Starogrojski Paprenjok - biscuits from Croatia

 These biscuits are typical from Croatia, specifically from the island of Hvar ,their origin is in the city of Stari Grad. In the past they were also widely consumed throughout the Dalmatian coast.

They are eaten at all family parties and are highly appreciated for being very durable. In fact in the past, it was a gift that the guests used to give to the bride and groom on their wedding day, the bride and groom had to keep them and consume them when they had their first child.

The sailors' wives and mothers used to make these cookies for sailors to take with them on long voyages, they knew that they were going to have a good sweet for the whole trip.

They are made with sweet wine, honey and a set of spices called 'prapen' with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.

Ingredients:

For the dough

- 500 grams flour.

- 250 grams honey.

- 62 ml olive oil.

- 75 ml sweet wine.

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

- 1 teaspoon baking soda.

- 1 teaspoon nutmeg.

- 1 teaspoon cloves.

- 0,5 grams saffron strands.

For the decoration

- 250 grams cast sugar.

- 1 lemon juice.

- 1 egg white.

Method:

1- Put the wine in a saucepan together with the cloves , turn on the fire until it boils.

2- Turn off the heat and add the saffron threads, let the wine get cool.

3- In a bowl, mix the honey with nutmeg, cinnamon and baking soda.

4- When the wine is cold, strain it and add it to the honey bowl, mix everything well.

5- Add the flour and oil, mix and knead until everything is well integrated, make a ball with the dough and cover it with cling film.

Let it rest for 5 or 6 hours.

6- Take portions of the dough and with the help of a rolling pin flatten the dough on a flat surface.

Use cookie molds to cut the dough, also use some stamps to make some drawing on the surface of the cookie.

7- Line a tray with baking paper and place the cookies on it, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes, and then bake at the same temperature for 20 minutes, heat up and down.

8- You can decorate the cookies on the same or another day, the advantage is that these cookies can last for many months, so you won't lose them.

To decorate the cookies we are going to prepare the icing.

Put an egg white in a bowl and beat until it is white and you can make peaks with it and the peaks do not fall off.

Add the icing sugar little by little while stirring.

9- Add lemon juice and continue stirring.

10- Once the mixture is added, cover it with cling film, you can keep it in the fridge until you decide to decorate the cookies.

Croatian women traditionally use a pin to decorate, they dip it in the icing and then make some drawings on the biscuits.

You already have some cookies that you can use at Christmas even if you make them in summer!

Receta en Español

You can also watch the recipe at my Youtube Channel:

Here you have my  favourite cooking tools: https://viaja-en-mi-cocina-english.blogspot.com/2023/05/shop.html

Croatia

Drap:
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Talautu - dessert from Papua New Guinea

 Talautu is a very typical dessert in Papua New Guinea. It is a completely natural dessert made from coconut and pineapple. You can add sugar if you want, but it can be eaten without it, savoring the combination of coconut, pineapple, and lemon. It is also a very easy dessert to make.

Ingredients:

- 1 Coconut.

- 1 Pinapple.

- Lemon juice.

- Sugar.

Method:

1- Grate some fresh coconut and place it in the cup where you will present the dessert.

If you want to see the best way to open a coconut, here's my video showing how I do it:

2-  Peel a pineapple and slice it. Take a slice and cut it into pieces put it together with the coconut.

3-  Add coconut milk until it covers all the ingredients.

4-  Add lemon juice and 2 table spoon of sugar to every cup.

The dessert is ready!

You can also watch the recipe at my Youtube Channel:

Here you have a link to my favourite cooking tools where you can find my spices grinder:  Favourite cooking tools

Receta en Español

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Kleftiko from Cyprus

                                                                               Receta en Español 

Kleftiko is a lamb and vegetables stew ,very popular from Cyprus. The name of the dish dates from the revolution of Greece against the Ottoman Empire, there were greek guerrilla groups that lived and survive in the mountains, they were called the 'Klephts'. The name was given to them in the XV century and all their descendants have received this name until the XIX century. The meaning of 'Klephts' is thieves.

That name was due to their custom to eat stolen lamb meat, the meat was also called Kleftico, it is, stolen meat. They used to slow cook the meat in underground ovens to not be discovered by the smoke.

It became a traditional dish in the greek world. In Cyprus it is consumed whenever they have a party or big celebration.

The secret of the success of the dish is the slow cooking until the meat separates easily from the bone.

Ingredients:

- 1 lamb leg.
- 1 onion.
- 4 ripe tomatos.

- Potatos.

- 3 garlic cloves.

- 1/4 glass red wine.

- 1/4 glass olive oil.

- 1/4 glass tomato sauce.

- 1/4 glass lemon juice.

- oregano.

- Salt.

- Pepper.

Method:

1- Salt both sides of the lamb leg, make some cuts along the surface and then fill those cuts with garlic cloves that you have cut into slices. Put the lamb in an ovenproof recipient.

2-  Pour some wine, oil, tomato sauce and lemon juice over the lamb leg. 

3-  Cut tomato and onion into slices and place them next to the lamb leg.

4-  Cut potatos into slices and place them over the onion and tomato. Sprinkle some salt, pepper and oregano.

5-  Preheat oven at 180 º C , then place the lamb leg and cook at the same temperature for 1 hour and a half or 2 hours , until the meat separates easily from the bone.

The meat is juicy and delicious, an easy way to prepare a dish for every celebration.

You can also watch the recipe on my Youtube channel:

 

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