SIMPLE TRNOVEC POPPY SEED ROLL

Ingredients:
350 g flour
1 tablespoon oil
½ egg
A pinch of salt

For the filling:
300 g ground poppy seeds
350 ml milk
300 ml sour cream
50 g butter
250 g sugar
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:
Knead a smooth dough using the listed ingredients and let it rest for half an hour. Meanwhile, heat the milk, sugar, and ground poppy seeds until combined. Allow the mixture to cool, then add the sour cream. Roll out the dough as thin as possible. Drizzle it with melted butter and spread a thin layer of the filling over it. Roll the dough into a strudel shape and place it in a greased baking tray. Brush with sour cream and bake for 45 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

Once baked, sprinkle the roll with powdered sugar and serve warm.
It pairs wonderfully with a glass of milk.

Toplica Bath Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 12 eggs (separate the whites from the yolks)
• 240 g sugar
• 200 g butter
• 240 g ground walnuts
• 120 g breadcrumbs
• 100 ml rum
• 8 tablespoons strong black coffee (brewed)

For the cream:

• 300 ml milk
• 250 g sugar
• 2 packets vanilla sugar
• 1 lemon (grated zest)
• 500 g ground walnuts

For the glaze:

• 150 g chocolate
• 150 g margarine

Instructions:

1. Prepare a 23 cm diameter cake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and greasing the sides. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Beat the egg whites until stiff and set them aside. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and butter with a mixer. Once well mixed, add the coffee, walnuts, and breadcrumbs (previously soaked in rum). Gently fold in the egg whites. Mix slowly until the mixture is uniform. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Repeat the process for the second layer.
3. Prepare the cream by mixing the milk, sugar, vanilla sugar, and grated lemon zest. Bring to a boil. Add the ground walnuts to the hot mixture, cook for a little longer, and stir well.
4. Once the first layer has cooled, spread two-thirds of the cream on it. Place the second layer on top and cover the entire cake with the remaining cream.
5. To make the glaze, melt the chocolate and margarine over a double boiler and prepare the glaze. Pour it over the cake and decorate with halves of walnuts (which you can dip in the glaze) and additional ground walnuts.

CREAMY PUMPKIN SOUP
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Ingredients:
250 g pumpkin
1 red carrot
1 slice of celeriac
2 small potatoes
onion
garlic
celery leaf
parsley leaf
salt
pepper
fresh ginger
pumpkin seeds
pumpkin oil
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Preparation:
Wash, peel, and cut the vegetables into smaller pieces, then sauté them with the onion. Sauté until the vegetables soften, then add fresh ginger. Add the celery and parsley leaves, and season with salt. Cook for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and blend the vegetables to achieve a smooth, thick creamy soup. Finally, season to taste with pepper and additional salt if needed. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, roasted pumpkin seeds, and Varaždin pumpkin oil.
Enjoy this delicious soup, which can also be served as a standalone meal or a light dinner after festive feasts.

VENISON HUNTER'S STYLE

Ingredients:

• 1 kg venison leg
• 150 ml wine vinegar
• 150 ml water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 onions
• 1 larger grated carrot
• 1 tablespoon blueberries
• About 10 dried plums
• Salt, pepper, and red paprika (optional)
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 200 ml red wine

Preparation:

1. Cut the meat into thick steaks and marinate it in a mixture of wine vinegar, water, salt, and garlic. Leave it in the fridge overnight.
2. In lard, sauté the onions with a bay leaf, then add the meat and briefly sear it. Add the grated carrot, blueberries, dried plums, salt, pepper, and a bit of red paprika. You can also add an apple or pear if you like.
3. Once the meat softens, add the tomato puree, pour in the wine, and simmer until the wine evaporates and the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
4. Serve with polenta or bread dumplings. And, of course, a glass of homemade red wine. Enjoy your meal!

SLAVONIAN CREAM SPREAD

Ingredients:

• 0.5 kg fresh cottage cheese
• 0.1 kg spring onions
• 0.2 l sour cream
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley leaves
• 0.02 kg salt
• A pinch of sweet paprika

Preparation:
Pass or thoroughly mix fresh homemade cow’s cheese. Add sour cream. Clean and wash the spring onions, including the green tops, slice them into rings, and lightly salt them. Finely chop the parsley leaves. Combine the cheese, sour cream, onions, parsley, and salt, mixing everything well. Serve with a sprinkle of sweet paprika on top.

Satrica is best served as an appetizer or paired with the previously mentioned Slavonian kulen. And of course, we recommend enjoying it with a glass of wine—our top suggestion is Chardonnay from the Ilok Cellars.

Dumplings (Tačke)

Ingredients:

• 900g flour
• 4 eggs
• 150g fat (butter, oil, or lard)
• 150g toasted breadcrumbs
• 40g salt
• 400g sour cream

Preparation: From the flour, eggs, a bit of fat, and, if necessary, lukewarm water, make a dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. Form a few small balls from the dough and roll them out thinly, about 2mm thick. Cut the dough into small squares, about 3-4 cm in size, and let them dry slightly.

