Croatian Desserts

C ROAT I A N
DESSERTS
5 0 A U T H E N T I C R E C I P E S T O M A K E AT H O M E
By
Andrea Pisac
Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Croatian Desserts
50 authentic recipes to make at home
Published by Andrea Pisac 2018, London, UK
travelhonestly.com
Copyright © Andrea Pisac 2018
Photographs copyright © Nikica Freškura & Andrea Pisac
Andrea Pisac has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to
be identified as the author of this work
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be
lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any
form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condi-
tion, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Design and Layout: Mladen Freškura
Editing: Alan Filewod
Introduction
Acknowledgements
Introduction
The anthropologist
in the kitchen
Before you begin - Croatian

ingredients

Lazy Morning
Pancakes
(Palačinke)
pala’cheenke
Apples in a dressing gown

(Jabuke u šlafroku)
‘yabooke ‘oo ‘shlafrokoo
Shredded Pancake
Kaiserschmarrn
‘kayzer’shmarn
Sunday Sweets
Strudel Pastry
Štrudla
‘shtroodla
Apple Strudel
Štrudla od jabuka
‘shtroodla ‘awd ‘yabooka
Sour Cherry Strudel

Štrudla od višanja
‘shtroodla ‘awd ‘veeshanya

Sweet Cheese Strudel
Slatka štrudla od sira
‘slatka ‘shtroodla ‘awd ‘seera
Poppy Seed Strudel

Makači
‘makachee
Zagorje Štrukli
Zagorski štrukli
‘zagawrskee ‘shtrooklee
Međimurje Layer Cake

Međimurska gibanica
‘mejeemoorska ‘geebaneetsa
Apple Pie
Pita od jabuka
‘peeta ‘awd ‘jabooka
Sweet Cheese Pie

Pita od sira
‘peeta ‘awd ‘seera
Plum dumplings
Knedle od šljiva
‘knedle ‘awd ‘shlyeeva
Floating Islands
Šnenokle
‘shnenawkle

Simple Poured Cake
Zlevanka
‘zlevanka
Sweet Yeast Buns

Buhtle
‘boohtle
Special Occasions
Hungarian Layered Pie

Mađarica
ma’jareetsa
Trogir Rafioli
Trogirski rafioli
‘trawgeerskee rafee’awlee
Puff Pastry
Lisnato tijesto
‘leesnataw tee’yestaw
Samobor Custard Cream Cake

Samoborske kremšnite
‘samawbawrske ‘kremshneete
Princess’s Cream Puffs

Princes krafne
‘preentses ‘krafne

Danube Waves
Dunavski valovi
‘doonavskee ‘valawvee
Julie’s Pie
Juliška pita
‘yoolishka ‘peeta
Cat’s Eyes
Mačje oči
‘machye ‘awchee
Doughnuts
Krafne
‘krafne
Chestnut Parfait
Kesten parfe
‘kesten par’fe
Sweet Yeast Dumplings

Germknedle
‘germ ‘knedle
Water-proofed Crescent Rolls

Vodene Kiflice
‘vawdene ‘keefleetse
Candied Orange Peel

Arancini
aran’tseenee

Cakes
Cake from Skradin

Skradinska torta
‘skradeenska ‘tawrta
Cake from Ston

Stonska torta
‘stawnska ‘tawrta
Cake from Imotski

Imotska torta
‘eemawtska ‘tawrta
Cake from Split

Splitska torta
‘spleetska ‘tawrta
Carob Cake
Rogačuša
raw’gachoosha
Icy Wind
Ledeni vjetar
‘ledenee ‘vyetar
Chocolate Parfait Cake

Čokoladna parfe torta
‘chawkawladna par’fe ‘tawrta

Dobos Torte
Doboš torta
‘dawbawsh ‘tawrta
Christmas Sweets
Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

Orehnjača i makovnjača
awreh’nyacha ee makawv’nyacha
Mini Boozy Doughnuts

Fritule
‘freetoole
Vanilla Crescent Cookies

Vanilin kiflice
‘vaneeleen ‘keefleetse
Peach Cookies
Breskvice
‘breskveetse
Walnut Cookies
Oraščići
aw’rashcheechee
Ischler Cookies
Išleri
‘eeshleree

Walnut Meringue Slices
Londoneri
lawn’dawneree
Linzer Cookies
Linceri
‘leentseree
Peppery Honey Cookies

