Sugar tongues: Vegan interpretation of a classic Soviet dessert (RECIPE)

Every Russian remembers sugar "tongues" from their school years. It was always a happy feeling when we got them at school break. You could also find them in cafes or culinary shops. My parents loved them a lot, calling them the cheapest dessert.  

Sugar tongues, of course, took their name because of the shape. According to the traditional recipe, they are long and rounded at the ends, but if we keep it simple the ones with square edges also taste wonderful. 

Sugar tongues are quite solid and have a multi-layered structure. A real puff pastry requires lots of work and the skill of folding the dough properly with butter. But this is not the only way to achieve this multi-layered effect. 

This recipe is a compilation of a family recipe and my experience with puff pastry. The trick is in ice-cold water. If you want a homemade puff pastry but you don't have much time, this recipe is what you need: quick, crispy, and delicious.  

During the Lenten period I decided to substitute butter for margarine. Frankly speaking, butter gives much more flavor. However, this can be compensated by the cinnamon I used as a taste twist that was not used in Soviet variation. Another deviation from a classic recipe of a puff pastry is the usage of apple vinegar, which gives an extra flexibility to the dough. 

Try this simple Soviet dessert that has its own flare. 

Ingredients: 

Yulia Mulino

• Flour - 250 g
• Margarine (butter) - 200 g
• Ice-cold water - 50 g
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Sugar - 2 tbsp
• Apple vinegar – 1 tbsp
• Brown sugar - 4 tbsp
• Cinnamon - 1 tsp (optional) 

Preparation: 

1. Cut hard margarine/butter in cubes, place together with flour, salt, sugar in a food processor.

Yulia Mulino

2. Run till you get crumbled mass.

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3. Pour ice-cold water and vinegar slowly to the crumbled mass, till you get a homogeneous dough.

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4. Place the dough on a board dusted with flour and shape a flat rectangle. Put it in the fridge for 2 hours.

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5. Preheat your oven to 200 C°. Roll the cold dough in 6-8 cm thin and cut it in long stripes (~15x5 cm).

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6. Glaze the stripes with vegetable milk and sprinkle with brown sugar (and cinnamon).

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7. Bake the sugar tongues for about 15 minutes. 

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8. They’ll rise slightly and become nicely golden.

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9. Enjoy! 

Yulia Mulino

READ MORE: Pirozhki: Make these mouthwatering fruit pies for a Russian-style picnic (RECIPE)

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