Croatian Easter Dessert Rožata Recipes

CROATIAN ROžATA‎ RECIPE FROM DUBROVNIK

Steps:

• Add the 8 tablespoons of sugar into a pan and then place on low heat until it dissolves. Then turn up the heat until the sugar syrup takes on a golden brown color. Do not mix the sugar during this process
• Remove the pan from the heat and carefully spread the caramel into the ceramic serving bowls. This must be done fairly quickly as the caramel will harden very quickly...believe me! Then turn the serving bowls upside down so that the caramel slowly covers the sides and leave to cool
• Preheat the oven to 150°C or 300°F
• Warm the milk in a bowl and slowly add the sugar until it dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature
• Next, whisk the eggs together with the two teaspoons of vanilla sugar. It's better to use a fork or hand whisk for this as you don't want the eggs to foam
• Add the lemon zest and rum and gently mix
• Now pour the milk into the mixture and slowly stir until everything is combined together
• Pour the resulting mixture slowly through a sieve and then into the ceramic serving bowls with the caramel
• Place the serving bowls into a deep baking tray and then add hot water to about 2/3 the height of the ceramic serving bowls
• Bake for about 30 minutes, then carefully remove the bowls from the hot water and leave them to cool to room temperature
• Cover the ceramic bowls with cling film and place in the refrigerator to fully chill

ROžATA

Steps:

• Heat milk, sugar, vanilla sugar and lemon zest. Let cool.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks and mix with the milk.
• Heat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
• In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and cook on low to medium heat until the caramel turns amber.
• Grease ramekins or a large baking dish with butter.
• Pour 1 teaspoon of caramel in the bottom of each ramekin or 4 tablespoons in the bottom of a large pan and pour over the preparation.
• Place the ramekins or the mold in a bain-marie (water bath), and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes if they are individual ramekins or 40 minutes if it is a single large mold.
• Cool the cream in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
• Shortly before serving, make the caramel sauce. In a saucepan, add ½ cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water and cook on low to medium heat until the caramel becomes amber.
• Add the ½ cup (100 ml) of water over the caramel. Cook on low to medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Unmold the creams on a plate and serve with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

ROžATA (ROZATA) PUDDING - A CROATIAN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Beat all of the eggs with 6 tablespoons. sugar and milk, adding lemon rind, rum and vanilla.
• In a separate pot, add the sugar cubes over medium heat cooking until the sugar takes on a honey color and texture. This takes about 5 minutes and while you should swirl the pan, do not stir as it will possibly contaminate the syrup with sugar crystals. Pour the caramelized sugar cubes into an oven safe pudding form before adding the pudding mixture. A glass pie plate also works.
• In a second pot bring enough water to reach up to over the halfway point of the form to a boil and put the filled pudding form into a water bath.
• Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees. If you are using a shallow dish, use the lower temperature. Cook for 45 minute in the water bath, and before the Rožata is finished cooking and remove it from the water bath. Cook an additional 15 minutes.
• After cooling off, carefully turn the Rožata over onto a plate and serve. In summer, one can refrigerate before serving.