Recipe Of The Week: Beigli - Traditional Hungarian Christmas Cake
- 20 Dec 2023 2:05 PM
Bejgli (in English as “walnut roll” or “poppy seed roll”) is considered to be a typical Hungarian delicacy at Christmas. According to the traditions both fillings had their different symbolic meaning: walnut provided protection against hexes, while poppy seeds meant prosperity.
Dough:
500 g wheat flour
half a cube of Budafok yeast
5 g salt
50 g sugar lemon zest
150 g butter
1 egg
some milk to be soaked up by the dough
Surface treatment: 2 eggs
Place all the ingredients, except for the egg and the milk, in a bowl.
Whisk the butter, yeast, sugar and salt.
Add the egg and some cold milk to be able to knead a crumble dough.
Cut dough into 2 equal pieces, shape two balls, cover with foil and place in fridge for the night.
The following morning roll each piece out into the shape of a rectangle and spread a thin layer of jam on top.
Place the walnut filling in the centre and spread it evenly.
Stretch the marzipan mass as far as the walnut filling.
Place the marzipan mass on top.
Optionally, grate dark chocolate on the mass.
Fold the two sides and the bottom of the dough on top of the filling and then roll it up.
Poppy seed filling:
300 ml milk,
150 g sugar,
1 packet of vanilla sugar,
400 g ground poppy seed.
Cook until thick and flavour with the lemon zest.
Walnut filling:
400 g ground walnut,
200 ml milk,
150 g sugar,
1 packet of vanilla sugar,
a few drops of baking rum to taste.
Brush the rolls with previously separated and beaten yolk.
Store the roll in a cool place until the yolk is completely dry (approx. 1 hour).
Store the roll at room temperature until tiny cracks appear on its surface.
Brush the surface with the egg white, poke the sides and rest for approx. 30 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven for 28–30 minutes at 180 °C.
Do not open the over door while baking; otherwise the crust will crack open.
If the roll browns too fast, reduce the temperature to 170 °C.
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