Aunt Shirley's Recipe Collection ~ Walnut Pita ~ dated 1953

Dios pita

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 Tbsp sugar

Pinch salt

1/2 lb. butter or oleo

1 egg yolk

1/4 pint sour cream

Mix all ingredients as for pie dough.  Divide into two pieces.  Roll each piece large enough to line 9x12 pan.  Line bottom of pan with one rolled dough; add filling and place other rolled dough on top.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown.

Filling Ingredients:

6 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1/2 lb ground walnuts

7 egg whites

Beat egg yolks and sugar, add walnuts; fold in egg white beaten stiff. 

Aunt Shirley's Recipe Collection ~ Poppy Seed Cake ~ Dated 1953

Makos torta

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup shortening

2 1/4 cup cake flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup poppy seed

3 egg whites

Cream shortening; add sugar. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk; add vanilla; beat 2 minutes.  Add poppy seed and mix well.  Fold in beaten egg whites.  Pour into 2 greased and lined 8-inch layer cake pans.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees

(photo from uktv.co.uk)

Aunt Shirley's Recipe Collection ~ Apple-Nut Strudel (Almas-dio retes) ~ dated 1953

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg beaten

1/3 c warm water

2 Tbsp melted butter

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl; add beaten egg and gradually add warm water mixing with hand.  After all water is used, add melted cooled butter Knead dough in bowl for 20 minutes or until doug is smooth, bubbly and no longer sticks to bowl or fingers.  Place in the center of a large table covered with a floured cloth; place the bowl over the top and lest rest for 20 to 30 minutes.  While dough is resting prepare the filling

Filling Ingredients:

4 lbs tart apples cubed small

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup fine bread crumbs

Combine all ingredients. 

Dout is now ready to stretch.  Take rolling pin and roll; brush generously with melted butter and begin stretching with hands very gently, pulling and stretching until it covers table completely; dough will be paper thin.  Let dry for about 5 minutes.  Spread with apple mixture and sprinkle with about 6 Tbsp. melted butter as evenly as possible.  Hold up tablecloth and let the strudel roll into a huge roll.  Gently place into a greased baking pan.  Bake for 1/2 hour in a 400 degree oven until brown and crisp.  Cut in desired lengths and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Aunt Shirley's Collection ~ Apple-Poppy Seed Strudel (Almas-makos retes) ~ Dated 1953

                   

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

1/2 Tbsp lard

1/2 tsp salt added to 1/2 cup warm water

Mix lard, flour and water to make a smooth, soft dough.  Shape into 2 round balls.  Place a towel on table and sprinkle with flour.  Place dough on towel and spring with more flour.  Cover with another towel and set in warm place for 30 minutes.  In the meantime mix the filling. 

Strudel filling:

2 lbs apples peeled and sliced thin

1/4 lb poppy seed ground fine

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sugar to taste

1/2 lb butter

Mix sugar, cinnamon, poppy seed and apples. 

Place one ball of dough on clean, floured tablecloth.  Stretch dough as thing as possible to size of the table on which you are working.  Melt butter and sprinkle half of it on strudel; sprinkle filling on strudel; take two corners of cloth, roll strudel away from you as for jelly roll.  Repeat with second ball of dough, being sure to sprinkle flour on cloth and hands occasionally.  Bake strudel rolls on greased cookie sheet in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. 

Aunt Shirley's Collection ~ Apple Nut Strudel (Almas retes) ~ Dated 1953

Dough Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

1/2 Tbsp melted lard

Filling Ingredients:

Combine -

1/4 lb raisins

2 cups sugar

1 cup bread crumbs

2 1/2 lb apples peeled and chopped fine

1 lb walnuts, ground

1 Tbsp melted butter

Dissolve salt in warm water; add remaining dough ingredients and mix well.  Work well until it bubbles.  Cover and allow to stand 1/2 hour in warm place.  Place dough on clean floured cloth on table.  Stretch dough on all sides until it is as thin as possible.  Sprinkle with melted lard; spread filling on stretched dough.  Take corners of cloth and roll away from yourself into a roll.  Cut into shorter lengths to fit well-greased pans.  Bake about 45 minutes at 325 degrees. 

Aunt Shirley's Collection ~ Apple Squares (Almas szelet)

Dough Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1/2 lb butter

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

Juice of 1 Lemon

3/4 cup sour cream

Filling Ingredients:

1/4 cup cracker crumbs

4 or 5 apples sliced

Sugar, amount depending on tartness of apples

Grated lemon rind

1/2 to 2/3 cup ground nuts

Mix butter and flour as for pie dough; add slightly beaten egg yolks and rest of ingredients.  Roll or pat 1/2 of dough into greased pan.  For filling; put sliced apples, cracker crumbs and nuts on top of dough; sprinkle with sugar and lemon rind.  Put other half of dough on top.  Brush with unbeaten egg white; sprinkle with nuts and sugar.  Bake at 325 to 350 degrees until light brown. 

Aunt Shirley's Collection ~ Lekvar Cakes (Olga szelet) ~ dated 1953

Lekvar Cakes

(Olga szelet)

Ingredients: 

3 cups sifted flour

1/4 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 lb soft butter

4 egg yolks beaten

1/2 pint sour cream

1 pint lekvar (a sweet butter made of prunes or apricots)

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Sift flour before measuring; add salt and baking powder; blen in butter with pastry blender or hands; mix thoroughly.  Add egg yolks; blend in well; add sour cream.  Dough should be soft as pie dough consistency.  Roll 1/4 inch thick and place in 9x13 square pan; spread with lekvar 1/2 inch thick; sprinkle with chopped nuts.  Place criss-cross strips of dough on top.  Bake at 400 degrees until slightly browned.  Cut into squares. 

This is an example of what to look for when looking for Lekvar.  I have not been able to find it here in my local Kroger or Walmart Supercenter (We have Publix, but I have never shopped there I am embarrassed to admit).  I am in search of an "ethnic" foods market here in Nashville.  But so far, I haven't been able to find any kind of equivalent to Cleveland's West Side Market (where you could probably find this pretty easily)

Enjoy!