Gerbeaud – Slices

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 10 g yeast, possibly yeast dough garant
• 1 sugar cube
• 100 ml milk
• 350 g flour
• 200 g margarine
• 50 g powdered sugar
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 pinch(s) of baking powder
• 200 g apricot jam, sour, possibly more
• 120 g walnuts, grated
• 120 g powdered sugar
• 150 g sugar
• 100 g chocolate
• ½ egg white

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

Hungarian Gerbeaud – szelet

For the dough, mix the yeast with the sugar cube in the lukewarm milk and let it rise briefly (I like to use Garant yeast dough – this way, the dough doesn’t need to rise and is ready faster). Crumble the flour with the margarine (I chop it with a knife until nice, even crumbs form), add the yeast (not if I use Garant), powdered sugar, egg, and baking powder, and knead everything well. Divide the dough into three equal parts and roll each out into 35 x 25 cm sheets (this works well on a cloth – it doesn’t stick as well). Line a baking pan (I line it with parchment paper) with the first sheet of dough (the dough shouldn’t reach the edge of the baking pan) and spread it with jam (I use the tart apricot jam with fruit pieces – it tastes just like the original in Hungary). Mix the grated walnuts (available in larger supermarkets, or grate them yourself – tastes even better) with the powdered sugar and sprinkle half of it over the jam layer. Cover with the second sheet of dough (I always do this with a rolling pin – that way the finished dough doesn’t tear), spread it with jam, and sprinkle with sugared walnuts. Place the third, slightly larger sheet of dough on top, covering the sides as well. Let it rise at room temperature for one hour (if using yeast, this is not necessary). Prick the top layer of dough several times with a fork (otherwise the dough will bubble and turn into a mountain landscape) and bake the cake at moderate heat (I bake with fan oven at 170°C) until it reaches an even golden brown. (After 15 minutes of baking, I simply stay out of the kitchen for a while, so it’s best to set the baking time for my oven and enter it in my recipe book.) Let it cool on a cake board (I move the cake, including the baking paper, to the board so it’s easier to work with), spread it thinly with jam (I always have more jam, so I don’t have to skimp on it and despair if I don’t have enough left over for the last course), and cover with chocolate glaze. For the glaze, boil the sugar with just under 0.1 l of water until it forms a syrup. Melt the broken chocolate in it, stirring constantly. (This also works well with ready-made glaze—use the semi-sweet variety; it tastes really good. But heat it in a double boiler—no microwave or anything.) Remove from the heat and continue stirring until the mixture cools slightly and thickens. Then whisk in 1 teaspoon of water and half the egg white until smooth and cover the cake. Smooth the sides. When the glaze is set, cut the cake into 2 x 8 cm pieces. It tastes delicious, especially during Advent, and can be stored in a sealed container for 1-2 weeks, probably longer, but I always ran out of it sooner. This recipe is very long and looks complicated (but it isn’t), but all the steps are described in detail, so even beginners shouldn’t be afraid. I’ve baked these slices several times before and they’ve always turned out well (even the first time). They’re fluffy, melt in your mouth, and even though they’re relatively sweet and filling, you still always want more.