Hungarian Chicken Paprika & Dumplings (Chicken Paprikash)

Hungarian Chicken Paprika and Dumplings, or Chicken Paprikash, is a traditional Eastern European dish. This is one of our family favorites.

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HUNGARIAN CHICKEN PAPRIKA

Ingredients:

1 stewing chicken

2 tablespoons fat (butter and olive oil can be used)

1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

1-2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet red paprika (or regular paprika)

Salt

2 tablespoons flour*

*For gluten-free chicken paprika recipe, skip the flour entirely or use gluten-free flour mixed with a little of the broth and then added back to the pot. 

1 cup canned chicken broth (or water)

½ cup sour cream

Preparation:

Cut up the chicken into 6-8 pieces. In a stewing pot heat the oil/butter and fry the onion until it is golden. Sprinkle with the red paprika and brown the chicken pieces in the fat. Now add salt, cover with the lid, and greatly reduce heat.

Let chicken begin to stew in its own juices for at least 15 minutes. Depending on how tough your chicken, keep stewing, moistening it occasionally with a few spoonfuls of cold stock or water. (I usually add all the chicken broth at this point.)
When the meat is tender (somewhere about 30-45 minutes), remove from pot and keep warm. Blend in flour with the gravy and dilute, stirring with a wooden spoon, with the broth or water. Let it cook gently, uncovered, until the sauce is thick. Put back the chicken pieces, reheat. Remove from heat, just before adding the sour cream. Never boil with the sour cream or it will curdle.

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DUMPLINGS 

2½ cups flour (or gluten-free flour)

1 egg

Salt

1/3 to ½ cup lukewarm water

Bacon fat, lard, or butter to toss them in

Instructions:

Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Break in egg, add salt. With the help of a wooden spatula, beat until egg is well blended with the flour. Now, slowly and beating steadily, pour in the lukewarm water. The mixture should have the thickness of a soft scone dough.

Rinse a large wooden slab with cold water. Have plenty of salted water ready and boiling on the stove. Take a teaspoon, dip it into the boiling water. Put half of the dough mixture on the slab/cutting board and with the edge of the spoon, cut small dumpling directly into the boiling water. When dumplings have risen to the surface, they are done. Strain and rinse under cold water. Put softened or melted butter over them and mix.

Serve at once while hot.

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Best Creamy Cheesecake Recipe from "The Home Show"

Best Creamy Cheesecake Recipe is an adaptation of the famous cheesecake recipe from the "Home Show" TV morning show. 

This is my very favorite cheesecake. It's so rich and delicious!

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THE "HOME SHOW" CHEESECAKE

Cheesecake filling:

1 16-oz container cottage cheese (small curd)

2 pkg cream cheese, softened

1 8-oz container sour cream

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp butter, room temperature (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Blend all ingredients together with mixer and pour into graham cracker crust. (Recipe below.) Bake in 200° oven for about two hours. Let cool and refrigerate. Add cherry fruit topping if desired.

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Graham Cracker Crust

6 tablespoons butter, melted

24 graham crackers (gluten-free graham crackers can be substituted)

1/4 cup sugar

Instructions:

In a small saucepan or the microwave, melt the butter but do not brown it.

Place about 24 graham crackers in a plastic bag. Roll with a rolling pin until the crackers are finely crushed. This may be done separately in small batches if the bag is too small.

Measure 1 1/2 cups of the graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the graham crackers. Add the melted butter. Stir or blend together by hand. Press the cracker mixture into a pie plate or other pan until pressed down firmly and evenly (the flat bottom of a measuring cup can be used for this purpose.

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Cherry Topping (Optional)

1 lb can of dark sweet cherries

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

Amaretto or raspberry syrup

Pour juice from cherries into small saucepan. Reserve cherries in bowl. Mix the juice with cornstarch, sugar, and Amaretto or raspberry syrup. Thicken and then let cool. Spread over cheesecake.

Prepared canned cherry pie or blueberry filling may be used instead.

Comstock and Wilderness brand pie fillings are gluten-free. Always check label ingredients, however. For gluten-free you can use Bob's Red Mill 1-for-1 Flour or other GF flour of your choice. 

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Old-Fashioned Chocolate Eclairs

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Eclairs recipe is from my mother's famous collection of baked goodies. This is her own recipe that she passed on to me.

