**Hungarian kifli**, also known as **Hungarian crescent cookies**, are delightful pastries that originated in Hungary. These delicate treats are traditionally prepared during the holiday season, especially around Christmas and Easter, but they can be enjoyed all year round. With their distinctive crescent shape and sweet, buttery flavor, Hungarian kifli have become a beloved culinary treasure, enjoyed by people of all ages.
This article presents a collection of three irresistible Hungarian kifli recipes:
1. **Classic Hungarian Kifli:** This recipe embodies the traditional Hungarian kifli experience, featuring a flaky pastry dough filled with a sweet mixture of ground walnuts, sugar, and a hint of cinnamon. The result is a crispy and flavorful pastry that perfectly captures the essence of this classic treat.
2. **Poppy Seed Hungarian Kifli:** For those who love the nutty flavor of poppy seeds, this recipe offers a delightful variation on the classic kifli. The filling combines ground poppy seeds with sugar, vanilla sugar, and a touch of lemon zest, creating a unique and satisfying flavor profile.
3. **Apricot Jam Hungarian Kifli:** These kifli introduce a touch of fruity sweetness to the traditional recipe. Apricot jam is spread onto the pastry dough before it is rolled and baked, resulting in a delightful combination of flaky pastry and tangy apricot filling.
Whether you prefer the classic walnut filling, the nutty flavor of poppy seeds, or the fruity sweetness of apricot jam, these three recipes offer a delicious journey into the world of Hungarian kifli. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's embark on a culinary adventure that will fill your home with the irresistible aroma of freshly baked Hungarian kifli.
HUNGARIAN KIFLI II
Make these on a dry day. The dough is sticky. They are delicious!
Provided by Lisa
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Eastern European Hungarian
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, cream butter and cream cheese. Stir in the egg yolks and vanilla. Stir together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until it is fully incorporated. Divide dough into 5 parts, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate overnight.
- in a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks, add sugar a little at a time while continuing to beat to stiff peaks. Fold in ground walnuts, and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch squares, place 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the center of each square and roll up from corner to corner. Place on cookie sheets and refrigerate until hardened.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Roll in confectioners' sugar when cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 262 calories, Carbohydrate 21.7 g, Cholesterol 57.6 mg, Fat 18.2 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 4.5 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, Sodium 104.5 mg, Sugar 10.3 g
HUNGARIAN KIFFLES
Kiffles (kiflis) are traditional Hungarian cream cheese pastry cookies with assorted fruit and nut fillings like apricot, almond, and poppy.
Provided by Lynne Webb
Categories Baking & Desserts
Time 2h
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until very smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing just until combined. The dough will be quite moist, but not sticky.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and flatten into a square approximately 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 4 equal pieces and wrap each separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, a minimum of 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove one portion of the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a liberally floured surface.
- Dust the top of the dough with flour and cover with a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Working from the center toward the corners, roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch-thick square. It should measure about 9 inches.
- For best results, see our recipe notes below to learn how to roll your dough into a perfect square.
- Using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut your dough both lengthwise and crosswise into small squares.
- Your total yield will depend on how large you make them. We recommend 1-1/2-inches which will give you 36 kiffles per square of dough or about 12 dozen total.
- The best way to keep the size even is to use a ruler and mark all 4 sides of the dough square at intervals with the tip of a knife. You can use the handle of a spatula to guide you as you cut to keep your lines straight as well (similar to drawing straight lines on a sheet of paper).
- Working as quickly as possible, place a small mound of filling (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) in the center of each square. If the filling flavor you're using is relatively smooth you can spoon it into a small freezer bag, snip off a tiny bottom corner and squeeze the filling onto the squares. This works particularly well with the poppy and almond flavors.
- Lift two opposite corners of the dough over the filling and gently pinch them together. Fold that "point" over to one side, moisten the tip of your finger with a bit of water and smooth it down gently on one side of the kiffle. This prevent the kiffles from popping open as they bake.
- Important Note: The various filling flavors spread a bit differently during baking so you may want to fill a few "test" kiffles and bake them to gauge the right amount of filling for each type.
- Arrange the kiffles 1 inch apart on the parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake until barely golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then carefully transfer the kiffles to cooling racks.
- Repeat the process with the remaining 3 portions of dough, using different filling flavors if desired.
- Store kiffles between layers of waxed paper in a tightly closed container and refrigerate. Bring them to room temperature (30 minutes out of the fridge), arrange on a plate and dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving. It's not advisable to top them with powdered sugar before storing.
- Makes 8 to 12 dozen
HUNGARIAN KIFFLES
This is the real deal, direct from my Hungarian descendants. These yummy, delicate cookies are just the right amount of sweetness and are absolutely addicting! Simple ingredients, but do take some work, but well worth it! Always a holiday favorite!
