When the holidays roll around, there’s one dessert that I absolutely have to make: the Hungarian Christmas Cake, known as Beigli. This traditional pastry roll, with its beautiful swirl of rich walnut or poppy seed filling, is the taste of Christmas for me. It’s a recipe that has been passed down through generations.
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Making Beigli is a wonderful holiday activity. The dough is tender and buttery, and the fillings are sweet and nutty. I usually make both walnut and poppy seed versions because everyone in my family has their favorite. There’s a certain magic in rolling out the dough and spreading the fragrant filling.
The moment these rolls come out of the oven, golden and smelling of holiday spices, is pure bliss. Sharing a slice of warm Beigli with a cup of coffee or tea is a tradition I cherish every year.
📝 Ingredients You’ll Need
- For the Dough: 1 lb. flour, 6 oz. butter, 2 eggs, 1 ⅔ oz. sugar, ⅔ cup milk, 2 tsp fresh yeast
- For the Walnut Filling: 6 oz. ground walnuts, 5 ⅓ oz. sugar, 2 tbsp apricot jam, ⅓ cup milk, ½ cup raisins
- For the Poppy Seed Filling: 6 oz. ground poppy seeds, 5 ⅓ oz. sugar, 2 tbsp apricot jam, ⅓ cup milk, ½ cup raisins
- For the Egg Wash: 1 egg
👨🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
- I begin with the dough. I warm the milk slightly and whisk in the yeast to dissolve it. In a large bowl, I combine the flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, then pour in the yeast mixture. I knead everything together until I have a smooth dough. I cover it and let it rise for about an hour.
- While the dough is rising, I prepare the fillings. For each, I simply combine all the respective filling ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the mixture thickens. Then I set it aside to cool.
- Once the dough has risen, I divide it in half. I roll each half into a rectangle. I spread the walnut filling over one rectangle and the poppy seed filling over the other, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Carefully, I roll each rectangle into a tight log. I place the logs on a baking sheet, brush them with a beaten egg for a nice shine, and let them rest for a few minutes.
- I bake them in a preheated oven at 385°F (195°C) for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown. It’s a process that requires care, much like when I learned how to train AI on a specific writing style—patience yields the best results.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
The hardest part of making Beigli is waiting for it to cool down before slicing! I let the rolls cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, I use a serrated knife to cut them into beautiful, swirled slices.
Beigli is perfect for a holiday dessert platter, and it also makes a wonderful gift for friends and neighbors. It keeps well for several days in an airtight container, so you can enjoy it throughout the festive season.
This cake is a true holiday classic that brings warmth and tradition to any celebration, a bit like how a good guide can help you customize your digital workspace for a better workflow.
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