I would love to hear from anyone who has made Old-Fashioned Chocolate Eclairs recipe using gluten-free flour. That would be the ultimate!

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CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS

Have all ingredients ready ahead of time:

• 1 cup of water
• Shortening or margarine
• Flour
• 5 eggs
• Cold milk
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Vanilla
• Yellow food coloring (optional)
• Cocoa, sweet or unsweetened
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Baking pan/cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 425°.

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Eclair Shells

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup shortening or 1 square margarine

Heat mixture in saucepan to boiling. When the mixture boils up, add:

• 1 cup flour
• Stir in 3 eggs, one at a time to the mixture. Stir well after each egg.

Beat well for a few minutes. Mixture should leave the sides of the pan. Drop with a tablespoon onto a floured baking pan.

Bake about 15 minutes at 425° then decrease heat to 375° and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

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Filling

A) Heat in the top of a double boiler:

• 2 cups milk

B) Then mix the following ingredients in another bowl:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cold milk

Add some of the hot milk (A) to mixture B and stir out the lumps. Then add back mixture B to milk in pan (A). Stir constantly until it starts to thicken, then put top of double boiler over boiling water and cover for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add a little of this mixture to:

• 2 beaten eggs in another bowl

Stir until smooth, then add back to pan mixture. Heat 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoons vanilla. Let cool. If desired and mixture is not yellow enough, may add 1-2 drops of yellow food coloring. Cool.

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Frosting

In another small pot, mix over low heat:

• 3 round tablespoons sweet cocoa or 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• Drop of milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix until shiny.

When shells are cool, cut them crossways and fill with custard filling. Put back on cookie sheet and drip chocolate frosting over them. Allow frosting to set a little, then eat and enjoy!

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Traditional Hot German Potato Salad

Traditional Hot German Potato Salad is the best potato salad ever, in my opinion. This is a recipe that my mother gave me. Perfect for any occasion.

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HOT GERMAN POTATO SALAD

6-8 small to medium potatoes

4-5 slices of bacon, diced

1 onion

2 tablespoons flour (gluten-free flour can be substituted)

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup vinegar

3/4 cup water

Fresh parsley, chopped

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Instructions:

Boil 6-8 small to medium potatoes until done but still firm. Let cool, then peel and slice the potatoes about 1/4 inch thick. Dice 4-5 slices of bacon, then fry slowly until crisp. Reserve a small amount of the bacon grease. Dice and fry 1 onion until clear. Remove cooked onions from pan and put aside. 
 
In the remaining bacon grease, stir 2 tablespoons flour until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir to make a paste. 
 
To 1/4 cup vinegar, then add enough water to make a full cup. Stir gradually into flour mixture. Bring to boil. Add another 1/2 cup of water if necessary. 
 
Pour sauce over sliced potatoes and add bacon and onions, with chopped parsley on top.

Mix gently and serve hot.


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Anna's Traditional Austrian "Seven-Layer" Cake (Dobisch Torte)

Anna's Traditional Austrian "Seven-Layer" Cake, also known as Dobisch or Dobos Torte, Mother's signature cake for every big occasion; you knew you were special when Mom made a seven-layer cake for you! 

It's a lot of work, and usually she really only made SIX layers, but it doesn't matter—it's so delicious either way!

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TRADITIONAL SEVEN-LAYER CAKE (DOBISCH TORTE)

Have ready:

• 15 eggs
• Granulated sugar
• Cake flour (gluten-free cake flour is available)
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Vanilla
• Water for boiling
• 3 or 4 round 9-inch cake pans
• 8 ounces Ghirardelli brand milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate squares
• Unsalted butter
• Wire racks for cooling layers

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Layer cake:

12 egg yolks

1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup + 4 tablespoons cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup boiling water

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The Best Way to Separate Egg Yolks 

My mother was very specific in how to separate egg yolks and egg whites. She told me to have two CLEAN bowls ready ahead of time and to use a different clean dry whisk or egg beater for each. This video shows a method of separating egg whites from yolks.

VIDEO: How to Separate Egg Whites from Yolks

Wondering what to do with the extra egg whites from 12 egg yolks? My mother would conserve the egg whites in the refrigerator and use them later to make meringue tarts.

