faster. Of course, there are difference in taste too.

For testing purposes, I have reduced the ingredients to a third of the original.

Native American Fried-Bread
via The Pioneer Woman

1 cup All-Purpose Flour
a pinch of salt
1 tsp Baking powder (slightly rounded tsp)
1/4 cup milk
water as needed
Lard or shortening , for frying (I used vegetable oil, will try lard the next round)

Instructions

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork as you pour in the milk; keep stirring for a bit to get it to come together as much as possible. Add just enough water to get it to come together. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit for 35 to 45 minutes to rest.

When you're ready to fry the bread, heat about 1 to 2 inches shortening/lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Grab a plum-sized piece of dough (or larger if you want larger fry bread) and press it into a circle with your fingers: place it on a clean surface and begin pressing in the center and work your way out, stretching it as you go.

When the circle is about 4 to 7 inches (however big you want it) carefully drape it into the skillet. Allow it to fry on one side until golden brown, about 1 minute, then carefully flip it to the other side using tongs. Fry it for another 30 to 45 seconds.

Remove the fry bread to a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to drain while you fry the other pieces.

Serve warm!

Homemade Belgian Waffle

Not sure why it took me so long to invest in a waffle maker, when I love eating waffles?! Now that I finally bought one and that the first recipe came out exactly how I like it. It will definitely be used many Sundays ahead.
Homemade Belgian Waffles
adapted from casa de lindquist
serves : about 6 x 10x12cm waffles
Ingredients:
1 large egg or 2 medium-sized eggs, room temp.
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
about 207ml milk, room temp.
57gm butter, melted
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
Method:
1) Lightly grease waffle maker then switch it on to pre-heat.
2) Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. set aside.
3) In another bowl, whisk egg(s) and sugar until light and fluffy.
4) Pour in milk and melted butter, mix well. Finally add in the flour-mixture. Mix until lump-free. Don't over mix.
5) Spoon waffle batter onto pre-heated waffle maker. close it. and set timer to 5 minute.
6) Serve hot with any sweet or savoury condiments.

Coconut and Cinnamon Granola

Granola is not normally featured in my diet, but I have to give this recipe a try as it seems pretty easy to make. This smelt heavenly when baking in the oven, and of course was very yummy with yoghurt, frest cherries and sunflower seeds. Will definitely make it again!

I halved the following recipe which yield a 450g-jar.

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut (mine wasn't sweetened ; so, I sprinkled some demerara sugar)
2 cups sliced almonds (didn't add any when baking , instead sprinkle sunflower seeds when serving)
1 1/2 cups dried cherries, chopped (used fresh cherries instead)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup good honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to gas mark 3.
Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, and cherries together in a large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon, and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. (I baked for 25 mins.)
Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.

Hungarian Fried dough { Lángos }

Yes! I finally decided not to be lazy anymore and venture into making lángos at home. It is not difficult at all! Just like making pizza, except it is fried. Don't get me wrong, I'll still be buying ready-made ones from my Sunday market. However, if you need to feed or serve a hugh crowd doing it at home, will be more economical.
Lángos
Via visitbudapest.travel
300 g all-purpose flour, sifted
7 g dried (instant) yeast
250 ml water (*** I used luke warm)
1/2 teaspoon salt
sunflower oil (for frying)
toppings: sour cream, grated cheese, garlic
Method
1) Dissolve instant yeast in luke warm water. Set aside for 10 mins or until yeast has been activated (froth / foaming)
2) In a bowl, sift together flour and salt. Add in the activated yeast water. Mix together by using your hand or wooden spoon. The dough is very sticky! Just mix it until the dough is smooth and not stick to bowl.
3) Let the dough rest , covered, for 30-40 mins. or until the size of dough doubled.
4) Stretch out the dough onto a floured surface, into square shape. Cut rounds by using a round cutter of 10cm or any desired size. Stretch the round doughs a little , thinning the centre. Let it rest for 30 mins.
5) After 30 mins. Heat oil in deep fryer. Fry until golden brown.
6) Serve hot with the suggested toppings.
Updated : Oct 18, 2015
I've come across another easy fried dough recipe  ; which is fluffier and faster http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/county-fair-fried-dough-recipe
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*

2 teaspoons baking powde 

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, in 1/2" cubes

3/4 cup lukewarm water

  Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.

2) Work in the cold butter, using a pastry blender, your fingers, or a mixer.

3) Stir in the warm water to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

4) Divide the dough into eight pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a thin 5" round, about 3/8" thick.

5) Heat about 3/8" vegetable oil to 375°F in an electric frying pan, or in a pan over a burner. If you're using a 10" diameter pan, this is 2 cups of vegetable oil. If you're not using an electric frying pan, use a candy thermometer to take the temperature of the oil; or guesstimate it by seeing if the first piece of dough fries nicely in the time specified.

6) Pick up one dough disk, and carefully lower it into the pan. Let it cook for 60 seconds (it'll puff up on top and become light brown on the bottom), then flip it over and cook until light brown on the other side, about 60 seconds. You don't want to cook these too dark; they'll become overly crisp.

7) Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Place in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you make the remaining fried doughs.

8) Serve warm, with maple syrup or cider syrup; confectioners' sugar, or cinnamon sugar; or the topping of your choice — some folks enjoy a savory version, with marinara sauce and cheese.

Yield: 8 servings.