Paprenjak
papre’nyak
Bear Paws Cookies

Šape
‘shape
Deer’s Ridge
Srneći hrbat
‘srnechee ‘hrbat
Eastern Sweets
Sweet Easter Bread

Pinca
‘peentsa
Marbled Kugelhopf
Mramorni kuglof
‘mramawrnee ‘kooglawf


Before you begin - Croatian ingredients
CAROB Poppy seeds are a calorie bomb. In the across Istria, they are one of our favour-
past, when food was often scarce, poppy ite autumn fruit. October and November
There is a reason why I began this intro- seeds nourished the kids and kept men are unthinkable without savouring roast
duction with the story about carob inside working hard in the field. chestnuts, usually prepared at streets cor-
my suitcase. True, I could have bought ners. If you find yourself in Zagreb during
some at any UK health food shop, but All our desserts use ground (blue) poppy that time, this is a must-have treat: just
not the type we use in Croatia. The carob seeds. If you can’t find any where you make sure you remove the peel from
we know is neither powder nor flour. It is live, get them whole. Wash and dry them, their sweet, mellow core. During this
coarsely ground and its texture resembles then run small batches through a coffee time, pastry shops will feature all kinds of
semolina. If you bring some back from grinder. chestnut-based desserts. This is why fro-
your Croatian travels – you can easily get zen chestnuts puree is a widely available
it in any food shop – compare it with the
finer carob powder. I am sure you will
NUTS ingredient in most shops around Croatia.
notice the difference. Croatian carob has The most common types of nuts are wal-
such an overpowering aroma, it’s almost nuts and almonds. Interestingly, they also VANILLA-FLAVOURED
like a Dalmatia-scented incense. tell which part of Croatia a dessert comes SUGAR
from. Walnuts predominate in continen-
tal Croatia, while almonds rule along the Majority of Croatian desserts feature va-
POPPY SEEDS Croatian coast. As much as they were easy nilla flavouring in the shape of flavoured
Poppy seeds are a prized ingredient in des- to get by – almost every village house had sugar. It comes in small sachets (10-15 g/1
serts across continental Croatia (Zagorje, a walnut tree in the yard – they are an tbsp) which we simply call vanilla sugar. I
Zagreb County, Međimurje, Slavonia). To expression of prosperity. You will see they recommend you follow this tradition be-
understand this trend, you need to appre- feature prominently in Christmas cook- cause using vanilla bean or extract would
ciate their history, not only their luscious ies and some Dalmatian cakes. Those are reduce the overall amount of sweetness
taste. Poppy flowers were once grown filled with almost half a kilo of almonds in a dessert. If you can’t buy this kind of
in gardens. Yes, those bright red flowers and were made at special occasions and scented sugar, make your own. Cut open
eventually produce seeds attributed with for special people, including royalty. a vanilla bean and place it in a sugar jar.
all sorts of benefits. They calm the nerves, Keep closed for 1-2 weeks and all of sugar
give you a natural high, and spice up your Chestnuts are a whole different story. will soak up the vanilla flavouring. Use
love life. So the giggling elders would say. Widespread in continental Croatia and that in recipes.

