Jokai szelet

 Jokai szelet, Jokai bars, a traditional Hungarian pastry.

Named after the great romantic Hungarian author, Maurus Jokai from the 19th century.

I have a very old memory of being a four year old little girl and my beautiful Mother asking me if I would like to have a "tea party".    She used my miniature china tea set, made tea with milk and sugar and served it to me with some saltine crackers layered with cherry jam.   I remember  the warm afternoon sun shining in our cozy kitchen as I sat and enjoyed my first cup of tea.  These bars remind me of those layered jam tea treats.  They're rich, so just a small bite will do with your afternoon tea or coffee.  Enjoy, darlings!

Recipe

2 3/4 Cups flour

2 sticks unsalted butter room temp.

2/3 C powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

Filling is homemade raspberry, cherry or apricot jam.

Icing:

2 egg yolks

1/2 Cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the topping:

1/2 Cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 Cup raisins

 Preheat oven 350.  Mix and roll out dough to four equal sized rectangles.  Add in a little extra flour if it is too sticky.  Bake for about 12 to 14 min, until golden.  Remove, place on cooling rack and wait till it cools a little.  When they are about room temperature you can spread the jam on top of three of the layers.  Place the last layer on top and spread the icing on it and then sprinkle the walnuts and raisins.   Put it back into the shut off oven just until icing is set ( about 12 min. or so). 

Cast Iron Apple Pie

Here is a favorite recipe of mine that everyone goes nuts over.  Baking the pie in a cast iron skillet allows the brown sugar and butter base to caramelize into a big, gooey, praline like apple pie.  Makes you feel like an honest to goodness lumber jack when you take it out of the oven.   And so downright sinfully rich, you'll need to attend church after devouring it.  

                                            Cast Iron Apple Pie                           

 2lbs. granny smith apples

2lbs. braeburn or gala apples

3/4C sugar

2Tblsp.  instant tapioca

1tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon

1/2tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

grated peel of half of a lemon

Melt one stick of butter and one cup of brown sugar in the cast iron skillet.  Lay half of a double pie crust over the melted mixture in the pan and form it up the sides.  Add in the apple mixture and put the top crust over that, tucking in the edges .   Brush egg white on top of pie and sprinkle sugar and more nutmeg .  Cut about 6 vents and bake at 350 for one hour and 10 minutes.   Make sure to use foil as a drip pan under pie while baking.  Cool  about one hour. 

My Mom's Pie Crust Recipe
2C flour, 1/3C +2T Crisco, 1/2tsp. salt, 6T cold water
Cut shortening into dry with pastry cutter till pea sized.
Add in water, I mix with my hands and knead several times till smooth.  Divide in half and use for double crust pie.