Ingredients
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4 pcs apple
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Syrup
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1l Water
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500 g sugar
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10 g vanillin sugar
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1 lemon lemon juice
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Stuffing
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50 g almonds
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4 tablespoons Syrup
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1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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Decoration
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100 ml whipping cream
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a few cherries
Directions
Tufahije is, without any doubt, one of the most popular sweets of traditional Bosnian cuisine. Also, one of my favourite desserts of all times. In fact, this is a dessert made of poached apples stuffed with walnuts or almonds and whipped cream.
Tufahije is served cold, like dessert, with a cherry on the top. Traditional Bosnian coffee goes great with them.
Tufahije Origin
The dessert dish came to Bosnia with the Ottoman conquests. The name tufahije comes from the Turkish word tuffāḥiye, or Arabic tuffāḥ meaning apple. Some consider tufahija to be native to Persia. Today one can find a similar morabay seeb dish made from cooked apples.
Tufahije just like other sweet specialities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, are mostly local versions of Turkish sweets. Thus, the story of dessert in the Bosnian cuisine cannot be imagined without the large amounts of sugar dressing (agda) in which the cakes swim, as well as without the bony fruits, nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios.
The legacy of the Ottoman Empire in Bosnia and Herzegovina is still enormous today. It is estimated that there are over 8000 Turkish words in the Bosnian language today.
It is always fascinating to me, how to a large extent the culture and traditions of a nation can be reflected in its cuisine.
However, as much as they have in common with Ottoman or Persian cuisine, tufahije are special in own their way.
Apart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, tufahije are also known and popular in Serbia and Macedonia. A similar dessert exists in Bulgarian cuisine. It’s called pechani yabalki, and it’s made of baked apples.
This tufahije recipe, like other Bosnian sweets, is actually from my wife. It was passed on from her colleague Amira, with whom she studied. Amira is a Bosnian born in Sarajevo, and she is also a real foodie, especially when it comes to sweets.
Steps
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1
Done
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Wash the apples, peel and carve out the middle. Make sure to remove the centre but not to make a hole or tunnel. Leave some of the apple peel and put in the syrup, as this will give you a delicious full-flavoured syrup. |
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2
Done
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In a wide pan pour in the water, add sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and apple peel and bring to the boil. When it starts to boil, place the apples in and cook them for 10 minutes over medium heat. Apples should not be overcooked, so they do not fall apart. When the apples are cooked, remove them and allow to cool. Remove the apple peel from the syrup and set it aside to cool. This syrup is not thick and not overly sweet. |
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3
Done
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Grind almonds for stuffing. Tufahije is often made from ground nuts, but I prefer almonds. Put the ground almonds in a bowl, add the cinnamon and syrup and mix to combine. |
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4
Done
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Fill the apples with the prepared stuffing and put them in a wide bowl. Pour the syrup, which has cooled in the meantime, into the pan and leave the tufahije to soak in it. |
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5
Done
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Prepare the whipped cream according to the instructions. Garnish tufahije with cream, place the cherry on top and drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of syrup. |
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6
Done
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Leave it in the fridge to cool, as tufahije is served as a cold dessert. |
