Homemade Drunken Babka

First of all, you have to know that it will take you the whole day to do it, because of the long resting time between steps. So, take a deep breath and let s start!

Ingredients for the dough of 1 babka

• 350 grams of wheat flour
• 110 grams of butter
• 70 grams of sugar
• 70 grams of eggs (1 big egg)
• 110 milliliters of milk
• 40 grams of egg yolks (2 egg yolks) 
• 25 grams of fresh yeast
• lemon zest from half of a lemon
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
• a bit of rum essence
• a pinch of salt

Ingredients for the filling

• 150 grams of ground walnut
• 50 grams of sugar
• 40 grams of cognac
• 30 grams of cocoa powder
• 2 egg whites

Ingredients for the syrup

• 160 grams of sugar
• 50 milliliters of water
• 50 milliliters of cognac
• a small vanilla stick

First of all make the dough

Take out the butter from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for later.

In a bowl, mix the fresh yeast with 50 milliliters of warm milk, 1 tbsp sugar and 30 grams of flour. Let it rest until it doubles the volume.

Meanwhile, beat the egg and the egg yolks with the remaining sugar, the salt, the rum essence, the lemon zest and vanilla sugar until they double the volume.

When the fresh yeast is ready, add it over the beaten eggs. 

Add the flour and the remaining cold milk and mix for a few minutes. 

The dough should be soft and sticky, but if needed add more milk or flour. This depends very much of the quality and type of the flour.

Incorporate the butter a bit at the time. If you have a mixer, use it. Now it s the time! If you don't, then prepare for a long mixing by hand.

We covered the bowl with 2 spoons with sunflower oil and we put it in the fridge for 90 minutes, covered with plastic foil.

Take out the dough from the fridge, mix it by hand just to take out the air, cover the bowl with another tablespoon of sunflower oil and put it back in the fridge for another 2-3 hours . 

Prepare the filling

While the dough rests, clean and crush the walnuts until they are almost a paste.

Add the sugar and the cocoa powder and mix until well incorporated.

Add the cognac and the 2 egg whites and mix. The filling is ready, put it aside for later.

After 2-3 hours in the fridge the dough is ready.

Spread the dough on the table, about 1 cm thick and add the filling, leaving the edges empty.

Roll the dough and put it in the freezer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes in the freezer, take it out and with a sharp knife cut the roll in length in half.

Now weave the two pieces and put it in an oven tray covered with baking paper.

  

Put the tray in a plastic bag or cover it with a plastic foil and let it in the fridge for 8-10 hours.

Prepare the syrup

In a pan, add the sugar, the cognac, the water and the vanilla stick and boil the composition until the sugar is melted and the liquid thickens just a little bit and becomes sticky.

After the 8-10 hours have passed, put a medium pan with water on the fire. When it starts boiling, remove it from the fire and put it in the oven. Take out the dough from the fridge and put it in the oven next with the pot with water and let it rest for 30 minutes. The water vapour spreading in the oven will make your dough rise even more.

After 30 minutes, take out the pan with the water and let the dough bake at 165 Celsius degrees for 50 minutes. We baked it on the lowest shelf of the oven.

When done, take the babka out and let it cool in the tray for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes take it out and put it in a bigger tray. Add the syrup and with a brush bathe the babka on all sides. We did this for a few minutes, but you will still have some syrup left. 

Put the babka back in its tray and let it at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes, then cover it in plastic foil or in a plastic bag and let it at room temperature for another 2-3 hours or over night.

The next day it will be delicious!

Enjoy!

The recipe is taken from here

Chicken Masala , Dhaba Style - recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast
• 400 grams of tomato paste
• 5 spoons with fresh cream or fat yogurt
• 4 green cardamon
• 3 onions
• 3 spoons of sunflower oil
• 2 spoons ginger - fresh turmeric -garlic paste
• 2 cloves
• 2 laurel leaves
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• a pinch of chili powder

First make the ginger ,turmeric, garlic paste.
Mix 5 cloves of garlic with a bit of fresh turmeric and a bit of ginger. According to your taste. Or if you have an Indian shop you can buy it.

Chop the chicken breast and mix it with 1 spoon of the ginger -garlic paste. Let it sit while we prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a jar ground  the cardamon, the star anise, the cloves and the cinnamon stick.

Heat the sunflower oil and add the grounded spices. Fry them for half of a minute.

Mash the onions until you have a smooth composition and add it into the pan. Mix it with the spices and let it cook for a few minutes until it changes a bit the color.

Add the turmeric powder and mix.

