Sunday Supper! It’s a tradition in so many families, including our good friend Vicky Akins. When we found out this week the #SundaySupper theme was All Things Orange we knew this we just had to share  Vicky’s family recipe for Hungarian Apricot Walnut Pastries. This recipe has been passed down from generation to generation and is as rich in memories as it is ingredients.

 Ingredients:

4 c. & 6 Tbsp of all-purpose flour                       1 tsp baking powder

1-2 Tbsp vinegar                                                    1 ¼  lb. butter (5 sticks)

1 c. water                                                                 2 egg yolks (reserve whites for walnut filling)

1. Mix 4 cups of flour & 3 sticks of butter (Set aside remaining sticks of butter and 6 Tbsp of flour, combined). 
2. Mix together 2 egg yolks, water, vinegar & baking powder. Combine with 4 c flour mixture.  Use a paddle attachment or dough hook if using stand-mixer. Stir until dough forms.
3. Roll out dough to approximately ¼ or ½ inch thick (a pastry roller or wooden rolling pin works best) and spread with ½ of butter/flour mixture.  In thirds, fold dough inward (you’ll have a layer of dough-butter-dough-butter-dough etc.) Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hrs. Repeat this step.
4. *This step can be repeated as often as you’d like.  I’ve done it as many as 4 times but you’ll need to add another stick of butter & 3 Tbsp of flour for each time beyond the two listed in this recipe.
5. Roll out finished dough to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Cut into squares approximately 3 in. x 3 in.
6. In the center of  square, place 1-1 ½ tsp. of apricot or walnut filling.   Do not overfill as the preserves expand when baked.(For variety, I’ve also used pecan, raspberry, and other fruit fillings.)  Either fruit preserves can be used, or tubes of fruit fillings are usually available at most cake/candy decorating supply stores & online) Walnut filling recipe is listed below.
7. Pinch two opposing corners together (with fingers slightly moistened with water) and seal together.
8. Bake in 325-degree oven for 15-18 minutes. You do NOT want them to brown. They should raise and become flaky. The pastry will have a dry appearance. Cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

 Walnut filling

2 c. finely chopped walnuts                                  2 egg whites

Cinnamon/Sugar mixture to taste.                     Milk

Combine ingredients, sweetening to taste. Add a few teaspoons of milk if mixture is dry

THE STORY:  When I was younger, Christmas seemed three months long.  Shortly before Thanksgiving, we’d begin looking forward to the arrival of the one thing that signaled the beginning of the holiday season.  It wasn’t the lights, or the music & decorations; no, not back then.  Way back before home computers, the Internet, overstocked stores or crazy Black Friday shoppers there were two books that every kid in my neighborhood waited for The Sears Wish Book and the JCPenney’s catalog. 

When it arrived, my brother and I would fight until blood was spilled, to see who got first dibs with a marker at this bringer of the magical toys we discovered within its cover.  Page after page revealed something wonderful that we’d ‘ooh & ahh’ over as we carefully circled the objects we desired.  (I should’ve been as smart as my grandson who saves time by circling an entire page in the ads.)

Once that book arrived, the trips to the stores began.  My mother was a woman on a mission with my brother and me in tow while she steered with remarkable agility through crowds of shoppers.  Yes, it was madness, but it was civil madness.  There was no pushing, shoving or pepper spray; no waiting in long lines for deals.  People shopped and chatted and hugged and wished each other Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah.  Sales clerks were friendly and helpful, and everyone you met just had a special sparkle about them.  It was truly a magical time that focused on family and treating others the way you would want to be treated.  It really felt like a season of miracles. 

Thinking back to all the Christmas celebrations growing up, I can’t tell you one gift I received; not because I didn’t get any but because the things I DO remember are far more important.  We went to my Hungarian grandparents’ house every Christmas eve, where a troupe from their church would show up, in full costume & act out,  in Hungarian, a portion of the Christmas story.   It was fascinating and always followed by a visit from the big guy in a red suit bearing presents.

What stands out most from the past are the food and the festivities surrounding it.  The table was always filled with typical American food as well as specialties from their native Hungary. Poppy seed potatoes were present to bring luck for the coming New Year.  Cookies, cakes, and sweets of all kinds filled the kitchen counters.  But the most popular of all were the delicate, flaky apricot or walnut pastries that Grandma only made a few times a year.  A labor of love, their preparation was best stretched out for at least two days.  A velvety dough is coated with a mixture of flour & butter, and then re-rolled to let the two blend in the refrigerator.  Only when the two have merged, is the dough again rolled out and the process repeated.  The more often this is done the flakier the pastry.  My Grandma did it with perfect precision, just as her mother had taught her in the Old country.

When I was a teenager, I asked to be taught the recipe. I was shocked to learn that she used no standard measurements for anything, as everything was “a pinch of this” or a “handful of that”, so I had to estimate the amount of the ingredients. But I watched in awe as she carefully explained every step, including the smallest of details.   It is a memory I’ll never forget, because most days, she and I had little in common and therefore weren’t very close.  But on that day, a love for cooking & the continuation of traditions passed on through generations brought us together for a common goal.  To this day, a Christmas does not pass without the apricot pastries being made in my kitchen, where I’m sure my Grandma’s spirit is watching me as I’ve begun teaching MY granddaughter to make them.  So much better than toys or gifts under the tree; these are the important memories of the Holidays; the love passed down from generation to generation.