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Beat egg yolks with electric mixer at fast speed until thick and lemon colored. Beat in sugar a little at a time very well.

Sift the flour 3 times with the baking powder and the salt, then fold in the flour ½ cup at a time. Add vanilla.

Add the boiling water and mix very well. Do not stir, but fold batter over and under and scrape sides and bottom of bowl well until smooth.

Pour into three* 9-inch cake pans which have been greased with a little shortening and bake in oven 350 degrees about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes, with the racks tilted to the side. Later remove cake from pans carefully and keep on wire racks until cool.

*For a true seven-layer cake, have a fourth cake pan ready and fill only half full

Do not let the cake dry out but cover with small towel.

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FROSTING:

  I. Custard filling:

1 cup granulated sugar

3 whole eggs

Mix 1 cup granulated sugar and 3 eggs. Stir well and cook over low heat in a double boiler, stirring along bottom and sides of pan until mixture comes to a boil. Then allow to COOL before adding to chocolate and butter mixture.

  II. Chocolate-butter mixture:
 
9 squares (approx 8 oz) Ghirardelli milk (or semi-sweet) chocolate  

½ cup water

Melt Ghirardelli chocolate squares mixed with ½ cup water in the top of a double boiler, breaking up the squares with a spoon as they melt, until completely melted and smooth. Allow to COOL!

3/4 pound unsalted butter

Cream 3/4 lb unsalted butter and the cooled chocolate and blend. Combine with custard filling to make filling and frosting for 7-layer cake.

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When frosting is ready:

Remove the cooled cake layers from the wire racks, one at a time, onto a cake plate. Cut each cake layer in two crosswise and put the frosting between the layers. After all layers are stacked and have frosting in between them, completely frost the top and sides of the cake.

Then, chill in refrigerator several hours or until frosting becomes firm and hardened. Some prefer it served at room temperature, but I like my seven-layer cake chilled before it is cut into thin slices and served.

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Hungarian Raviolis with Paprika Broth (Pillows)

Hungarian Raviolis with Paprika Broth, or "Pillows," is a dish from my mother's homeland, Austria-Hungary. This was our family's favorite cold-day dish, basically huge raviolis filled with potatoes, onions, and seasoned parsley in a hot paprika broth.

Pillows are hard to describe unless you think of them as raviolis with Hungarian seasoning.  Our family thinks of it as Mom's trademark dish.  

I have not yet found a gluten-free substitute for pillows dough, but I will keep trying, because these are too good to pass up!

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MOTHER'S HUNGARIAN PILLOWS RECIPE

Potato filling:

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 6-8 potatoes, diced
• Parsley, 1 bunch, minced
• 1 teaspoon butter
• Salt and black pepper

Sauté onions until soft but  do not brown them ,  in a Dutch oven,  pressure cooker or large pot. Add potatoes, parsley, butter, salt and pepper to the pot. Cover with water (or a little more for extra stock) and boil until soft. Remove potatoes from stock with a slotted spoon. Conserve the soup stock. Mash the potato mix well with a potato masher and allow mix to cool.

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Noodle dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt

Water (only enough to hold the dough together—dough should be rather dry until rolled)
Make a dough of the ingredients, adding as little water as possible. Divide the bunch of dough in half and roll out half of it until large enough to cut into 4x8 inch strips. Put some of the cooled potato mix in each one and fold over, using your fingertips to brush a little water on the edges and then pinch together to seal the edges tightly. 

Put on a pot of water to boil. Gently put pillows in water until they float to top, then remove them to serving bowl with a little butter so they don't stick.

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Paprika soup stock:

• Stock left over  from boiling potatoes
• About 1 teaspoon butter (the original recipe calls for margarine, but I substitute butter instead)
• 2 tablespoons paprika (or more if desired), preferably Hungarian paprika
• Salt and pepper (or seasoned chicken bouillon cube, if desired)

Sour cream, added in stock last (do not allow to boil after sour cream is added) or add the sour cream in individual soup plates as a garnish.

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Directions:

Melt butter in a heavy pot, then add paprika when cooled. Pour in the stock left from boiling the potatoes, and add seasoning. 

Makes 8-10 small pillows or 4-5 large ones. Serve in individual soup plates with paprika stock poured over pillows, then garnish with a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

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