Shared by Baily Kohn
Shared by Baily Kohn
Hungarian Walnut Kindl
Yield: 3 long loaves
Hungarian Walnut Kindl
Yield: 3 long loavesFamily Journey
Spinka (present day Săpânța), RomaniaMontreal, CanadaBrooklyn
Rockland County
Alta Blima Hartstein, Baily Kohn’s great-grandmother, would make kindl for big family gatherings and for holidays like Simchat Torah and Purim. The dough is made with red wine, seltzer, and yeast and the cookies are filled with a sweet, chewy walnut filling. As they bake, the kindl are basted with honey and oil, creating a crispy outer layer. Alta Blima often served the kindl for breakfast alongside pastries, coffee, and hot cocoa for her great-grandchildren. Today, Baily’s family still makes kindl for special occasions.
Read more about Baily’s family in “The Legacy of Holocaust Survivor Alta Blima Hartstein Lives On in Her Recipes” and try her recipes for fasirt (chicken patties with challah) and paprika seared beef tongue.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup seltzer
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons instant yeast
For the filling:
- 2 egg whites
- 1 lb. finely chopped walnuts
- 1 cup sugar
For the topping:
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside until needed.
Step 2
Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until lightened in color, 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and egg to the bowl, mixing on low until just combined.
Step 3
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in the seltzer, red wine and honey; mix on medium speed to combine. In a separate large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and instant yeast). Add them to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix for 3-4 minutes, until well combined and no floury steaks remain.
Step 4
Remove from the bowl. Divide the dough into three even pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each into a rectangle, around 15x8”.
Step 5
Divide the filling evenly between each rolled out rectangle, spreading it over the middle and leaving a border on each side. Fold both sides of the dough over the middle, so it is folded in thirds.
Step 6
Transfer the logs of dough to the prepared baking sheet, leaving several inches of space between them. The resulting logs, after being folded in thirds, should measure 12x3”.
Step 7
Make five shallow cuts on the top of each log of dough. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and let the kindle bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the honey and oil in a small saucepan on the stovetop. Bring to a boil over a medium heat and let cook at a boil until thick and combined, 5-6 minutes.
Step 8
Remove the kindl from the oven and baste with the honey and oil mixture. Return to the oven and bake for another 30-35 minutes, basting with the honey and oil every 15 minutes. Remove from oven after 45-50 minutes, once the kindl is golden brown and crisp.
Step 9
Let cool on the tray. Serve sliced into 1” cookies, with coffee or tea.
