The one who invented the Monastic Hut cake preferred to remain anonymous.
We will not build versions about the name of the inventor of an exquisite and at the same time simple dessert.
Whoever he is, one thing is clear - he perfectly mastered the confectionery art. Thus, only a true professional could choose the components for a cake that in a short time had become a famous and beloved delicacy of gourmet sweet tooths.
The recipes of many famous desserts, passing from hand to hand, were supplemented or transformed by professionals or home-made "cake makers" so that as a result many different variations of the same cake appeared. And this is normal, because the thirst for experimentation, research is the engine of progress, which is not alien to humanity.
With the Monastic hut cake with cherries, sour cream, this did not happen, and this recipe is already became a classic of the genre. Why did this happen, and is it possible to find some options for additions to cherries or sour cream to make the Monastery hut cake sound new?
We will try to figure this out now.
Cake "Monastery izba" with cherries and sour cream - the basic principles of technology
Shortbread dough, cherry and sour cream - the main components of the cake.
Cherry immediately catches your eye - a berry, at first glance, ordinary for our latitudes, but, nevertheless, has a bright color and aroma, so rich that few fruits can "get along" with it. In inconspicuous fruit, and other "companions" in the dessert, without the same strong aroma, it does not need, because it is completely self-sufficient. Only citrus flavor can complement cherry - universal for many ingredients. But only the aroma. Cherry is not a very sweet berry, therefore, in combination with the taste of lemon, there will be overkill. And its refreshing smell, or the smell of oranges, just emphasizes the peculiarity of the cherry aroma.
What "frame" is still suitable for cherry? Vanilla and chocolate. Absolutely win-win option. And with a light, heady aroma, despite the mention of the monastery’s cake in the name, the cherry will be even tastier. It can, of course, be cherry, chocolate, milk liqueur or cognacrum. In addition to the alcohol content, these drinks have a sweet smell. This is what cherry needs.
Sour cream and cream - A great choice, but with butter, perhaps, it’s not worth experimenting. Too high a fat content of this dairy product will be very difficult to combine with fruit juice. And not so much to taste, because a lot of sugar can be added to the oil cream, but by consistency: cherry juice will glide over the butter, creating an uncomfortable feeling. Oil creams are in harmony with dried fruits, thick jams or nuts, but not with fresh or frozen berries.
Sour cream or cream will be ideally combined with any fruit or berries. Only, behold, not every "company" is suitable for cherry. If you decide to cook a “Monastery hut” with other fruit fillings, which is quite possible, the cherry will have to be excluded from the list of ingredients.
It remains to analyze the dough. Does the sand base of the cake have alternatives?
Shortcrust pastry oily, crumbly, absorbs moisture well, which is very suitable for soaking the cake with cherry juice and sour cream, also quite moist cream.
You can achieve this result, using puff, chopped dough - it has a similar composition. Remember the Napoleon cake with custard: puff pastry is also infused, soaked, and we get an excellent cake.
Fit and biscuit, creamy dough, with and without fillers. The biscuit also absorbs creamy and cherry flavors, even much faster than shortcrust pastry, which means that you will have to wait less for tasting and eating the Monastery hut cake than when using a sand base.
Perhaps you can try more protein dough. In this case, it is generally not necessary to wait until the cake is saturated. And the cake "Monastery hut" will melt in your mouth, crumbling in the same way as its sand "brother", only, at the same time, without loading the body with a shock dose of cholesterol and calories present in the shortcrust pastry.
You can also try making waffle, gingerbread, custard dough for the cake. The dough for pancakes will be interesting - a kind of "chicken", but with a sweet filling.
Often, housewives would like to save time, while not depriving their loved ones of small sweet joys.
