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Authentic Krémes Recipe Hungary, Europe
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
A thick layer of smooth, wobbly vanilla custard sandwiched between two layers of puff or flaky pastry dusted with powdered sugar — that, in short, is the description of krémes, a favorite Hungarian dessert. Thin sheets of flaky pastry or puff pastry dough are baked in the oven until lightly golden, and the custard is made by cooking egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, milk, flour, and sometimes gelatin over low heat. The egg white snow is often added to this mixture to give it an airy texture, and some quick-fix recipes suggest making the custard with vanilla pudding powder. Traditionally, krémes are served cold, cut into large squares generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. The modern variants suggest glazing them with chocolate, placing a layer of whipped cream between custard and the top layer of the dough, or even putting another sheet of puff pastry in the middle, but the classic krémes are still undoubtedly the most appreciated.
Cooking tips
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dough
Although many krémes recipes suggest using pre-made puff pastry or flaky pastry, you can easily make your own by combining flour, margarine, salt, water or sour cream, and sometimes egg yolk. Do not make the dough too smooth — small bits of margarine will melt during baking and give it its flaky texture. Leaving the dough in a refrigerator overnight or for at least a few hours will make it more manageable.... Read more -
baking the dough
Before being baked, the dough needs to be rolled out as thinly as possible, cut in half, and pricked with a fork. The dough is usually baked in an oven preheated to 180°C/350°F until it becomes golden. The half which will end up on top of the krémes should be cut into equal-sized squares before being placed on the custard, which will make cutting significantly easier. -
vanilla
When it comes to custard, using a real vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract is what differentiates excellent krémes from the regular ones. Small black spots in the vanilla custard indicate that the krémes were made with vanilla beans. When choosing a vanilla bean, make sure it is plump, pliable, and that it has a strong vanilla scent. Best vanilla beans usually come from Madagascar, Mexico, and ... Read more -
eggs
The classic approach for making the krémes custard is to separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. The egg whites are then whipped with sugar into a firm snow, which is gently folded into the custard. -
thickening agents
Flour and gelatin are the most common thickening agents for the custard. The flour will make the custard slightly denser and heavier, while the use of gelatin will make the custard wobblier and lighter. -
serving
Most commonly, krémes are dusted generously with powdered sugar before being served. Modern versions suggest glazing krémes with chocolate or placing a layer of whipped cream on top of the custard. Make sure you serve krémes cold, right out of the refrigerator.
Recipe variations
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Ruszwurm-inspired Krémes
Ready in 5h 50minThis recipe was inspired by the most famous Hungarian krémes which are made at the Ruszwurm pastry shop in Budapest, the oldest one in the city. Their secret is to make the custard with whipped cream instead of egg white snow, which gives these krémes a rich, milky taste and a firmer texture.
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Krémes With Vanilla Pudding Custard
Ready in 2h 50minThe main feature of this simple krémes recipe is that custard is prepared with vanilla pudding powder. The dough is made from scratch, and it is advisable to prepare it one day in advance since it needs to rest in the fridge to become manageable.
Ruszwurm-inspired Krémes
PREP 30min
COOK 20min
cooling 5h
READY IN 5h 50min
This recipe was inspired by the most famous Hungarian krémes which are made at the Ruszwurm pastry shop in Budapest, the oldest one in the city. Their secret is to make the custard with whipped cream instead of egg white snow, which gives these krémes a rich, milky taste and a firmer texture.
Ingredients
Ruszwurm-inspired Krémes
1 package (500g/1.1 lbs) pre-made flaky pastry dough
10 egg yolks
350g (1 1/2 cup) sugar
120g (1 cup) flour
1 L (4 cups + 5 tbsp) milk
70 ml (5 tbsp) sugar-free whipping cream
1-2 vanilla pods
powdered sugar, for dusting
Preparation
1
Ruszwurm-inspired Krémes
Step 1/6
Start with preparing the flaky pastry. Roll the dough out as thinly as possible and cut it in half. Bake each half of the dough in an oven preheated to 200°C/400°F until it becomes golden brown. Remove it from the baking tray carefully and leave to cool. Cut the part which will go on top into 12 portion-sized squares.
Step 2/6
Now, prepare the custard. Mix the egg yolks with sugar until they become pale yellow and fluffy.
Step 3/6
Add preheated milk and flour and cook over low heat until the custard thickens. Now, scrape the vanilla pod into the custard mixture and set it aside to cool slightly.
Step 4/6
Meanwhile, whip the cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold it into the custard.
Step 5/6
Place the flaky pastry on the bottom of a baking dish, pour the custard over it, and top with the pre-cut flaky pastry.
Step 6/6
Let cool in a refrigerator for a few hours, dust with powdered sugar, and serve.
Other Variations
-
Krémes With Vanilla Pudding Custard
Ready in 2h 50minThe main feature of this simple krémes recipe is that custard is prepared with vanilla pudding powder. The dough is made from scratch, and it is advisable to prepare it one day in advance since it needs to rest in the fridge to become manageable.
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