Provided by Rach
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Eastern European Hungarian
Time 8h25m
Yield 36
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Beat butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale yellow and creamy. Gradually add 2 cups flour to butter mixture until the dough is too thick for the mixer. Stir remaining 2 cups flour into the butter mixture by hand and knead until dough falls off hands easily. Roll dough into a ball, place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Stir walnuts and sugar together in a bowl. Pour milk into walnut mixture and stir to form a paste.
- Turn dough onto a floured work surface and roll to desired thickness. Cut dough into 2-inch squares. Place about 1 teaspoon walnut filling in the center of each square. Roll the dough from 1 corner to the other corner around the walnut filling and transfer to a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until light brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 289.4 calories, Carbohydrate 18.3 g, Cholesterol 41.1 mg, Fat 23 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 4.4 g, SaturatedFat 10.1 g, Sodium 110.8 mg, Sugar 6 g
MáKOS KIFLI (HUNGARIAN POPPY SEED CRESCENTS) KIPFLI / KIP
Traditional Hungarian Christmas cookies or just nice for breakfast in the morning with coffee. The filling can also be used for kolach. These are very good, but fairly labor intensive. We usually make these over two days, making the dough up the first day and refrigerating overnight, then assembling and baking the next day. We also usually have one person roll them out while 2 or 3 people finish assembling them, so it goes much faster.
Provided by littleturtle
Categories Breakfast
Time 3h45m
Yield 48 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cream butter and egg yolks; add sour cream and extract.
- Mix in flour; mix until smooth.
- Gather dough into a ball.
- Turn out onto lightly floured surface.
- With palms of hands, shape dough into a smooth roll.
- Slice dough into 48 pieces (if dough is too soft and sticky to handle, chill for a short time).
- Roll each piece into a ball (about the size of a walnut).
- Can be refrigerated overnight at this point.
- In a heavy 1 1/2 qt saucepan, combine all filling ingredients and mix together.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened (5 minutes).
- Remove from heat and cool.
- Filling should be smooth and easy to spread, if on standing it thickens too much, stir in a little milk.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly sprinkle work surface with flour or powdered sugar.
- Roll one dough ball out at a time into a circle 1/16-inch thick.
- Place 1-2 teaspoons of filling in the middle of each circle.
- Gently lifting nearest edge, roll over to cover filling (continuing to roll so that the dough overlaps on the bottom); pinch the ends slightly around the filling and shape into a crescent by curving the ends in slightly.
- Place crescent onto lightly greased cookie sheet so that the overlapped side remains on the bottom.
- In this way, make crescents from each of the remaining dough balls, sprinkling the work surface lightly between each cookie.
- Bake until lightly browned 10-15 minutes; remove to cooling racks.
- When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 162.2, Fat 10.6, SaturatedFat 4.5, Cholesterol 32.2, Sodium 19.5, Carbohydrate 14.9, Fiber 1.1, Sugar 7.8, Protein 2.8
KOSSUTH KIFLI (HUNGARIAN CAKEY COOKIE AKA HALF MOONS)
Another one my grandmom used to make and no one has the recipe. After hours of searching the web, I finally found it (I didn't even know the name before!). This version is from Linda Paul, who won a Christmas cookie contest in Minneapolis with them.
Provided by Karen..
Categories Dessert
Time 1h
Yield 2-3 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter and flour bottom and sides of a 9-by 13-inch cake pan.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and granulated sugar.
- Add egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until fluffy.
- Add vanilla, lemon rind and lemon juice and beat to combine.
- Gradually add in baking powder and flour.
- In a medium bowl using electric mixer on high speed (with clean beaters), beat egg whites until stiff.
- Fold egg whites into batter.
- Gently spread batter into prepared pan.
- Evenly sprinkle top with finely chopped walnuts and bake 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove to a wire rack.
- Cool until cake shrinks away from sides of pan (about 15 minutes).
- With a small round biscuit cutter (or a glass), periodically dipped in powdered sugar, cut one circle (don't remove it), then cut another circle halfway down the first one, making two crescents and one oval scrap.
- Remove from pan and repeat (you can eat the oval scraps;).
- Cool crescents completely and dust with powdered sugar.
- Store in a tightly covered container for up to 2 days.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients. Fresh, flavorful ingredients will produce the best kifli.
- Follow the recipe carefully. Kifli dough is delicate and can be easily overmixed.
- Keep the dough cold. This will help it become flaky and tender.
- Be patient. Kifli take time to make, but they are worth the effort.
- Use a variety of fillings. Sweet or savory, there are endless possibilities for filling kifli.
Conclusion:
Hungarian kifli are a delicious and versatile pastry that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With a little effort, you can make these pastries at home and impress your family and friends. So next time you're looking for a special treat, give Hungarian kifli a try. You won't be disappointed.
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