Jelly Roll...Piskóta Tekercs

Jelly Roll, or Piskóta Tekercs ...pronounced as (Pishkota Tekerch) is, and has been truly a childhood favorite of mine and for a lot of years...also, my children are quite familiar with this awesome and light delicate cake that my favorite Hungarian aunt Mariska used to make on many occasions. My son insists that it is best filled with the smooth-as-silk chocolate filling, not just any old chocolate filling but the one that is like a mousse type and tastes like milk chocolate.

I did not take too good of a photo of it...it was an extremely stormy day over this weekend, I got soaked in the rain coming out of the supermarket yesterday afternoon...of course leaving my umbrella at the house. As you know our South Florida weather is very 'tricky'. It was somewhat a sunny/partly cloudy day earlier, and all of a sudden you get this 'flash storm' hit you out of 'nowhere' that lasts about an hour and it's all over with, and the weather clears up again~

I actually have this recipe in my head from years ago...very simple method...4 eggs, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, but I do have the classic recipe in my 1986 Good Housekeeping book. I am so thrilled that I ordered the new version of the Good Housekeeping cook book from Amazon, it finally arrived.
The best way to order books is to choose the 'used' versions, especially when it is gently used...and 'like new'. This book is a 'dream'...seriously! The new price is $35. and used...$5.19 plus $3.99 shipping charge. The outer jacket cover is still on the book and it is amazingly new...just can't see any flaws at all.

Jelly Roll
adapted from the Good Housekeeping cook book
1986 edition

3/4 cup cake flour (I used 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs separated (at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1 cup)
Confectioners' (icing) sugar
1- 10 to 12 ounce jar jelly, or jam of your choice
(I used seedless blackberry jam)

Grease a 15 1/2 inch x 10 1/2 inch (I used a smaller size, size doesn't have to be exact)
Line pan with waxed paper, and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix cake flour (or all-purp. flour) baking powder and salt.  With electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
(use the finger test if it adheres nicely to the finger, it's done) use 1/4 cup of sugar to add gradually while mixing. (I used 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl,
with same beaters and with mixer at high speed,  egg yolks, vanilla extract and 1/2 cup sugar until very thick and lemon-colored (pale)

With rubber spatula, gently fold flour mixture and beaten egg whites into egg-yolk mixture.























Spread batter evenly in pan; bake 15 minutes or until cake is golden and top springs back when lightly touched with finger.






















Meanwhile, sprinkle clean cloth towel with confectioners' sugar. When cake is done, immediately invert cake onto towel.
Carefully peel waxed paper from the cake. If you like, cut off crisp edges.

Starting at a narrow end, roll cake with towel, jelly-roll fashion. Cool cake completely, seam side down, on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

To serve, unroll cooled cake. Spread cake evenly with jelly. Starting from same narrow end, roll cake without towel. Sprinkle roll with confectioners' sugar; place seam side down, on a platter.


















I would like to announce the winner for the Red Gold Tomato Giveaway, which was determined by RANDOM.ORG ...number generator.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result: 2

Congratulations, Patty....and thanks to everyone who participated!

 

 

Hungarian Cherry Tea Cake

Had I known that fresh cherries in S. Florida cost $2.99 pr. pound (maybe just for short time)...instead of $6.99 pr. pound, I would have made this amazing Hungarian Cherry Tea Cake with it. Better yet, I got a brilliant idea and used the fabulous Amarena Fabbri Cherries  that are imported from Italy.

Hungarian Cherry Tea Cake
adapted from: Sheila Lukins
All Around the World Cookbook

Recipe doubled; is my only adaptation
(except for the butter, which remains the same amount)

8 tablespoons (1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
6 large eggs, separated
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups pitted sweet dark cherries, fresh, or well-drained jarred

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter an 8 1/2 inch spring form  cake pan. Line the bottom with a  round of waxed paper and butter the paper.

Cream the butter and the 1 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix well. Add the flour and mix well.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt, until firm, but not stiff. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Top evenly with the cherries, leaving about 1/2 inch border around the sides of the pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake the cake until golden brown and the it springs back when lightly touched, about 35 minutes.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes Run a small knife around the cake to loosen it from the side of the pan. Remove the ring and let the cake cool completely. When it is completely cool, invert the cake onto a large plate. Remove the spring form bottom and the waxed paper, then invert the cake onto a serving plate. Serves 8

These lovely sour cherries are in sweet syrup with a touch of hazelnut flavor, so awesome by itself over ice cream, or use it in baking!

 

 

Peanut Butter&Jam Crepes, and a CSN Gift Certificate

Now that the holidays are over, and all the great leftovers have been recycled into time saving meals, and we are just tired of eating so much cookies...if any left, as for me, I'm just fresh out of ideas, so I lean on my "tried and true" and easy dishes, and desserts. Crepes...or in Hungarian, (palacsinta)...in Italian (crescpelle) in English is actually the American version of pancakes, which is totally a different type, but thicker, and is consumed for breakfast.

My family loves crepes, I have at least 3 types of crepe pans, all three are only used to make crepes in. I have a 6 inch cast iron tortilla pan, which is so perfect to make the smaller size crepes, nicely seasoned pan, easy to flip the crepes over, which is the best part. The second one is actually just for crepes as well, which is an 8 inch skillet. The third, which is the most popular, and "fail proof" is an 8 inch non stick skillet that is most advisable. I do have the actual recipe, which I personally think is the best that I can share with you!

I could barely set up these little peanut butter&jam crepe pieces...within less than 5 minutes it was gone. I could barely take a picture of it, because my little grandchildren, and son-in-law just grabbed a piece. These paper thin crepes, and the peanut butter and jam not only satisfies, as a snack, but doubles as a dessert. The above presentation, is 2 pieces of crepes stacked, smooth and silky peanut butter is spread on it, and strawberry jam is spread on it. Folded in half, and into thirds, and sliced it in half, again. Just look at the thin, light as a feather crepes, you can just serve it with a fork, to cut a bite size piece.

Now, on to the recipe, and the $50. gift certificate giveaway from CSN!...isn't is marvelous?