Mákos guba

Ingredients

• 5Kifli (crescent roll)stale, cut into slices about 1 cm thick
• 6⅓ ozPoppy seedground, tossed with the roll slices
• 5⅛ cupsMilkabout 700 ml for soaking, the rest for the vanilla cream; one source uses plant milk
• 2¾ ozSugardissolved in the milk or mixed into the poppy seed
• ½ ozvanilla sugarto flavour the milk; ground vanilla as an alternative
• ⅔ ozbutterfor the dish and the cream; margarine in one source
• 1 tsplemongrated, added to the hot milk
• 1⅓ ozvanilla pudding powderfor the vanilla sauce or topping cream
• ⅔ ozStarchto thicken the milk or the yolk cream
• 2Egglightly beaten, binds the soaked mixture before baking (optional)
• 6Egg yolkfor a rich vanilla cream (optional)
• 2Applepeeled and coarsely grated, folded into the poppy seed mixture (optional)
• ¾ cupWhipping creamwhipped, for decorating (optional)
• 14⅛ ozJamtart red jam (strawberry, raspberry, currant, sour cherry), as a layer and coating (optional)

Method

1. Cut the stale kifli into slices about 1 cm thick and tip them into a large bowl.
2. Bring roughly 700 ml of the milk to a boil with the sugar, vanilla sugar and grated lemon zest, melt the butter in it and stir in the starch if you like.
3. Pour the hot to lukewarm milk over the kifli slices, add the ground poppy seed and mix thoroughly until every piece is soaked through. If you want, stir in the lightly beaten eggs now so the mixture binds as it bakes, or fold in the peeled, coarsely grated apple.
4. Spoon the mixture into a buttered ovenproof dish and press it level.
5. Bake at 340 °F for 20 to 30 minutes — the guba should stay moist inside rather than drying out.
6. For the vanilla cream, whisk the pudding powder — or the egg yolks with starch, sugar and vanilla — smooth in a little cold milk, pour in the remaining milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens.
7. Serve the guba in portions, pour the warm vanilla cream over the top and eat it warm or cold.

Tips and variations

The guba takes well to variation: for a dairy- and egg-free version, use rice drink, margarine and a vanilla sauce made with coconut milk, tinted yellow with a pinch of turmeric. As a no-bake cake, press the hot poppy seed and kifli mixture with grated apple into a springform tin, cover it with vanilla pudding, chill it and decorate with whipped cream and orange. It also works as a layered dessert set in half-sphere moulds — gelatine-set vanilla cream, jam thickened with pectin and guba — turned out and scattered with pomegranate seeds. To serve, a layer of tart red jam (strawberry, raspberry, currant or sour cherry) cuts nicely through the sweetness of the poppy seed.