Last Updated on July 15, 2023
If you are a fan of traditional Hungarian dessert, you must love Beigli. It’s sweet, nutty, and has a crunchy texture that makes it perfect for any occasion. Beigli is usually served during the holiday season but can be enjoyed year-round. Try this easy recipe to make your own homemade beigli.
This recipe will yield two 9-inch (23 cm) round beiglis. This dish can be served as a dessert, snack, or even breakfast. Besides the ingredients listed below, all you need is a bit of patience and time to make your own delicious beigli.
What Is Hungarian beigli?
Beigli is a traditional Hungarian pastry made from a light and fluffy dough filled with either walnuts or poppy seeds. It has a slightly sweet flavor and is usually served during the holiday season. Beigli can be enjoyed as a dessert, snack, or even breakfast. This easy recipe will help you make your own homemade beigli in no time.
This dish is very popular among Hungarians, particularly during special occasions and holidays. Beigli can be served with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream as an added treat. This pastry is sure to be a hit with any crowd.
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Where Did I First Try Hungarian beigli?
My first experience with Hungarian beigli was in a small bakery near my home. My family and I had been exploring the area on foot, looking for new places to eat. We stumbled across the bakery and decided to go in and take a look around. Inside, we found an array of delicious pastries, cakes, and other treats, including the beigli.
I was immediately drawn to the pastry due to its unique shape and its bright colors. It almost looked like a cinnamon roll with small pieces of nuts spilling out of it. The aroma of the pastries filled the air, making my mouth water. I asked one of the bakers what it was and he explained that it was a traditional Hungarian pastry called beigli. I asked him what kind of filling it had and he told me it was filled with either walnuts or poppy seeds. He said that the beigli is usually served during holidays but can also be enjoyed year-round.
I decided to buy one of each kind and brought them home to enjoy with my family. We were all pleasantly surprised at how delicious they tasted. The dough was light, fluffy, and slightly sweet. The filling was crunchy and nutty with a hint of sweetness. It was the perfect balance between savory and sweet.
We enjoyed our beigli so much that we decided to make some of our own. After doing some research, we found a recipe for the dough and the filling. We followed all the steps and ended up with two delicious beiglis that tasted just like the ones from the bakery.
Ingredients
- Butter: Butter is the main ingredient in this recipe. It provides moisture and richness to the dough, as well as flavor.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is used for making the dough. You can use either all-purpose or bread flour for this recipe.
- Egg yolks: Egg yolks help bind the ingredients together and add moisture to the dough.
- Milk: Milk helps moisten the dough and give it a slight sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is used to sweeten the dough, giving it a slightly sweet flavor.
- Salt: Salt helps bring out all of the flavors in the recipe and enhances the sweetness of the dough.
- Active yeast: Active yeast is used to help the dough rise, giving it a light texture.
- Walnuts filling: Walnuts are used as a filling for the beigli. They provide a nutty flavor and crunchy texture to the recipe.
- Lemon zest: Lemon zest adds a bright and refreshing flavor to the walnuts filling.
- Ground walnuts: Ground walnuts are used in the walnuts filling for added texture.
- Vanilla sugar: Vanilla sugar is used as a sweetener for both the walnuts and poppy seed fillings.
- Sugar: Sugar is also used as a sweetener, adding sweetness to the fillings.
- Boiling water: Boiling water is used to help distribute the flavor and texture of the walnuts and poppy seed fillings.
- Poppy seeds filling: Poppy seeds are used as another filling for beigli. They have a nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
Directions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans with butter or nonstick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Slowly add this to the butter and sugar mixture, stirring until completely combined.
Step 4
Add the milk and mix until all ingredients are incorporated and a soft dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Step 5
To make the walnut filling, combine the lemon zest, ground walnuts, vanilla sugar, and sugar in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until completely combined. Set aside while you prepare the poppy seed filling.
Step 6
To make the poppy seed filling, combine the lemon zest, ground poppy seeds, vanilla sugar, and sugar in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until completely combined.
Step 7
Divide the dough into two equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough into an 11-inch (28 cm) circle. Spread half of the walnuts filling onto one half of the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border all around. Fold over the other half to enclose, and press down around the edges to seal.
Step 8
Place the filled dough in one of the prepared pans and repeat with remaining dough and filling for the second beigli. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cooking Tips
- If the dough is too wet, add a bit more flour and knead until it comes together.
- You can use any type of nut for the filling, such as pecans or hazelnuts.
- Beigli tastes best when served at room temperature. If you are serving them cold, warm them in the oven before serving.
