mákos kifli, Hungarian crescent cookies from the Taste of Memories countryside kitchen www.taste-of-memories.com

In the spirit of simpleness: Hungarian crescent cookies filled with poppy-seed cream

mákos kifli, Hungarian crescent cookies from the Taste of Memories countryside kitchen www.taste-of-memories.comFalling leaves and the sunshines that come in a special low angle give us an unmistakable sign that autumn has arrived. In the countryside the way you perceive time is different, you notice the change of season through observing the cycles of the garden which is like a living calendar. It is almost unbelievable that already a year has passed by since we arrived with our boxes, hopes and enthusiasm to that time utterly empty little house in the countryside.
Since than this house became a home that we tried to fill up with as much happy memories, laughters and talks as possible during a year. We learnt a lot about the garden and the one most important is how much we still don’t know about it. I have filled up the air of the kitchen countless times with the scent of the meals I was preparing. I have lighted up the flame of the stove, opened the door of the oven hundreds of times in order to get my family and friends happy and well-fed around the dining table.
One of the most important thing I learnt during this one year is that what a treasure lies in simpleness and the return to simple life. I touch with love our old dining table, which has scratches, spots and even some cracks. I like the concrete floor in the pantry which became already shiny throughout the years. It is such a nice feeling to discover old glass coffee cups in the attic, or the wooden-handled knife which is surprisingly sharp although nobody sharpened it since decades. We are happy for every little step we take in order to preserve the house and the orchard for many many more years.

autumn garden autumn garden
We could celebrate the past one year, but instead I would like to celebrate the actual day, the Today with all the beauties it will bring, if it is today a basket full of pears that I collected under the tree. In the spirit of simpleness I will bake “mákos kifli”, Hungarian crescent cookies filled with poppy-seed cream according to my mother’s recipe. It is so delicious that you would think you need to spend a lot of time preparing it. The dough doesn’t contain any sugar and it is fluffy like puff pastry but there is no need to fold the dough any times. I can prepare double portion and put one portion of dough and filling into the freezer. So when we suddenly feel a strong desire for freshly baked “kifli” we only need to wait until it defrosts and I can start rolling out the dough. mákos kifli, Hungarian crescent cookies from the Taste of Memories countryside kitchen www.taste-of-memories.com mákos kifli, Hungarian crescent cookies from the Taste of Memories countryside kitchen www.taste-of-memories.com mákos kifli, Hungarian crescent cookies from the Taste of Memories countryside kitchen www.taste-of-memories.com
There are many things to do in the orchard: raking leaves, weeding out kitchen garden, it is time to plant strawberries and we have to collect fruits that have fallen down.
Fortunately we can always sneak to the kitchen for a crescent cookie…or for another one and another one…

“ Mákos kifli” – Hungarian crescent cookies filled with poppy-seed cream

Ingredients:
300 g all-purpose flour
60 g cake and pastry flour
250 g butter or margarine
1 pinch of salt
1 egg
200 ml sour cream
1 package of vanilla sugar

For the filling:
150 g grounded poppy-seed
100 g caster sugar
150 ml milk
1 package of vanilla sugar
25 g semolina

Mix flours with salt and butter, add sour cream and egg, knead it to a soft dough, roll it into a plastic foil and let it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours or even better for a complete night. For the filling bring milk to boil, add poppy-seed and semolina than finally sugar and vanilla sugar. Stir it well and let it cool down. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 0,5 cm thick and cut it into 6 x 6 cm rectangular. Divide filling among the rectangulars than roll them up, push them a bit so the dough sticks together and place them on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Important is that the folding is on the bottom so they won’t open while baking and leave some space between them because they will grow a bit. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and bake them until golden brown. Mix confectioner’s sugar and vanilla sugar and while the cookies are still hot, roll them into the mixture. mákos kifli, Hungarian crescent cookies from the Taste of Memories countryside kitchen www.taste-of-memories.com mákos kifli, Hungarian crescent cookies from the Taste of Memories countryside kitchen www.taste-of-memories.com mákos kifli, Hungarian crescent cookies from the Taste of Memories countryside kitchen www.taste-of-memories.com

Judit Neubauer

Judit Neubauer is a food photographer, chef and writer living in a small village in Northwestern Hungary. Her bilingual blog, Taste of Memories is about life in the Hungarian countryside. While she is bringing new life into the 90 year-old house and orchard of 18 fruit trees she cooks and bakes her family’s old recipes and tries to preserve traditions and old knowledge about how to live in rhythm and harmony with nature.

8 hozzászólás

  1. Válasz

    Nevada

    2016-09-12

    These look simply divine! I can almost smell them baking! You write with such beauty and grace, I really appreciate you opening your home and countryside to us. I hope to visit you one day!

    • Válasz

      Judit Neubauer

      2016-09-18

      Thank you so much for your kind comment Nevada! I hope so too, I am looking forward to see you too, maybe also in your kitchen in Norway! Nice greetings from the Hungarian countryside! 🙂

  2. Válasz

    Dana

    2016-11-22

    sounds divine!
    how is the butter? cold or room temperature and creamed?

    • Válasz

      Judit Neubauer

      2016-11-23

      Hi Dana, thank you! Butter should be cold, I used to cut it into smaller pieces so it is easier to knead it together with the flour. Most important is that you put the dough for a couple of hours or even a complete night into the fridge. This is the way to achieve the fluffy light texture! Thank you for passing by! Nice greetings from Hungary!

  3. Válasz

    Dana

    2016-11-23

    Thank you, Judit! I’ll make them this weekend amd i’ll let you know how they turned out.

    • Válasz

      Judit Neubauer

      2016-11-23

      Oh, great, thank you Dana! I am looking forward to hearing from you!

  4. Válasz

    Dana

    2016-11-27

    Hi, Judit! I am coming back with very good news. I’ve just taken out of the oven the first pan of crescents and they are exactly as you described: little puffs pillows with poppy seeds filling. The dough is very good, easy to work and the crescents are not too sweet. They really turned out great, thanks! Have a good Sunday!

    • Válasz

      Judit Neubauer

      2016-11-27

      Dana, you made my day!!! Thank you so much for giving me a feedback I am overhappy that it turned out well and you liked the result! This is what I am dreaming about when writing each blogpost! 🙂 Have a nice evening! Judit

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