Please check out all the delicious recipes on the blogs below created just for this week’s #SundaySupper Theme! 

Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert, they’ve got you covered! 

Sunrise  (Breakfast and Brunch)

Paula from Vintage Kitchen Notes is bringing her Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Kris from In The Kitchen with Audrey and Maureen  is making her Sweet Potato Pancakes

Erin from Dinners Dishes and Desserts is baking up some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Heather from Girlichef is bringing Pumpkin Doughnuts with Spiced Buttermilk Glaze

Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes is making Pumpkin Donut Puffs

Patti from Comfy Cuisine is bringing Classic Orange Marmalade

Claire from The Realistic Nutritionist is baking up some Spiced Low-Fat Pumpkin Biscuits

Sunithi from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz is making Spice Pumpkin Ricotta Muffins with Craisins and Walnuts

Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet is cooking up some Pumpkin Maple Oatmeal

Jamie from Mama Mommy Mom is bringing Butternut Squash Butter

Chelsea from Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence is bringing Pumpkin Spiced Donuts with Chai Icing

High Noon (Soups, Salads and Sandwiches)

Renee from Magnolia Days is serving up some Butternut Squash Soup

Beate from Galactopdx is bringing her Carrot Ginger Soup

Jen from Juanita’s Cocina is making some Sweet Potato Salad

Megan from I Run For Wine is making Roasted Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup With Adult Grilled Cheese

Sarah from What Smells So Good is filling our bowls with some Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

Alice from Hip Foodie Mom is coming with her Roasted Carrot and Quinoa Salad

Susan from The Wimpy Vegetarian is making Spiced Sweet Potato Cider Soup

Tora from Tora’s Real Food is bringing Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup

Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food is making Monty’s Pumpkin Soup

Lyn from The Lovely Pantry is bringing Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic is whipping up some Mandarin Chicken Salad

 Sunset (Dinner and Main Dishes)

Amber from Mama’s Blissful Bites  is bringing Rice and Fig Stuffed Mini Pumpkins

Sarah from Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends is offering up some Pumpkin Ravioli in Sage Butter Sauce

Pam from The Meltaways is making some Spooky Stuffed Peppers

Shelia from Pippis In The Kitchen Again is serving her Roasted Squash and Ricotta with Honey

Patsy from Famfriendsfood is bringing her Carrot Souffle

Elizabeth from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle is making Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecan Shallot Butter

Laura from Small Wallet Big Appetite is bringing Chicken and Sweet Potato Fritters

Mehereen from Chattering Kitchen is making Sichuan Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Sesame Seeds

Tammi from Momma’s Meals is making Hearty Pork Stew

Kristin from Kwistin’s Favorites is making Orange Chicken

Soni from Soni’s Food For Thought is cooking up some Rigatoni with Pumpkin Ricotta Sauce

Shelby from Diabetic Foodie is cooking up some Moroccan Vegetable Stew

Dara from Generation Y Foodie is bringing Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Brandie from Home Cooking Memories is sharing a DIY Baked Sweet Potato Bar

By The Bonfire (Sweets, Snacks and Sips)

Carla from Chocolate Moosey is making Pumpkin Tiramisu with Pumpkin Butter Caramel Sauce

Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks is offering up some Pumpkin Cake Truffles

Shelia from Cooking Underwriter is bringing Sweet Potato Bacon Beet Salsa

Anne from Webicurean  is making some Drunken Pumpkin Bread

Karen from In The Kitchen With KP is making Oven Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Leslie La Cocina De Leslie is making Sweet Potato Atole

Seet Fei from My Trials in The Kitchen is bringing Sweet Potatoes Mini Balls

Bree from Bree’s Bites is bringing Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites

Tara from Noshing With The Nolands is bringing Oranges En Suprise

Susan from The Girl in The Red Kitchen is making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scone with Pumpkin Glaze

Conni from Mrs. Mama Hen is making Orange Glazed Poundcake

Isabel from Family Foodie is baking up Moist Pumpkin Bread Reisipe

Cindy from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings is baking up a Vegan Pumpkin Orange Cake

Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is whipping up some Pumpkin Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Laura from Family Spice is making some Gluten Free and Unprocessed Pumpkin Bread

Kathya from Basic and Delicious is baking up Butternut Squash and Carrot Bread

Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is serving up Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Stephanie from The Cookie A Day Challenge is whipping up some Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches

Katie from She Like Ruffles, He Likes Truffles is bringing Pumpkin Harvest Cookies

Nancy from Gotta Get Baked is baking up some Orange Macadamia Dark Chocolate Cookies

Angie from Big Bear’s Wife  is bringing Orange Soda Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

Katy from Happy Baking Days is bringing Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze

 Midlife Road Trip is bringing Orange ya glad it’s fall! Hungarian Apricot/Walnut pastries

Please be sure you join us on Twitter  at 7:00 pm(Eastern) for the weekly #SundaySupper  live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite recipes featuring our favorite fall color.

Simply follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow on  TweetChat.

Come hungry!