- If the beigli don’t puff up while baking, it could be because the dough is too thick or the filling has leaked out. To prevent this from happening, make sure to roll out the dough thinly and seal all of the edges well before adding in your fillings.
- For a sweeter beigli, add more sugar to the fillings.
- You can store beigli in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
- Beigli can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To defrost, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm them in the oven before serving.
What Ingredients Can I Replace or Substitute While Making It?
- You can replace the walnuts with other types of nuts such as pecans or hazelnuts.
- You can substitute almond extract for the vanilla sugar in either filling.
- You can also use honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar.
- If you don’t have yeast, you can substitute it with baking powder.
- You could also use any type of milk, including almond or oat milk, instead of cow’s milk.
- If you don’t have butter, you can replace it with a vegan margarine, coconut oil, or vegetable shortening.
Ingredients
- 200 grams butter or margarine
- 1.1 lb all-purpose flour
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup milk
- 50 grams powdered sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tsp active yeast
Walnuts Filling for 1 Bejgli
- 1 zest of lemon
- 250 grams ground walnuts
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 150 grams sugar
- ⅔ cup boiling water
Poppy Seeds Feeling for 1 Bejgli
- 1 zest of lemon
- 250 grams ground poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- 150 grams sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans with butter or nonstick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Slowly add this to the butter and sugar mixture, stirring until completely combined.
- Add the milk and mix until all ingredients are incorporated and a soft dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- To make the walnut filling, combine the lemon zest, ground walnuts, vanilla sugar, and sugar in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until completely combined. Set aside while you prepare the poppy seed filling.
- To make the poppy seed filling, combine the lemon zest, ground poppy seeds, vanilla sugar, and sugar in a large bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until completely combined.
- Divide the dough into two equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of dough into an 11-inch (28 cm) circle. Spread half of the walnuts filling onto one half of the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border all around. Fold over the other half to enclose, and press down around the edges to seal.
- Place the filled dough in one of the prepared pans and repeat with remaining dough and filling for the second beigli. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- If the dough is too wet, add a bit more flour and knead until it comes together.
- You can use any type of nut for the filling, such as pecans or hazelnuts.
- Beigli tastes best when served at room temperature. If you are serving them cold, warm them in the oven before serving.
- If the beigli don’t puff up while baking, it could be because the dough is too thick or the filling has leaked out. To prevent this from happening, make sure to roll out the dough thinly and seal all of the edges well before adding in your fillings.
- For a sweeter beigli, add more sugar to the fillings.
- You can store beigli in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
- Beigli can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To defrost, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm them in the oven before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 beigli
- Calories: 170 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Potassium: 60 mg
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 5 g
- Vitamin A: 4% DV
- Calcium: 2% DV
- Iron: 6% DV
How to Store Leftover Hungarian beigli?
If you have any leftover beigli, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. To defrost, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm them in the oven before serving.
FAQs
Q: Can pregnant women eat this?
A: Yes, pregnant women can enjoy beigli as long as all of the ingredients used are pasteurized.
Q: How do I know when the dough is ready?
A: The dough should be soft and pliable when it’s ready. If it’s too wet, you can add more flour to get the right consistency.
Q: What can I use instead of yeast?
A: You can substitute yeast with baking powder. This will make the beigli more cake-like in texture.
Q: Can I make this recipe vegan?
A: Yes, you can make this recipe vegan by using a vegan margarine or coconut oil instead of butter, and almond or oat milk instead of cow’s milk. You can also use a vegan sweetener such as maple syrup or agave nectar instead of sugar.
Q: How do I make the beigli sweeter?
A: If you’d like your beigli to be sweeter, you can add more sugar to the filling or replace the white sugar with honey or maple syrup. You can also use a vegan sweetener such as agave nectar or stevia.
Wrapping Up
Beigli is a traditional Hungarian pastry that is made with a sweet walnut or poppy seed filling and buttery, flaky dough. Making this delicious dessert at home isn’t difficult, and it only takes a few steps to make the perfect beigli. If you’re looking for an impressive yet easy-to-make treat, give this recipe a try!
Don’t forget to store any leftover beigli in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Please share this recipe with your friends and family. Thank you.
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Lori Walker is a passionate dietitian and food lover. She offers simple and nutritious recipes that don't take long to cook. In addition to sharing delicious dishes, she also shares useful advice on saving time and money in the kitchen. She believes that with a bit of creativity, anyone can make healthy meals that won't break the bank. Read more
