Ingredients
Pastry
- 500 gplain flour
- 250 gbutter or margarine
- 100 gsugar
- 2egg yolks
- 150 mlwhite wine or soured cream
- 1 tspbaking powder
- a pinch of salt
Apple layer
- 1 kgapples, coarsely grated
- 80 gsugar
- 1 tspcinnamon
- 50 gbreadcrumbs
Walnut layer
- 300 gwalnuts, ground
- 120 gsugar
- 100 mlmilk
- grated zest of 1 lemon
Poppy layer
- 300 gpoppy seeds, ground
- 120 gsugar
- 150 mlmilk
- 1 tbsphoney
- grated zest of 1 orange
Plum layer
- 300 gplum jam, lekvár
To glaze
- 1egg, beaten
To serve
- in squares, at Purim
Directions
- Simmer the ground poppy seed with milk, sugar and honey until thick. It should be a thick spreadable paste, not a runny one. Let it cool completely before spreading. Grind the walnuts and cook them with milk and sugar in the same way. Grind them coarsely rather than to a paste, which keeps some texture. Squeeze the grated apple to remove excess juice.
- Use lekvár, the thick Hungarian plum jam, which is dense and barely sweet. If yours is loose, cook it down first. Rub the fat into the flour, bind with yolks and liquid, and stop as soon as it comes together. Chill it for at least an hour.
- Divide the pastry into five equal pieces. You need five sheets: a base, three dividers and a lid. Roll each piece to fit the tin, as thin as you can manage.
- Roll between sheets of baking paper, which makes them possible to lift without tearing. Chill each rolled sheet until you need it. Spread each filling in an even layer right to the edges. Even layers matter, since a thick patch means the cake will not cut cleanly.
- Lift each pastry sheet on its paper and invert it onto the filling, then peel the paper away. That is the only reliable way to move a thin sheet without tearing it.
- Lay the final sheet on top, press the edges, and prick it all over with a fork. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 175°C for about an hour. Bake it at a moderate temperature and for a long time, since it is thick and dense. Cover the top with foil if it browns before the middle is cooked.
- Let it cool completely in the tin before cutting. It is fragile while warm and it needs to set. Cut it into small squares, since it is very rich. It keeps a week and it freezes well.
Technique
- It is a Hungarian Jewish cake of Budapest, revived in recent decades.
- Poppy seeds must be ground, since whole seeds give no flavour.
- Squeeze the grated apple and add breadcrumbs, or the cake goes soggy.
Substitutions
- Ready-ground poppy seed, bought fresh.
- A thick plum jam cooked down, in place of lekvár.
Variations
- With the layers in a different order, which varies by family.
- Made with a soured cream pastry.
- Made in a smaller tin, with thicker layers.
History
A Hungarian Jewish cake of Budapest, baked for Purim and revived by the city’s kosher bakeries.
Frequently asked questions
What is Flodni?
Flodni is a dessert from Hungary: layers of apple, walnut, poppy seed and plum jam between thin pastry. A Hungarian Jewish cake of Budapest, baked for Purim and revived by the city’s kosher bakeries.
How long does Flodni take to make?
Flodni takes 1 hr 30 min plus 1 hr chilling of preparation and 1 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 12 pieces. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Flodni?
Yes, within limits. Ready-ground poppy seed, bought fresh. A thick plum jam cooked down, in place of lekvár.
What is the most important thing to get right in Flodni?
Simmer the ground poppy seed with milk, sugar and honey until thick. It should be a thick spreadable paste, not a runny one. Let it cool completely before spreading. Grind the walnuts and cook them with milk and sugar in the same way. Grind them coarsely rather than to a paste, which keeps some texture. Squeeze the grated apple to remove excess juice.