If desired, fill with marmalade or jam by placing a small amount on one-quarter of the square, folding it over, and sealing the edges with a decorative wheel. Boil salted water with a bit of oil and bring it to a boil. Add the dumplings and cook for about 20 minutes, then remove them from the water.

Place them in a bowl with poppy seeds or crushed walnuts and sugar. Serve the warm dumplings with cold sour cream, which can be lightly dusted with sugar, if desired.

Lard biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1 kg flour (70% all-purpose and 30% semolina)
• 0.50 l milk
• 0.20 l sparkling water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cube fresh yeast
• 0.40 kg pork lard

Preparation:
In a little warm milk, dissolve sugar and crumbled yeast, then leave it in a warm place to rise. In a mixing bowl, add the flour (90%) and make a well in the center. Add the remaining ingredients and the risen yeast. Gradually mix the ingredients to form a soft dough. Let it rise for about 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough and spread it with ground lard, then fold it like puff pastry. Let it rest for half an hour. Repeat this process two more times. The more times you fold the dough, the better the flakiness.

Afterward, roll out the dough, cut it into triangles, place a little marmalade on each triangle, roll it up, and let it rise before baking at 200°C. Once baked, dust with powdered sugar.

Salenjaci can be served warm, and for the full experience, we recommend pairing them with Ilok Traminer wine.

FAT BREAD
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Ingredients:
1 kg all-purpose flour
250 ml milk
250 ml water
1 cube fresh yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
20 g salt
250 g lard (or margarine)
2-3 eggs (depending on size)
2 egg yolks for brushing

Preparation:

Activate the yeast: Dissolve the sugar in a small amount of warm milk and crumble in the yeast. Let it sit in a warm place until it rises. Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, place most of the flour. Make a well in the center and add the warm water, eggs, salt, and the yeast mixture with milk. Gradually mix the ingredients into a medium-soft dough. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
Prepare the lard: Work the lard until it becomes creamy.
Roll out the dough: Lightly flour a rolling surface, place the risen dough on it, and roll it out to a thickness of about 1 cm. Spread one-third of the lard over the dough, then fold it in three parts. Roll it out again and repeat the folding process, letting the dough rest and rise for about 10 minutes. Repeat this process two more times, adding lard each time, then shape the dough as desired. Place it in a greased baking pan and let it rest for about 45 minutes.

Bake the bread: Preheat the oven to 250°C (482°F). Place the dough in the oven and spray it with water. Bake at 250°C for the first 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 200°C (392°F) and continue baking for another 15 minutes, or until it achieves a nice golden color. Adjust the oven temperature as needed, baking for a total of about 45 minutes. For a more golden color, brush the bread with beaten egg yolks 5 minutes before it is done.

Cool the bread: Turn off the oven and leave the bread inside for an additional 5 minutes. Then, remove it from the oven, spray with cold water, and wrap it in a large kitchen towel or cloth to steam.

Serving Suggestion: Once cooled, tear the bread into pieces, which adds to its delightful consumption. Serve with cheese and homemade cream as an appetizer, or as a substitute for bread with main dishes. Enjoy!

SOFT HONEY COOKIES
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Ingredients:
150 g oil (or other fat like lard)
150 g sugar
150 g honey
360 g all-purpose flour
1 whole egg
Two pinches of baking soda
A little cinnamon or gingerbread spice
Optional: a few tablespoons of ground nuts or a walnut for decoration
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Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients to form a dough. Take portions of the mixture and shape them into balls, placing them on a baking sheet. Gently press each ball with your palm, leaving a few centimeters of space between each. If desired, place a walnut on top of each cookie.

Place the oven rack at the top and preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F).

If making larger balls, bake for 10 minutes; if making smaller ones, bake for a shorter time. The cookies are done when the bottoms start to darken slightly.

These cookies are soft and delicious right away, so you can enjoy them the same day!

PASTA WITH CABBAGE
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Ingredients:
400 g all-purpose flour
1 egg
Pinch of salt
200 ml water
A few tablespoons of pork lard or 100 ml oil
1 head of fresh cabbage
Water, salt, pepper
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Preparation:
Mix the flour, egg, salt, and water to make the dough. You can either tear the dough by hand into the boiling salted water or roll it out on a well-floured surface to a thickness of 2-3 cm. Cut into wide strips, flour them well to prevent sticking, and then stack them on top of each other. Cut into small squares (patches/pieces).

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add plenty of salt. Once boiling, add all the pasta pieces and cook until they float to the surface. Drain and rinse briefly under lukewarm water to prevent sticking.

Wash and coarsely grate the cabbage. Heat the oil or lard in a deep pan. Add the grated cabbage, add a bit of water, and season with a little salt. Sauté the cabbage until it softens, adding a bit of water as needed to prevent burning. After about 30 minutes, the cabbage should be cooked. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.

Mix the sautéed cabbage with the pasta and serve. Enjoy your meal!