Here in the Midwest, we got a ton of snow the last couple of weeks. And this being our first winter as new homeowners, shoveling the driveway multiple times a day was not fun. At all. And although it’s a great full-body exercise, let’s just say we’ve already picked out the snowblower we’re going to purchase. Oh, the joys of homeownership in the Midwest!

A great way to warm up though after all of that shoveling is with a bowl of something warm. A personal request from my husband last week was Griz, or cream of wheat cooked with milk, vanilla, and plenty of sugar. Some sources tell me this is actually semolina based on the processing procedure. We know it as cream of wheat in English though, but that may not be correct technically.

The preparation seems simple right? Heat some milk, add the Griz, sugar, and stir until cooked.

Not really.

I mean you definitely can prepare it this way but it will most likely be lumpy and too thick because you’ll be tempted to continue to add more Griz since it will start off looking pretty thin. But trusting the measurements and process is part of the process 🙂 The recipe and technique I’m sharing below is the one I was taught. The heavy cream addition is my own spin on this because it makes it so much more decadent and creamy. It tastes so much better that way and it’s the only way I make it now.

Griz was one of those early dishes that I remember having when I was extremely young. I remember when I was growing up Griz was something that was fed to babies when they were starting to eat solid food as it’s filling, calorie-dense, and something that was recommended by doctors usually. To this day we eat Griz. Definitely not as often as we used to but every now and then we enjoy it as a dessert or treat.

I hope you give this super simple recipe a try. There’s nothing like a steaming hot bowl of sweet Griz to warm up your soul on these cold winter days. Prijatno!

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Kuvani Griz/Cream of Wheat/Semolina

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: DessertCuisine: Balkan

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Griz, a cold weather comfort food that’s loved by many of all ages.

Ingredients

3 cups (800 ml) milk
1 cup (200 ml) heavy cream (slatka/neutralna pavlaka)
1 cup (236 ml) water
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar (2 kesice)
3/4 cup (130 g) Griz/cream of wheat
4-5 tablespoons (50-60 g) sugar

Directions

To a medium pot add the milk and heavy cream and bring to an almost boil on medium-high heat (don’t let it completely boil keep an eye on it).
While the milk and cream is heating up, in a bowl combine the sugar, vanilla sugar, and griz. Stir to mix all the ingrediants together. Set aside.
When the milk is just about to reach a boil, pour the water into the bowl with the sugar and griz. Stir to incorporate and then slowly pour it into the milk and cream stirring constantly.
Turn down the heat to medium low and then begin to cook the griz, stiring constantly. This recipe requires that you stir the entire time so it does not burn.
Continue to cook the griz until it cooks into a thick porridge-like consistency. It will be very runny at first but it will thicken as it cooks.
After about 20-25 minutes, you should have a thick griz, the consistency of a cake batter or pudding.
Once it has reached this consistency, turn off the heat and serve immediately.

Note: As the Griz cools it will thicken and set (like pudding). If planning to serve later, pour the Griz into your serving dish and allow to cool covered with plastic wrap. Whatever it cools in it will set in.