Kakaós csiga A typical Hungarian pastry, 'cocoa snail'



kakaós csiga, photo: Ildikó Szilágyi-Nagy



Kakaós csiga is not an ancient Hungarian pastry, it is only 104 years old. Its name literally means: cocoa snail. In fact, it is a kind of chocolate roll. I am an admirer of a blog which reviews every cocoa snail that the blogger can find all over his/her neighborhood. There are 212 snail reviews in the blog. I guess, the author will be able to continue testing kakaós csiga for a long time, as everyone has his or her own preferences for his or her cocoa snail. Some people like thick pastry with few filling, some like it with a crispy edge, other prefer soft texture. As for me, I am fond of the middle of the kakaós csiga. This is the core, or the heart of this peace of pastry, and my home made cocoa snail consists of a mere, big heart.

It is prepared in a lot variety today, but originally it is made of a sweet dough with cocoa filling. The first cocoa snail was made by Mór Pösch, who was a professional confectioner in Göd, Hungary, and created this new sweet to celebrate his 33^rd birthday in 1908.

kakaós csiga, photo: Ildikó Szilágyi-Nagy

Contrary to that it was in connection with the Christ age of its inventor, we usually don't think much about this fact. We just eat it as the most common pastry here in Hungary. They say that every Hungarian kid eat a cocoa snail at least twice a week. This means millions of cocoa snails per week!

A new blaze began for cocoa snails here with the economic crisis. A huge number of bakery opened here, and I had been curious to know for a long time how they could make profit with such an expensive product offer. Then I got it. I guess it is in connection with the economic crisis and the impoverishment of people here.

People used to eat hot lunch in lunch breaks in their workplaces or in a nearby restaurant. Nowadays less and less people can afford buying a whole meal for himself. So if they can't take meal from home, they usually buy some kind of pastries. That is why so many bakeries live well in Hungary.

I usually divide this pastry into two when I bake it. One pan of cocoa-filled, and the other with cinnamon and walnuts.

There are several recipes, I like the one which is even published in Hungarian Wikipedia. I usually use some kind of whole-wheat flour. Sometimes I enrich the dough with finely grounded peanuts, and I usually use a bit more butter for the filling, as I can induce more filling to remain in the pastry in this way. A basic recipe of Hungarian kakaós csiga
 

cinnamon snail with walnut, photo: Ildikó Szilágyi-Nagy

Cinnamon snail with walnut

This is a recipe of my home made snail pastry I prepared the other day. I was in the mood for cinnamon and walnuts. For a classical cocoa snail, use 3 tbls sugar and 3 tbls cocoa powder for the filling.

Pastry:

25 dkg whole-wheat flour

2,5 dkg butter

2,5 dkg sugar

2 dl milk

1 dkg yeast

2 egg yolks

cinnamon snail with walnut, photo: Ildikó Szilágyi-Nagy

Filling:

5 dkg butter

3 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons grounded walnut

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Prepare the yeast with 0,5 dl lukewarm milk (not more than 36 C) and a teaspoonful of sugar, and set it aside to a warm place.
2. Stir the egg yolks with the sugar and the milk.
3. Pour the two liquid into the flour. Add the melted butter, stir thoroughly, then kneed.
4. Set aside for rising. (About 1 hour)
5. Mix the filling ingredients, except butter. Melt the butter.
6. Roll out the dough on a board. (They usually prepare a 1 cm thick dough. I prefer 0,5 cm.)
7. Spread the melted butter on the dough, then scatter the filling evenly.
8. Roll up the dough and cut into 2 cm thick pieces.
9. Place into the thin (on backing paper, or smear the thin with butter), place the tin into the cool oven, and then turn on the oven. Backing temperature: 170 C. Backing time: 15-20 min.
10. As I don't like crispy edge, after taking the tin out of the oven, I cover it with a linen kitchen towel, and I set aside until it cools.