Hungarian Chocolate Cream Bars Recipes

HUNGARIAN CHOCOLATE CREAM BARS

Steps:

• TO MAKE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F; grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. Line pan with wax paper and grease the wax paper.
• Beat the egg whites lightly, add cream of tartar and beat at a high speed.
• When shiny, gradually add 1/3 cup of sugar, continuing to beat until stiff.
• In a separate mixing bowl, place the egg yolks, remaining sugar and butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add the cocoa and mix thoroughly. Add a large dollop of egg whites to chocolate mixture and whip until blended.
• Then pour the rest of the egg whites over the chocolate mixture and sprinkle the flour over the egg whites. Fold gently with a spatula until the egg whites and flour are incorporated.
• Immediately spread the batter in the prepared pan. Smooth out to edges and corners. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350°F until cake is done. Run a knife around edges and invert cake on a wire rack to cool.
• TO MAKE FILLING: in a saucepan, combine cream, chocolate chips and instant coffee.
• Cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
• Cover saucepan and refrigerate until very cold.
• When chilled, add rum (if using) and whip in a chilled bowl at medium speed until firm. Be careful not to over beat or the filling may separate.
• TO MAKE GLAZE (do NOT make this until ALL OTHER steps are completed): in a small saucepan, melt all ingredients over a low flame. Mix until very smooth.
• Cool for 15 minutes and mix again. Use immediately, as the sauce thickens as it cools.
• TO ASSEMBLE: cut cake horizontally into halves. Lightly sprinkle bottom half with rum. Spread filling over bottom layer.
• Place top layer on bottom half and spread filling over top.
• Refrigerate or freeze until very firm.
• When very cold, set the cake on a wire rack. Pour the warm glaze over the cake. Refrigerate again until firm. Cut with a sharp knife, wiping the blade after each cut.
• You can freeze cut squares.

HUNGARIAN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE BARS

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 2 (15- by 10- by 1-inch) baking pans. Line bottom and sides of each pan with a large sheet of wax paper and butter paper. Dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a small metal bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Beat together butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy and beat in yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate. Sift in flour, cocoa, and salt and beat on low speed until combined well.
• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar in another bowl with clean beaters until they hold soft peaks, then add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of whites into batter to lighten and fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Divide batter between pans (about 2 1/4 cups per pan) and carefully spread evenly. (Layers will be thin.) Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until cake is set and firm to touch, 14 to 18 minutes total. Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes before inverting racks over pans and flipping layers onto them. Remove wax paper carefully and discard. Spread jam evenly over 1 warm layer and cool layers completely. Transfer jam-coated layer to a baking sheet or tray lined with a sheet of parchment or wax paper.
• Make chocolate glaze:
• Bring cream just to a boil and slowly pour over chocolate in a bowl. Stir until smooth and pour over plain cake layer, spreading to coat top evenly. Let stand in a cool place until set, about 1 hour.
• Make chocolate mousse filling:
• Bring cream just to a boil and slowly pour over chocolate in a large metal bowl. Stir until smooth and set bowl in an ice bath. Stir occasionally until cold. Remove from ice bath and beat with an electric mixer until mousse just holds soft peaks. (If mousse becomes grainy, melt over a saucepan of barely simmering water and repeat chilling and whipping.) Quickly spread evenly over jam layer (mousse will stiffen as it stands) and chill while making whipped-cream filling.
• Make whipped-cream filling:
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Put bowl over a small saucepan of boiling water and heat, stirring occasionally, until gelatin is dissolved. Remove pan from heat but keep bowl on pan.
• Beat cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until it holds a soft shape and beat in warm gelatin mixture. Continue beating until cream just holds stiff peaks, then spread evenly over top of mousse-coated layer.
• Assemble cake:
• Cut glazed layer lengthwise into thirds and crosswise into tenths and reassemble bars on top of cream filling. Chill cake, uncovered, until glaze is firm, about 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, cut cake with a large knife, wiping it off with a hot damp cloth between cuts.

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.