Traditional Croatian recipes: Paprenjak biscuit

Paprenjak or Paprenjaci (Photo: CroChef/Zagreb Tourist Board)

The most traditional Croatian biscuit of all – the Paprenjak.

The rectangular-shaped biscuits, with its origins dating back to the Renaissance, were decorated with Croatian motifs and spiced with pepper and other spices.

Croatian novelist A. Senoa described Paprenjak as a favourite treat among Zagrebians in his novel ‘The Goldsmith’s Gold’.

Since then the biscuit has come a long way and is now a popular Croatian souvenir. Give them a go at home with this recipe courtesy of CroChef and the Zagreb Tourist Board.

Ingredients

400 g flour
120 g lard (or butter)
150 g sugar
70 g honey
1 egg
2 egg yolks
130 g ground walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon g ground nutmeg
Salt
Orange zest

Instructions

1. Sift the flour into a bowl.

2. Add the sugar, ground walnuts, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, a pinch of salt, orange zest and mix together.

(Screenshot/CroChef/Zagreb Tourist Board)

3. Add the lard (or butter) and blend in using your fingers until it is ‘crumbly’ in texture.

4. Add 1 egg and 3 egg yolks.

5. Add the honey and mix well together.

6. Put the mixture on a flat surface and knead together well into a ball-shaped mixture.

7. Cover and leave in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

8. Remove from fridge, cut in half and then on a floured surface roll out (5-7 mm thick).

9. Using a mould make imprints on the dough and neatly cut them out.

(CroChef/Zagreb Tourist Board)

10. Place on parchment paper and bake in the oven on 200-220°C for 25 minutes.

Paprenjaci (Photo: CroChef/Zagreb Tourist Board)

Check out the video below

(Recipe/Video: Zagreb Tourist Board)