Easy wine cake

 

250 gr coarse semolina

250 gr ground walnuts

250 gr sugar

˝ l white wine

1 spoonful flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of grated nutmeg

4 spoons oil

100 – 150 gr unsweetened chocolate (no milk ingredients, read the labels!)

50-70 gr margarine

 

Place the semolina, walnuts, sugar, white wine, flour, oil, baking soda and nutmeg in a dish and let stand for about half an hour. Pour into a baking dish greased with oil and bake for 45 minutes on medium. When the cake cools, make chocolate icing by melting the chocolate with the margarine and spreading it over the cake.

 

 

Orange bonbons

 

4 large oranges (with thick skin)

150 gr almonds, ground

150 gr sugar

1 peeled and grated apple

 

Wash the oranges thoroughly, remove peels, cover the peels with water and bring to boil. As soon as water boils, discard water, pour in fresh water and bring to a boil again. Repeat 10-12 times, until peel is very soft. Drain and puree. When cool, blend in the other ingredients to make a thick paste. Form little balls out of the mixture, coat each in sugar and place them in small paper party cups. Keep in a cool place and serve the following day.

 

 

Sour cherry strudel

 

16 sheets phyllo pastry

2 cans or jars pitted sour cherries

1 cup ground walnuts, ground pecans or breadcrumbs

3-4 spoons sugar

oil

 

Drain the cherries well and mix with the ground walnuts/pecans/breadcrumbs. Place 4 sheets phyllo pastry one on top of the other,  brush each one with oil. On the last sheet place a quarter of the cherry mixture. Roll tightly, securing the ends. Brush each roll with oil. Place in baking dish and bake at medium temperature for about 40 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Before serving, cut each roll into squares and sprinkle generously with icing sugar.

 

 

Apple strudel

 

16 sheets phyllo pastry

6 sour apples (“granny smith” are great for this recipe)

juice of half a lemon

1 cup ground walnuts or pecans, or breadcrumbs

˝ cup raisins (if hard, soak in water for ˝ hour)

3-5 spoonfuls sugar

oil

 

Peel and grate the apples, drain and sprinkle immediately with lemon juice to prevent oxidation. Mix in the walnuts/pecans/breadcrumbs and raisins. Place 4 phyllo sheets one on top of the other, brushing each one with oil. On the top sheet place a quarter of the apple mixture and roll tightly, securing the ends. Brush each roll with oil. Place in a baking dish and bake at medium temperature for 40 minutes, or until pastry is golden-brown.

 

 

Baklava

 

˝ kg phyllo pastry

˝ kg sugar

juice of half a lemon (optional)

400-500 gr ground walnuts

200 gr raisins (if dry and hard, soak in water for ˝ hour)

˝ l oil

1 teabag (black tea)

 

For the syrup, melt one spoon of sugar in a saucepan until brown. Add ˝ l water and ˝ sugar (juice of ˝ lemon is optional). Bring the mixture to a boil. Take off the stove and place teabag in syrup for 5 minutes. Discard. Set aside to cool.

Brush the bottom and sides of a square baking dish with oil, place 2 sheets phyllo pastry and brush upper sheet with oil. Sprinkle walnuts and raisins evenly. repeat until all sheets are used up. The last two sheets should be well-oiled and sprinkled with water. Cut the baklava into squares halfway (i.e. not to the bottom of the dish). Pour oil into the cuts and bake at a low to medium temperature for 30-40 minutes. When the pastry turns golden brown, pour cold syrup over it, cover with aluminum foil and set aside to cool.

 

 

Lenten crepes

 

3 cups flour

2,5 cups carbonated mineral water (or beer, but then the taste might be too strong, especially for children)

1 spoon sugar

pinch of salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

vanilla sugar

oil

 

Combine flour with mineral water, sugar, vanilla sugar, baking powder and salt and blend using a hand mixer until a thin batter is obtained. Add 1 spoon oil and mix some more. Brush the bottom of a Teflon pan with oil and add about one serving spoon (or less, depending on the size of the pan) of the batter. When one side of the crepe is done, turn over and fry the other side. Set crepe aside and brush pan with oil every time before frying a new crepe. When all crepes are done, spread marmalade on them and roll, or with grated apples and cinnamon, or fresh diced fruit. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

 

 

Tufahije – baked apples

 

6 large cooking apples

500 gr sugar

1 packet vanilla sugar

˝ l water

juice of half a lemon

 

for the filling:

 

150 gr sugar

100 gr chopped walnuts

50 gr ground almonds

6 maraschino cherries

1 packet vanilla sugar

5 bananas, pureed

1 lemon

 

Wash, peel and core apples and place in boiling water with sugar, vanilla sugar and lemon juice. Cook for about 10 minutes. They should still be firm after cooking. Drain and set aside. Reserve liquid. Add sugar to liquid and make a heavy syrup. For the filling, combine sugar, vanilla sugar,  walnuts, almonds, the grated peel of one lemon and pureed bananas. Mix well stuff the apples with the filling and pour syrup over them. Garnish with some of the pureed banana and a maraschino cherry.