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

CROATIAN EASTER DESSERT ROžATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
• In a medium-size saucepan, bring the milk to the boil. Add the caster and vanilla sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved completely. Let the sweetened milk cool.
• Beat the eggs gently with a whisk or a fork, so they do not foam.
• Pour the cooled milk with the eggs. Add 1/2 of the rose liqueur, cognac and lemon zest.
• Prepare the caramel in a heavy-based saucepan at low temperature. First, melt half of the sugar, then add the rest of the sugar and melt it. Stir continuously. Be careful not to burn the caramel, it should not get dark brown. Carefully pour the caramel over the sides and the bottom of your cake pan.
• Pour the custard mixture into the cake pan with the caramel. Fill 2/3 of a baking tray with hot water. Position the cake pan with the custard mixture inside the baking tray with water and then place the tray in the middle of the oven. Reduce the temperature to 150°C (302°F) and cook the cake in the water bath for 40-45 minutes.
• Cool Rozata to room temperature, then leave it in the fridge overnight or until serving. Use a sharp knife to separate the cake carefully from the sides of the cake pan. Cover the cake pan with a plate and flip the custard dessert onto the plate. Be careful the caramel does not leak out. Drizzle the dessert with the rest of the rose liqueur. Decorate with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

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.