The recipes below provide this opportunity. Indeed, in fact, cherry tubes are shortbread cookies with berry filling, from which a cake is formed, combining it with sour cream. If there is no time for baking cookies, and the family urgently needs a cake, then any confectionery department of the grocery supermarket will help out. Simply, buy the right cookie, long and narrow, from puff, biscuit or shortcrust pastry. Arriving home, make sour cream and put these cookies on a dish in the shape of a hut roof, smearing each layer with sour cream or butter cream. The issue with the cake will be resolved within some 20 minutes spent on the preparation of the cream.
Sour cream in the proposed recipes has the same composition of products and the method of preparation, with the exception of the use of some additives in some recipes: with chocolate, liquor and fruit flavors.
As for the different types of dough base of the cake, if you decide not to buy cookies, but cook it yourself, then recipes for different types of dough are also included.
Recipe 1. Monastic hut cake with cherry, sour cream, shortcrust pastry - original recipe
Would need:
For shortcrust pastry:
Yolks 2 pcs.
Sugar 240 g
Oil (margarine) 0.4 g
Flour 500-600 g
Fragrance (vanilla or other)
Baking powder 10 g
Salt
For filling:
Cherries or Cherry Marmalade
For cream:
Sour cream 800 g
Icing sugar 200 g
For registration: chocolate and cherry syrup, cream (whipped)
Shortcrust pastry preparation:
Combine the sifted flour with flavoring (if using vanillin powder). It is convenient to sift the flour immediately onto the prepared surface. Gather it in a slide and make a funnel in the center. Rub softened butter with sugar, salt and yolks. For speed, it is convenient to grind finer salt and powdered sugar, as this will reduce the working time with the oil so that it does not melt too much. Rub the yolks into the butter, making a homogeneous mass, and transfer the mixture to the flour funnel. Add liquid flavors to the yolk oil.
When working with a knife, knead the dough on the desktop with cutting movements. If the dough is too melted and does not hold its shape, cool it, and then continue to work with it, taking small pieces out of the refrigerator. But don't overcool it too much.
Cooking Cherry Filling:
Prepare the cherry filling. Remove the bones if they are not removed. Defrost frozen cherries in the refrigerator, on the top shelf, transferring it to a sieve and placing a tray under the sieve for draining the juice. If you want to make the cherry sweet, sprinkle it with powder mixed with a spoon of potato or corn flour. Prepared cherries can be sprinkled with aromatic liqueur, cognac, rum or fruit essence to enhance its aroma, add cherry liqueur and cognac.
Preparation of cake mix for cake:
Try to work fast. Preheat the oven in advance and sprinkle flour on the baking tray. Place the finished shortcrust pastry on the board and form a rectangular block from it. Start rolling it, sprinkling flour, if the dough sticks to a rolling pin. Thin, rolled layer (not more than 0.5 cm) cut into strips (2.5 - 3 cm) along the entire length of the sheet. In the middle of each strip, lay the cherries in one row and pinch the dough. It is advisable that the tubes turn out no more than 2 cm in diameter, in finished form (note that after baking the dough will increase in volume). Transfer the dough rolls with cherry filling onto a baking sheet and bake.
Cooking cream from sour cream:
While the tubes are cooling, start cooking sour cream: beat the fat sour cream with a whisk until lush, but do not interrupt so that it does not begin to exfoliate; add icing sugar and, if desired, any flavor.
Assemble the "roof" by smearing each layer of ducts with sour cream. Cover the surface with peaks from whipped cream and draw a “tile” syrup.
Recipe 2. Monastic hut cake with cherries with sour cream puff pastry cream
Composition:
Flour 600 g
Juice of half a lemon
Soda, food 10 g
Butter, butter (ghee) 100 - 120 g
Cherry (pitted) 400 g
Refined Oil 100 ml
Sour cream (over 35% fat content) 600 ml
Chocolate 200 g
Sugar 120 g
Water (warm) 150 ml
Salt 10 g
Order of preparation:
Dilute salt and sugar in water, pour refined oil here and gradually add flour, stirring the mass. Quench soda with lemon juice and add it to a warm solution. Knead the dough to a cool consistency and let it rest. After that, roll out the dense dough into a thin sheet (1.5 - 2 mm thick). To prevent the dough from tearing and sticking to the rolling pin or table, crush it with flour and constantly rotate it on the surface. Grease the rolled sheet with butter all over the surface, using a silicone brush. Roll the dough into a greased surface and roll it again. Repeat this procedure several times. Wrap the finished dough in a film, soak for about half an hour in the cold.
