Desserts

Desserts and Sweets

Reform Torta/Reform Cake

The queen of Balkan cakes, the Reform Torta is probably my most requested recipe. It’s the epitome of Balkan desserts with a generous amount of nuts, walnuts to be exact, as well as decadent creamy chocolate filling that is just sweet enough and oh so rich. I love this cake, […]

Bajadera/Bajadera Cookie

What cookie is always found on Balkan cookie trays? Bajadera of course! This simple cookie is the quintessential addition to any sitni kolači tray and is a family favorite around here. In fact, rarely do we have a slava or other special occasion where this recipe isn’t used to prepare […]

Kokosove Kiflice/Coconut Crescent Cookies

There are a handful of recipes that I refer to as old school or starinske. Kokosove kiflice are one of them. They don’t require a complicated process and every batch is truly unique. Some call these coconut horseshoes or potkovice, which makes sense since they are more horseshoes than crescents […]

Knedle sa Šljivama/Plum Dumplings

Ahh Knedle sa Šljivama, a favorite year-round but especially in the fall. When I started this blog, my husband’s favorite, Ferrero Rocher Knedle, was one of my very first posts. So this fall, I contemplated whether or not to even post this recipe since my dumpling dough is essentially the […]

Šljivopita / Plum Crumble Pie

Fall is just around the corner and plums are in season. Most recently, I was on a trip back home and my in-laws were in the midst of harvesting their plum crop. If you know anything about harvest season, then you know any kind of crop harvesting is an all-day […]

Krempita/ Balkan Cream Squares

If you ever walk by a patisserie shop anywhere in the Balkans, you will see display cases full of traditional sweets. Among all the delicious treats, you are sure to find Krempita and Šampita. Tall, very large slices of Krempita are a must when you’re craving something sweet after a […]

Rafaelo Kuglice/Raffaello Truffles

I’ve mentioned this before, but my husband’s favorite candy/truffle is definitely Rafaello. In fact, he ordered them in bulk online and so we always have them around the house. So it’s no surprise then that I’ve made a few recipes inspired by this creamy, dreamy, coconutty truffle. I’ve made both […]

Lava Kolač/Lava Cake

Lava cake is definitely not new, but I’ve seen this dessert become especially popular across the Balkans in recent years. I even saw a pre-packaged version being sold in the Balkan aisle of my grocery store. There’s no need for a pre-packaged version of this cake, it’s so easy to […]

Starinske Šapice/Balkan Shortbread Cookies

Šapice, an old fashioned recipe loved by all but especially our parents and grandparents. They remind me of a simpler time, simple ingredients, and shiny tin cookie molds that would rattle as they were turned over, still burning hot, to release delicious vanilla shortbread cookies as us kids eagerly waited […]

Lubenice/Watermelon Cookies

January 1996 I was enrolled in the village school in Kindergarten. Little did I know, that in September my life would change forever and I would be living in a different country far far away from my childhood friends. That January, the school had an assembly as they did every […]