409.eggless Hungarian kipfels

Confused?

    It is stated in the Oxford food and nutrition dictionary that kipfel, kipferl (plural kipfels) were invented by  bakers in Vienna to celebrate the lifting of the siege of Vienna in 1683. They were made in the shape of a crescent. Kipfels (kip-fuhls) are rich buttery yeast pastries filled with lekvar and topped with sugar and nuts. Lekvar is usually made from prunes, peaches or apricots. Its like thick fruit jam or butter..It is claimed that Kipfel is the ancestor of the croissant. Kipfel is the German term for crescent. After that many versions of the kipfels spread around to different parts of Europe.The variations depended on what filling was used or what topping was used. From the little research available on the internet, I have come to the conclusion that kipfels are made from loads of eggs, lard, butter and yeast. The process of making kipfels is longer. Kiffles are cookie like dessert pastries, made using cream cheese, butter, and quicker to make. Kipfels and kiffles are usually made during celebrations like weddings, Christmas and family gatherings. However, I am glad that Gayathri the initiator of the baking eggless group introduced us to this unusual recipe. 
   I made the kipfels but found the dough too buttery and rich. The overall result was good, I would definitely make them again but omit the sour cream and perhaps use less butter. Because the dough was too buttery, they came out pretty soft after 25 minutes. I had to lower the temperature and leave them for 10 minutes longer to make them more crunchy like a shortcrust pastry. As you may notice in one of the pictures, the broken kipfel does appear as though it is raw from the inside.
   To quicken the cooking process of the lekvar, I soaked the apricots overnight in water. Next day it was cooked in under 20 minutes. I also added less sugar as the dried apricots were sweet.

EGGLESS HUNGARIAN KIPFELS
Makes about 16 to 20

Original recipe source: June Meyer

2½ cups plain flour (all purpose flour)
2¼ tsp instant dry active yeast
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup butter (use less)
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest

Extra flour for kneading and rolling

Filling (lekvar):
15 to 20 apricots
enough water to cover the apricots
3 tbsp sugar

Topping:
¼ cup coarse almond powder
3 tbsp sugar

Preparation of Lekvar or the filling:

1. Soak the apricots in enough water overnight.
2. Next day cut the apricots and remove the seeds.
3. Put the water and apricots in a pan over low heat.
4. Simmer the mixture and stir frequently.
5. Make sure the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. If necessary add more water.
6. The fruit should become soft and the consistency of the mixture like jam.
7. Add sugar and mix. Cook further for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Cool the mixture.

 

custard powder cookies

 

conchas

komaj