Hungarian Coffee Cake (Colleen's) by Tom

Aranygaluska

We recently had the opportunity to visit "frequent blog contributor" Colleen and family, and had the opportunity to taste in person many of the great recipes that she has submitted to the blog.  For example, with dinner on New Year's, she served her chocolate cream pie for dessert.  Later in the week I got to sample her pecan bars, which I really enjoyed.  It was fun to watch her make many of the recipes that she has submitted.

But the real treat came on New Year's morning when she makes her traditional Hungarian coffee cake - Aranygaluska.  Evidently this is only made by Colleen once a year on New Year's, so we were lucky to be there when she makes this once-a-year treat.  Must be a Hungarian tradition.  But why wait if you have the recipe.   I asked for the recipe so that I can try it here, which I will do some cold winter's morning or on Christmas morning when I have often made Monkey Bread.

So thank you Colleen for sharing your recipe with us and the blog readers.
----Tom


Tubitsa/Aranygaluska Dough

2 packages of yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into pats
7 cups bread flour

Aranygaluska (one coffee cake)

1 cup ground pecans
grated zest of 2 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick of butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Heavily butter a Bundt pan.

Heat milk to 100-110 degrees.  In a small bowl, pour 1/2 cup of the milk over the yeast and the one teaspoon of sugar.  Let the yeast work and rise for about 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer, put in the three egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, the yeast mixture and five cups of flour.  Turn on the mixer to low until combined, and then mix on medium speed for about 3 more minutes.

Next add the butter and the remaining flour.  Mix on low until combined, and then on medium for about 5 more minutes until the dough is stretchy and pliable.

Turn into a buttered bowl and cover all surfaces of the dough with butter.  Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm area.  Be careful if you put it into a warmed oven not to have the oven too hot.  After the dough has doubled, punch it down.

The amount of dough will make two coffee cakes.  Split the dough into two halves.  Use one now and save one for later.  (In fact one of the halves can be shaped into rolls or balls, and baked for 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  This makes very good dinner rolls.)

Now tear the dough into small balls, and let rise again.  It is not necessary to be very precise as to the size of the balls as they will rise again in the buttered bowl.

Combine the ground pecans, lemon zest and sugar for the Aranygaluska.

Once the balls have doubled in size again, individually roll the balls in the melted butter and then in the ground pecans, lemon zest and sugar mixture.

Put the balls into the heavily buttered Bundt pan.  If you would like, you can put some pecan halves in the bottom of the Bundt pan to create a bit of a decoration.  You can also sprinkle in some of the ground pecans and sugar mixture as well.

When the Bundt pan has been filled with the dough balls, sprinkle any extra nut mixture around the edges and pour any leftover melted butter over the dough balls as well.

Put the Bundt pan into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Once finished baking, let cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.  Carefully invert the Bundt pan over a plate and tap the Bundt pan to release the coffee cake.

This is really tasty when eaten warm.  Thanks again Colleen for sharing this recipe with us.

 ---Tom