Add the cumin  powder , the coriander powder and mix. Let it cook for a minute mixing from time to time.

Add the remaining ginger - garlic paste and let it cook for another minute.

Add the tomato paste and the chili and let it cook for a few minutes mixing from time to time.

Add the chicken and let it cook at slow fire until tender.

Add the garam masala and the fresh cream and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

You can serve it with boiled rice.
Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here

Hotel review - Holiday Inn Budapest - Budaors, Hungary

The room was nice and clean and the bed comfortable. Didn't stay for breakfast.

Paid private parking and free internet. Close to the highway.

Pumpkin soup - recipe (with photos)

Ingredients:

• 600 grams of cleaned pumpkin
• 500 milliliters of water or chicken broth
• 130 grams of potatoes
• 30 milliliters of white wine
• 20 grams butter
• 3 spoons of olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 onion
• a bit of nutmeg
• pepper
• a bit of salt

Additionally you will need:

• 40 grams of bacon
• a few leaves of parsley
• young onion leaves
• a few spoons with fresh cream

Clean and cut the pumpkin in medium cubes.
Add the olive oil and the honey on top of the pumpkin cubes and mix them until well covered.
 

Place the seasoned pumpkin on a baking paper in an oven tray and let it cook at 200 Celsius degrees until tender.
When done, take it out from the oven and reserve for later.

In a pan, add the butter and when melted add the chopped onion and the chopped garlic.
Let them simmer for a few minutes.

Add the cleaned chopped potatoes and let them cook for a minute.
Add the wine and let them cook for another minute.

Add the water and the baked pumpkin and let it boil in a covered pan until the potatoes are done.

When the vegetables are done, mash them until you have a smooth consistency (now use the salt, pepper and nutmeg).

You can decorate the plate with some crispy bacon, fresh cream , young onions and chopped parsley.
Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here

Eating out - Trattoria Invexendu, Finalborgo, Italy

The fish was good, but it came without any side dish, which is unusual compared to other countries.

Sweet bread with walnuts and Turkish delight ("cozonac")

Ingredients for 1 big sweet bread:

• 580 grams of wheat flour
• 200 milliliters warm milk
• 160 grams of sugar
• 50 milliliters of sunflower oil
• 25 grams of butter
• 20 grams of fresh yeast
• 2 eggs
• zest from 1 small lemon
• a pinch of vanilla sugar
• a pinch of salt

Ingredients for the filling:

• 100 grams of crushed walnuts
• 50 grams sugar
• 30 grams of cocoa powder

Additionally you will need:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp milk
• a pinch of salt

Prepare the dough:

20 minutes before starting, take out the eggs from the fridge and let them reach a moderate temperature.

Mix the fresh yeast with 1 spoon of sugar, 100 milliliters of warm milk and 1 spoon with flour. Let it rest in a warm place for 10 minutes or until it starts rising.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the sugar and the vanilla sugar until they triple the volume.

In the bowl with the beaten eggs, add the zest from the lemon, the remaining milk, the rising yeast and half of the flour.

Beat it for a few minutes until everything is well incorporated.

Add the rest of the flour and the salt over the composition and start mixing.

This is a longer process so if you use your hands instead of a kitchen robot, prepare for about 10 minutes of mixing. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes passed, start incorporating the sunflower oil, a bit at the time. Don't add more unless the previous is well incorporated. Continue in the same way with the melted butter.

Give it another 10 minutes of mixing and let it rest in a warm place for 40 minutes.

Prepare the filling:

Mix the crushed walnuts with the sugar and the cocoa powder.

Divide the dough in 2 equal pieces and let it rest, covered, on the table, for 10 minutes. Each part should have around 500 grams.

Now, spread one piece of the dough on the table and add half of the filling.

On top add some Turkish delight. Not too much, because the dough will not rise so nicely.

Roll the dough, carefully not to spread the filling, and put it aside.

Repeat the process with the other dough.

Now, twine the 2 parts like in the photo bellow and put them in an oven tray covered with baking paper.

Let it rest for 90 minutes in a warm place.

10 minutes before putting the dough in the oven, preheat the oven at 190 Celsius degrees.

When the oven is hot, beat an egg yolk with some milk and a bit of salt and brush the dough.

Put the dough on the bottom shelf of the oven and cook at 180 Celsius degrees for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, cover the dough with baking paper and reduce the temperature at 170 Celsius degrees. Cook for another 20-25 minutes or until done.

When ready, take the sweet bread from the tray and let it cool on a grill. Turn on the other side after 10 minutes. Repeat the operation one more time after 10 minutes.

Let it cool well before cutting a slice.

Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here