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Pozsonyi kifli
Walnut or poppy seed crescents
Pozsonyi kifli: glazed yeast crescents with walnut or poppy seed filling
These little crescents take their name from Pozsony, the Hungarian name for Bratislava, where bakers made them famous in the nineteenth century, and today they fill Christmas cookie tins across Hungary alongside bejgli. A short, buttery yeast dough is wrapped around a walnut or poppy seed filling, then glazed first with yolk and then with white, which gives the shiny, crackled, marbled top that marks a good batch. They are rich but not too sweet: eat them with coffee or tea through the holidays. Where most people go wrong is letting the dough rise in a warm spot; this is a cold dough, and if it gets warm the butter melts and the kifli split open. Chef's tip: let the yolk glaze dry fully before the white goes on, or you will not get the crackle.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- 9 oz cold unsalted butterdiced
- 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup milklukewarm
- 1 lemonzest only, split between dough and fillings
For the walnut filling
- 5 ½ oz ground walnuts
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 oz raisinschopped
For the poppy seed filling
- 5 ½ oz ground poppy seeds
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- ½ cup milk
For the glaze
- 1 eggseparated
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Rub the 9 oz cold unsalted butter into the 1 ⅛ lb plain flour with the 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar and ½ tsp salt until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir the ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast into the ½ cup milk.
8 minStep 3: For the walnut filling, bring the ¼ cup milk and 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar to a simmer over a medium heat, stir in the 5 ½ oz ground walnuts, the 1 oz raisins and a third of the ⅓ lemon zest and cook for 1 minute until thick. Cool.
4 minStep 4: For the poppy filling, simmer the ½ cup milk and 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar, stir in the 5 ½ oz ground poppy seeds and the last of the ⅓ lemon zest and cook for 2 minutes until it holds a trail. Cool.
4 minStep 5: Divide the dough into 24 pieces of about 35 g. Roll each into an oval about 10 cm long on a lightly floured board.
12 minStep 6: Put a teaspoon of filling along the middle of each oval (half walnut, half poppy), fold the long sides over to enclose it and pinch the seams shut. Bend into a crescent and set seam-side down on lined trays, 3 cm apart.
15 minStep 7: Brush the kifli with the beaten yolk from the 1 egg and chill, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the yolk glaze looks dry.
15 minStep 8: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Brush lightly with the beaten egg white and leave for 10 minutes, until it dries to a sheen and the surface starts to crackle.
10 minStep 9: Bake one tray at a time for 15–18 minutes, until deep golden with a marbled, cracked top.
18 minStep 10: Cool on a rack. They keep for 1 week in an airtight tin, and the flavour gets better after a day.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pozsonyi kifli take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 80 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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Perfect for:Christmas