FRESH YEAST Maraschino is made with small, slightly LARD

sour Marasca cherries which grow wild
Baking with dry yeast in Croatia is more of along the Dalmatian coast. Back in the When margarine invaded our kitchens,
an exception than a rule. We tend to use 18th century, when Venetian merchant lard got sidelined as a bad-for-you fat.
fresh yeast all the time. It is sold in every Francesco Drioli started its production in Now the tide has changed and chefs
shop in little cubes of 40 g. As long as it Zadar, Maraschino became the first Croa- around the world use it to make their
is within its sell-by date, it never fails to tian spirit to achieve international fame. shortcrust pastry flakier. The truth is, lard
produce fluffy and airy dough. Quite the Its unique sweet, nutty flavours captured in Croatian desserts was a thing of neces-
sity, not fashion, because butter was an
opposite, dry yeast has a sketchy reputa- the hearts of the European nobility who
expensive commodity even in the pros-
tion. Most women in Croatia can share a ordered caseloads for their courts. Maras-
perous Dubrovnik Republic. When you
story of a failed cake because dry yeast ka factory is still going strong in Zadar and
come across a recipe calling for lard, be
didn’t even budge in a warm place. When- this transparent liqueur remains the sta-
sure it’s ancient and authentic. You can
ever you can get hold of fresh yeast, give ple ingredient in festive desserts. It will
substitute it with (softened) butter, but
it a try. It’s the difference that makes the be hard to substitute its aroma, but if you the texture will never be the same. Even
difference. can’t buy it outside Croatia, pick something as a vegetarian, I use lard for baking, and
colourless in its place, such as white rum. this is my only sin against the animal
ALCOHOL Rose liqueur is one of the most exquisite
world.
local brandies. Known as rozulin in Du-
Spirits and liqueurs have a long tradition brovnik, or rakija od ruže elsewhere on DAIRY
in Croatia, especially the homemade the coast, it obtains its fragrance from real
Desserts in continental Croatia abound
kinds. We distil them from any fruit or rose petals. The sweetest-smelling roses
with cottage cheese and sour cream. The
herb imaginable and, apart from their are steeped in rakija for up to two years texture of our cottage cheese is similar to
known medicinal properties, they are to produce such delicate yet full-bodied ricotta but its fat count is much higher:
central to our social life. If you can help aromas. Rose liqueur is precious and used at least 25%. There is also more salt and
it, don’t refuse a shot of rakija (the local to flavour special occasion desserts. Don’t sharpness to it. Croatian sour cream is
word) when offered. Equally, if you want skip on it in your baking. If you need to dense, creamy and can contain 10-20%
to replicate true Croatian flavours in des- substitute it, go with a splash of rose wa- fat. If you need to substitute it, go for full-
serts, stock up on these two unique types: ter or a drop of rose extract. fat Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche.

TYPES OF FLOUR MEASURING LIKE A Being precise will eventually teach you
how to recreate the most authentic Cro-
This may be the biggest minefield, es- CROAT atian desserts. The ones where you need
pecially if you’ve used recipes translat- to ‘feel’ the dough. This is the opposite ex-
In Croatia, we measure weight, not vol-
ed from Croatian. Every casual baker in treme of precision applied by our grand-
ume. This means that even those who
Croatia knows two types of flours. We mothers. They would take one ingredient,
dabble in baking will have a kitchen scale.
call them oštro (translates as strong) and for example, flour, and add the rest using
I know that the English-speaking world
glatko (translates as soft). Croatian strong just their sense of touch. So if you asked
flour is mainly used for shortcrust pas- measures ingredients mostly by cups. So
them how much water or milk is needed,
tries and our soft flour goes into bread don’t worry; all recipes include both sys-
they would reply: “as much as the flour
and filo dough. Now you see the problem: tems. Still, let me at least try to convert can take”. Sometimes the number of eggs
in English, strong flour has a high-pro- you to our ways. I have several arguments was the starting point. Then, Gran-only-
tein count and produces excellent bread, to back me up. knows how much flour was whisked in to
which is why it’s also called bread flour. create a perfect batter. You can get to this
Precision in baking is much more import-
To simplify things, all but one dessert in mastery, but only if you start with a scale.
ant than in cooking savoury dishes. When Remember the golden rule about break-
this cookbook will turn out great with
you rely on the cup system, human fac- ing the rules? You need to know them in
all-purpose (USA, Canada) or plain (UK,
tor can make or break your recipe. The order to forget them.
Australia) flour. However, once you mus-
difference between a cup of sifted and
ter up the courage to stretch filo dough,
you’ll need to get strong or bread flour. A unsifted flour, or a levelled and heaped ta-
protein count 10 or higher is what makes blespoon can be considerable. How flour
it elastic enough to cover a large table. was stored will impact its humidity but
this won’t be registered if you scoop it in
a cup. Only when you switch to a scale will
OIL FOR FRYING you see that the volume of ingredients AND FINALLY…
There are several sweets that are deep- can differ up to 50% compared to their
fried, such as our famous fritule, the mini weight. Digital kitchen scales give you the Every dessert has both its English
doughnuts. Whenever a recipe uses oil convenience of weighing more than one and Croatian name. For those who
for frying, it is the sunflower oil, the most ingredient in the same bowl. Instead of are keen on learning Croatian,
neutral we have in Croatia. You can sub- filling and emptying a cup with separate
there is pronunciation included
stitute it with any other oil that is neutral items, you can use the ‘tare’ button. With
in taste and suitable for deep frying, such every new ingredient, set the scale to zero
too, with the apostrophe marking
as, for example, canola oil. and keep adding things in. which syllable is stressed.

