Walking into the room full of kids busy painting eggshells and running helter-skelter is not a scene you typically expect at the ever-so-quaint Danielle's Tavern of The Imperial. What could have been an utterly chaotic evening, turned out to be a joyous gala involving lots of colours, tainted aprons and spilled chocolate.
The Imperial, Janpath in association with Lizst Institute and Tara Child Protection and Environment, kicked off their Easter celebrations with a one-of-kind workshop. Every table had some hollowed egg shells, some paint brushes, chocolate eggs and sprinkles. Every single painted egg was used to decorate the tree placed right next to the stage. The evening was followed by delicious a kids' special high-tea spread. Think: cheese pasta, puffs, buns, cobbler, pastries etc.
The highlight of the event was however the DIY Hungarian desserts. After we were done with our refreshments, on our tables, we had a bowl of chocolate sauce, two trays of cookies, a bowl each of apricot and berry jam, some candies, chocolate chips and other titbits. Executive Chef Prem K Pogakula guided us through making two of Hungary's popular desserts, namely Isler and Indianer.
Our brief was clear, we had to "dip our hands in chocolate to ensure the cookies are nicely coated". Always better to be messy than stingy, right?
To make the Isler, we grabbed hold of two almond flour cookies and dipped one side in chocolate completely. The sides that were not dipped in chocolate were laced with apricot jam, helping the two chocolate dipped cookies stack together like a sandwich. The cookies were further topped with candies, choco chips and nuts.
Did you know Isler cookies are also sometimes referred to as the Emperor cookies, since when a winemaker wanted to expand his businesses and venture into pastry making, he presented these chocolate-loaded cookies to the Emperor of Hungary who happened to like them a lot.
Further, we also tried our hands at making the Indianer cakes, that may pass off as macaroons from a distance, but are quite different. Again, we were asked to dip the biscuits, much more fluffed up this time, in the chocolate sauce. The insides of the cookie that weren't dipped were slathered with berry jam and whipped cream.
Here are recipes of both the desserts. Try making the cookies at home and let us know how you liked them.
ISLER Cookies
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup almond meal/walnut flour
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 200gm of bittersweet chocolate, chopped jam - apricot
Method:
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine ingredients, roll into two disks and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
• Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut rounds.
• Slide onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until just barely golden.
• Transform to racks to cool.
• Pick a microwave safe bowl that can accommodate the cookies.
• Place the chopped chocolate in the bowl and melt it at 10 second intervals, stirring in between. Do not melt the chocolate fully. You just want to soften it a little.
• Remove from the microwave and stir smooth.
• Dip the top of half of the cookies into the melted chocolate.
• Spread the other half of the cookies with jam.
• When the chocolate hardens, press the two sides together.
• Islers keep well at room temperature.
Indiáner cakes
Ingredients:
For the batter:
- 4 eggs
- 40 g (~3 1/2 tbsp) sugar
- 100 g (~3/4 cup) flour
- 1 tbsp. water
For the topping:
- 150 g (~5 oz) bitter sweet chocolate
- 1,5 tbsp. oil
For the filling:
- 250 ml (~2/3 cup) cream
- 2 tbsps. castor sugar
- seeds of a half vanilla bean (optional)
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
- Seperate the eggs into two bowls. Beat the egg whites with sugar until they keep their shape.
- Whisk the egg yolks with one tbsp. of flour and water until lump free. Add the beaten egg whites, then the rest of the flour and mix them up gently.
- Spoon the batter in a piping bag and squeeze to make heaps of 5 cm in a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake them for 8-10 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl
- Dip the cakes into the chocolate and place them onto parchment paper to let the chocolate set.
- Whip the cream with sugar and vanilla seeds, then fill the cakes.