Melt the chocolate bar and beat with sour cream. Lay the finished tubes with a slide, smearing each row with a cream mass. Garnish the cake and keep it in the cold to soak.
Recipe 3. Cake "Monastery izba" with cherries and sour cream: shortcrust pastry with lemon flavor
Another recipe for the cake, but this time in the composition of the shortcrust pastry is a natural lemon flavor. The recipe is also interesting because cherries are dried, and therefore it will be much faster to cook such a dessert. You can verify this personally!
Ingredients:
Lemon 2 Pcs.
Yolks 6 pcs.
Sour cream, homemade (oily) 400 g (including 200 g - for cream)
Oil softened 100 g
Sugar 250 g
Flour 600-700 g
Baking powder (ammonium) 40 g
Sun-dried cherry, pitted (or dried) 400 g
Chocolate glaze, sand crumbs (for decoration)
Squirrels (for decoration) 6 pcs.
Powder (for protein glaze) 300 g (including 150 g - for sour cream)
Cooking:
Remove the zest from the lemons and squeeze the juice. Leave half the squeezed juice (approximately 50 ml) for the protein cream. Use the second part of the juice for the test. Rub the yolks with sugar, soft butter and sour cream. Pour in the juice and add fresh zest. The dough should have a pronounced, yellow hue, thanks to the yolks. If you want more saturation, add a pinch of Indian saffron (turmeric) to the liquid base for the dough.
After sifting flour, mix it with a baking powder and add prepared, dried cherries, after iterating, washing and carefully drying the berries. In a large container, combine both masses and knead the dough. Form sticks of the necessary length from it, but not too thick so that the sand semi-finished products are well baked. Place cookies on a baking sheet sprinkled with flour and bake
In the meantime, make icing from chilled proteins and powder. Beating whites with sifted powder, add the remaining lemon juice to them, so that the mass turns out to be more magnificent and shiny, with a sour taste. Optionally, add vanilla or any other fragrance.
“Build a roof” on a dish, from ready-made shortbread cookies, with cherries, smearing each laid row with sour cream. Cover the top of the “roof” with protein glaze and a decorative thread of chocolate glaze. Sprinkle with sand crumbs. And by the next day, invite guests to a tea party with a cake. During this time, the cake will reach the desired condition. Do not forget to hide it in the refrigerator.
Recipe 4. Cake "Monastery izba" with cherries, sour cream cream from shortcrust pastry without eggs
Recipe - no eggs, but "with a twist"!
Ingredients:
Sour cream (for dough) 400 g
Sugar 250 g
Oil 200 g
Flour (as needed)
Soda (or baking powder) 20 g
"Drunk Cherry" 1 L
Confectionery cream (for cream) 600 g
Powder (for cream) 180 g
Grated chocolate 300 g
Flavoring (optional)
Cooking:
You need to start cooking this cake when there is a “drunk cherry” - cherry in sugar and cognac. It is done this way: seedless berry is tightly packed in a liter jar, filled with sugar, and then it is all filled with cognac (200 ml). Such a jar must be kept tightly closed, in a dark and warm place, for at least two weeks.
Syrup from "drunken vichy" is useful for flavoring in any desserts with cherries. For this recipe, cherries must be freed from syrup.
Make shortcrust pastry using technology. From the finished dough, cut the strips and put the cherry in them. In detail, this process, like baking, is described in the first recipe.
It will take a lot of whipped cream. It is better to whip cream 300 g each, since too much volume cannot be whipped qualitatively. Beat one half to smear the layers of the finished shortcrust pastry with cherry filling, and beat the second part of the cream for decoration, secondarily.
