ReceptnaptárHoney cake
Mézes kalács is a fragrant, spiced classic among old Hungarian tea cookies. Old recipes called for melted lard and plenty of honey; today butter and less sugar give a lighter dough. A ready-made gingerbread spice mix replaces cinnamon, cloves, ginger and allspice and makes the work much simpler.
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Ingredients
Method
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- Gently warm the honey with the sugar and butter in a small saucepan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then let cool slightly. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180 °C (165 °C fan) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour with the baking soda and spices into a bowl. Make a well in the middle, crack in the eggs and pour in the lukewarm honey mixture.
- Mix with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand. The dough is sticky at first but becomes easier to handle after resting, so wrap it in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board to about 5 mm thick (a little finger's thickness) and cut out shapes of your choice (hearts, stars, circles).
- Place the cookies on the parchment-lined tray, sprinkle with chopped almonds and bake at 180 °C for 8-10 minutes until the edges turn brown. Do not bake longer, as they turn harder once cooled.
- Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight box, where they soften within 1-2 days and keep for 2-3 weeks.
Based on: Malatinszky Fanny szakácskönyve (a classic Hungarian cookbook), modernised. Calories and protein are estimated.
Tips
- Warm the honey only until lukewarm; hot honey loses its aroma.
- Rest the dough in the fridge so it does not stick and rolls out easily.
- Instead of almonds you can decorate with walnuts, hazelnuts or icing.
- If you like softer cookies, shorten the baking time by 1-2 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What makes the cookies soft?
Stored in an airtight box (with an apple slice or a piece of bread crust), they soften in 1-2 days.
Can the honey be replaced?
Yes, with maple syrup or corn syrup, but honey gives the traditional flavour.
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More hungarian ideas
- Fruited honey pastry
- Honey kisses
- Honey fruit bread
- Orange sticks
- Indian doughnuts
- Decorated little doughnuts
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