Hungarian Cookie Bars Recipes

HUNGARIAN KIFLI COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and butter, cutting together with either two knives or a pastry cutter.
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine sour cream, yeast, and sugar. Mix until well combined and let sit while yeast dissolves.
• Add yeast mixture into the flour mixture along with the vanilla and egg yolks. Mix dough together by hand until it is well combined. Split dough in half and wrap up in either plastic wrap or wax paper. Refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight.
• Right before dough comes out of refrigerator, combine ingredients for filling. Set aside.
• On a large cutting board, sprinkle 1/3 cup flour and 1/3 cup sugar. Roll out dough into a thin circle before cutting into 8 triangles.
• Place 1 tsp of filling on each triangle and roll up starting on the wider end. Place on a lined cookie sheet with the open end down and bend the cookie a bit so it looks like a crescent. Repeat with process for all of the triangles from both things of dough.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and serve.

HUNGARIAN STRAWBERRY PASTRY BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sour cream, water and vanilla; gradually add to crumb mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide into thirds. Chill for 30 minutes. , Between two large sheets of waxed paper, roll out one portion of dough into a 15x10-in. rectangle. Transfer to an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with 1-1/4 cups walnuts and 2 tablespoons sugar. Roll out another portion of dough into a 15x10-in. rectangle; place over walnuts. Spread with jam; sprinkle with remaining walnuts and sugar. , Roll out remaining pastry; cut into strips. Arrange in a crisscross pattern over filling. Trim and seal edges. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

HUNGARIAN WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until blended. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Divide dough into 3 portions. Shape each into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 375°. For filling, in a small bowl, beat egg whites and vanilla on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on medium after each addition until well blended. Stir in walnuts., Generously coat a work surface with confectioners' sugar. Roll 1 portion of dough into a 12-in. square about 1/8 in. thick, sprinkling with additional confectioners' sugar as necessary to coat well. Cut into sixteen 3-in. squares., Shape 2 teaspoons filling into a small log about 2 in. long. Place diagonally onto a square. Overlap opposite corners of dough over filling; pinch tightly to seal. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling., Bake until bottoms are golden brown, 9-11 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar., To Make Ahead: Dough can be made 2 days in advance. Wrap and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. , Freeze option: Freeze cookies in freezer containers. To use, thaw before serving. If desired, dust with additional confectioners' sugar.

HUNGARIAN COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease a 9" square baking pan; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream together 3/4 cup of the brown sugar and the margarine. Add vanilla and flour; mix well. Pat this mixture into the bottom of the baking pan.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the remaining 1 cup brown sugar; mix well. Pour into the pan over the first mixture. Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top.
• Bake at 325ºF for 30 to 40 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly. Cool completely before slicing. Slice into 2-1/2"x1-1/2" bars.

HUNGARIAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x9x2 cake pan and set aside.
• Cream the butter, sugar, and yolks.
• Fold in flour and walnuts.
• Divide the batter in half. Do not over handle the dough. One half will serve as the top layer and the other as the bottom.
• Take a piece of batter and gently flatten it using your fingers. You will see that the batter tends to make its own sections. Work with those. Place this section on the bottom of the cake pan and continue until you have covered the bottom of the cake pan in a patchwork manner. Do not worry about the dough not looking smooth in the pan, you will fix that in a minute.
• If you have leftover dough from the half, fill in holes and build up areas that may be thinner than others.
• Take the back of a spoon and gently smooth the edges of the dough together so no holes are apparent.
• Spread a thin layer of jam over the dough. Do not make the layer thick, you are not making PB and J here.
• Use the final half of batter to make the top layer using the same technique as above.
• Place in the oven at 325 degrees for 30-45 minutes. At around 25 minutes start peaking in the oven, the dough should be a nice golden brown color when it is finished.
• Let cookies cool completely before cutting into small squares.

HUNGARIAN COOKIE TREASURES

Steps:

• 1. With using a stand mixer, add the cream cheese, softened butter, and the 1 cup of granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed until well blended.
• 2. Add the flour one cup at a time, mixing until evenly incorporated. Remove dough from mixer and press it into a ball. Wrap in plastic and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• 4. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on a smooth countertop or pastry board and roll dough out to approx 1/4 inch thick sheets. Cut the dough into 2-inch circles. Re-roll excess dough as needed.
• 5. Place 1 teaspoonful of jam or preserves in the center of circle.
• 6. Wet the cookie edges around the jam or preserves with your finger. Then place a second circle over the jam or preserves and firmly press down around the edges to encompass the jam or preserves. Take a fork and go all around the edge to seal jam or preserves in tightly (like you would for a pie crust). Repeat this process until you have used up all the dough.
• 7. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown.
• 8. Remove from oven and place onto cookie rack.
• 9. If desired, dust cookies with powdered sugar.
• 10. These cookies keep well in the freezer for long-term storage. However, they should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator when completely cooled.
• 11. Enjoy! :-)