Each stacked row of "huts" consists of three layers: cookies, cream, grated chocolate. We also make: whipped cream and crumbs of dark chocolate.
Recipe 5. Cake "Monastery izba" with cherries, sour cream with biscuit cookies
If you do not want to cook a biscuit dough, you can buy it. For those who prefer exclusively homemade baking - a biscuit recipe (hot way).
Ingredients:
For biscuit: Eggs 3 pcs.
Sugar 60 g
Flour 80 g
Vanilla
For cream: Sour cream 450 g
Powder 125 g
Rum (for perfume cream) 30-40 ml
For filling: Cherry, frozen or fresh 0.7-0.8 kg
Cooking biscuit:
For the Monastyrskaya Izba cake, the hot method of making biscuit is more suitable, since with this method the dough will turn out to be more friable, which corresponds to the necessary consistency of the confectionery.
Drive eggs into a deep container, add sugar one at a time, warm in a water bath, not more than up to 50 ° С. At the same time, beat the eggs continuously with a whisk, until the volume increases by 3 times. Remove the dishes with beaten eggs from the heater. Continue whipping until cool. When the whipped mass cools down to 20 ° C, add the sifted flour in small parts, carefully bring the dough to readiness. Immediately pour into the prepared form and bake in a preheated oven.
Cooking Cake:
For the cake you need a thin biscuit, so pour the dough on a wide baking sheet with a thin layer. When the finished biscuit has cooled, cut it into long and narrow strips. Shift between strips of cherries and combine everything with sour cream. Garnish the top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
You can make biscuit rolls with cherries, for this bake biscuit dough in a pan, like thin pancakes, and immediately wrap cherries in hot biscuit cakes.
Recipe 6. Monastic hut cake with cherry, sour cream and meringues without baking
A very fast and low-calorie version of the "hut" is a cake with meringues, without baking.It is unknown how close it can be considered close to the original recipe, because with the air test, a completely different consistency is obtained. But, by the way, protein dough is also friable, and less nutritious than shortbread.
Ingredients:
Meringues (preferably long form) ± 1 kg
Jelly Cherry 450 g
Fat sour cream (not lower than 25%) 400 g
Chocolate "medallions" (for decoration) 200-250 g
Cooking:
We start with cherry jelly: if it is not there, then pour 250 g of cherries (you can take a frozen berry without waiting for defrosting) with a glass of sugar and boil for 5-10 minutes. For gelation of syrup it is better to use confiture or agar-agar. These thickeners are thrown into a hot, boiling syrup and the result will not be long in coming. Jelly freezes in 30-40 minutes. If you use gelatin, then soak it first and add to warm jam.
Then cherry jelly obtained in such a simple way, mix thoroughly with sour cream. Do not get carried away by whipping, so that sour cream does not begin to exfoliate.
Now put a layer of protein cookies on the dish and cover it with the cooked cream. The next layers are also until the cream and cookies are over. The shape of the cake should resemble the roof of the hut. From the finished chocolate "medallions" make a "tile". You can pour the roof lightly with cherry syrup. You can eat such a cake right away, without waiting for tomorrow.
Cake "Monastery izba" with cherries and sour cream - useful tips and tricks
For shortcrust pastry, choose a flour with a low gluten content, so that the dough is crumbly, more tender.
Chocolate is often used to decorate confectionery. It is possible to make the icing of the necessary consistency from chocolate, melted in a small amount of milk and combined with candy caramel.
Shortbread and puff pastry containing a significant amount of butter or margarine is preferably prepared in a cool room. For chopped puff pastry, it is better to cool the oil first. If according to the recipes it is necessary that it is soft, then immediately after the dough is ready, divide it into portions, put on a plate and remove from the refrigerator as necessary, in the process.
The temperature for baking shortcrust pastry is 230-250 ° C.