INGREDIENTS:
For approximately 30 slices; cake pan
36 cm x 27 cm [14x10.5 in.]
PASTRY:

600 g [4 ¾ cup] all-purpose flour
140 g [⅔ cup] butter
100 g [½ cup] granulated sugar
Orehnjača i makovnjača 3 egg yolks
40 g [1 ⅓ oz] fresh yeast or
awreh’nyacha ee makawv’nyacha 14 g [4 ½ tsp] dry yeast
*For US bakers – this is ⅔ of the 2oz Red Star
fresh yeast cake
200 ml [¾ cup] warm milk
No Croatian dessert conjures up so much One camp subscribes to very little filling, Pinch of salt
warmth and fuzziness like these two per- enough to just slightly upgrade the bready
fectly rolled loaves. They are ancient fes- loaf. At the other end of the spectrum are FILLING:
tive symbols without which Christmas and the ‘nutty’ ones who only accept orehn- For 2 walnut rolls
Easter menus are not complete. jača and makovnjača with stripes as wide 400 g [5 cup] ground walnuts
70 g [½ cup] powdered sugar
as the dough. And this is just the beginning
170 ml [¾ cup] milk
Humble and unpretentious, this sweet is of these sweet disputes.
2 tbsp rum
actually quite magical. In peasant house- 2 egg whites beaten
holds, where walnuts and poppy seeds Every Croatian house will have a different For 1 poppy seed roll
were staple ingredients, it would trans- division of flavours. Some adore walnuts, 150 g [1 ¼ cup] ground poppy seeds
form bread, something everyday, into others are poppy seed crazy. When wom- 70 g [½ cup] powdered sugar
something special – a cake. en share their pre-holiday baking stories, 140 ml [⅔ cup] milk
they will always make a point about who Zest of 1 lemon
Everyone in Croatia knowns, loves, and in their family ‘is addicted’ to which filling. 1 egg white beaten
bakes orehnjača and makovnjača. But Ultimately, this will tip the scale for either
though they use the same words, their orah or mak.
concept of this cake differs. Some prefer
the ‘bready’ type: rolls made just with lean So let me keep with the tradition. My family
yeast dough. Others swear by the ‘flaky’ has always made the flaky dough, we are
version where the dough is enriched with all ‘nutters’ to the core, and the score is 2:1
butter. in favour of orehnjača.
ok
co
's
L
et

 step 1 of 8
INGREDIENTS:
36 cm x 27 cm [14x10.5 in.]
PASTRY:
3 egg yolks
14 g [4 ½ tsp] dry yeast
*For US bakers – this is ⅔ of the 2oz Red
Star fresh yeast cake
Pinch of salt
FILLING:
For 2 walnut rolls
Prepare the yeast sponge. Crumble fresh yeast in a bowl, add warm milk, tbsp of 400 g [5 cup] ground walnuts
sugar and tbsp of flour (take both from the overall amounts). 70 g [½ cup] powdered sugar
Let sit in a warm place for about half an hour. 2 tbsp rum
2 egg whites beaten
For 1 poppy seed roll
150 g [1 ¼ cup] ground poppy seeds
140 ml [⅔ cup] milk
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg white beaten
CHRISTMAS SWEETS

 step 2 of 8
INGREDIENTS:
36 cm x 27 cm [14x10.5 in.]
PASTRY:
3 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
FILLING:
For 2 walnut rolls
Whisk salt into flour. Then rub the butter in until you get a crumbly mixture. 400 g [5 cup] ground walnuts
Add sugar and rub it in too. 170 ml [¾ cup] milk
2 tbsp rum
2 egg whites beaten
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg white beaten
Mix in the egg yolks and the yeast sponge.
Bring together into a smooth dough. Knead it a few times until you can shape it into
a ball.
Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for about one hour.
CHRISTMAS SWEETS

 step 3 of 8
INGREDIENTS:
36 cm x 27 cm [14x10.5 in.]
PASTRY:
3 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
FILLING:
For 2 walnut rolls
Prepare the fillings. The dough is divided into three loaves. I usually make two with 400 g [5 cup] ground walnuts
walnuts and one with poppy seed because I’m surrounded with walnut lovers. 70 g [½ cup] powdered sugar
The walnut type is also more well known. If you can’t get hold of ground poppy 2 tbsp rum
seeds, you can make all three loaves with walnuts. Then just adjust the amounts of 2 egg whites beaten
ingredients.
Both fillings are done in the same way. The only difference is that walnuts are spiced 140 ml [⅔ cup] milk
with rum and poppy seeds with lemon zest. I’ll walk you through the walnut one. Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg white beaten
Whisk together ground walnuts and powdered sugar. Pour hot milk and rum over it
to get a spreadable mixture.
Beat the egg whites and gently fold them in.
CHRISTMAS SWEETS

 step 4 of 8
INGREDIENTS:
36 cm x 27 cm [14x10.5 in.]
PASTRY:
3 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
FILLING:
For 2 walnut rolls
Divide the dough into three parts. I weigh the whole dough and measure out equal 400 g [5 cup] ground walnuts
parts. 70 g [½ cup] powdered sugar
Shape them into balls. You will roll them out one by one. 2 tbsp rum
2 egg whites beaten
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg white beaten
CHRISTMAS SWEETS

 step 5 of 8
INGREDIENTS:
36 cm x 27 cm [14x10.5 in.]
PASTRY:
3 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
FILLING:
For 2 walnut rolls
Roll the dough into a square shape (around 2 mm thick). Keep the edges sharp as 400 g [5 cup] ground walnuts
much as possible. This way you won’t lose out too many slices to the ragged ends. 70 g [½ cup] powdered sugar
Spread the filling evenly from end to end. Use a spatula to really press the filling into 2 tbsp rum
the dough. Smooth it out. When the filling is tidy and evenly thick, the rolls will look 2 egg whites beaten
perfect.
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg white beaten
CHRISTMAS SWEETS

 step 6 of 8
INGREDIENTS:
36 cm x 27 cm [14x10.5 in.]
PASTRY:
3 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
FILLING:
For 2 walnut rolls
Start rolling up the dough from your end. Keep it tight and press together. 400 g [5 cup] ground walnuts
Once you fold in the beginning, use your palms to roll everything up into a loaf. 170 ml [¾ cup] milk
2 tbsp rum
2 egg whites beaten
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg white beaten
The same goes for the poppy seeds filling.
And this loaf is just for me! I’m the only one in my family who adores poppy seeds.
CHRISTMAS SWEETS

 step 7 of 8
INGREDIENTS:
36 cm x 27 cm [14x10.5 in.]
PASTRY:
3 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
FILLING:
For 2 walnut rolls
Place the loaves in a greased baking pan, cover with kitchen towel and let them proof 400 g [5 cup] ground walnuts
for one hour. 70 g [½ cup] powdered sugar
Loaves should rise so much that they begin to meet. 2 tbsp rum
2 egg whites beaten
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg white beaten
CHRISTMAS SWEETS

 step 8 of 8
INGREDIENTS:
36 cm x 27 cm [14x10.5 in.]
PASTRY:
3 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
FILLING:
For 2 walnut rolls
Bake in the preheated oven at 180 °C [350 °F] for 40 minutes. 400 g [5 cup] ground walnuts
Leave to cool completely. Then cut into slices and dust with powdered sugar. 170 ml [¾ cup] milk
2 tbsp rum
Orehnjača will keep for several days in the fridge. Just don’t slice it up all at once. 2 egg whites beaten
Keep in one piece, wrap in tin foil and it will remain moist. For 1 poppy seed roll
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg white beaten
CHRISTMAS SWEETS


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C ROAT I A N

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Published by Andrea Pisac 2018, London, UK

Copyright © Andrea Pisac 2018

Photographs copyright © Nikica Freškura & Andrea Pisac

Design and Layout: Mladen Freškura

Editing: Alan Filewod

Before you begin - Croatian

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Apples in a dressing gown

Sour Cherry Strudel

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Poppy Seed Strudel

Međimurje Layer Cake

Sweet Cheese Pie

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Sweet Yeast Buns

Hungarian Layered Pie

Samobor Custard Cream Cake

Princess’s Cream Puffs

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Sweet Yeast Dumplings

Water-proofed Crescent Rolls

Candied Orange Peel

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Cake from Skradin

Cake from Ston

Cake from Imotski

Cake from Split

Chocolate Parfait Cake

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

Mini Boozy Doughnuts

Vanilla Crescent Cookies

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Peppery Honey Cookies

Bear Paws Cookies

Sweet Easter Bread

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Before you begin - Croatian ingredients

FRESH YEAST Maraschino is made with small, slightly LARD

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

Get the full cookbook at https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

Mix in the egg yolks and the yeast sponge.

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

Beat the egg whites and gently fold them in.

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

The same goes for the poppy seeds filling.

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

Walnut and Poppy Seed Rolls

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