Slovene Cuisine #13: Štruklji

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these posts, but I thought it might fill a nice gap in my schedule this week, in the regular Wednesday foodie slot. If there ever was a food to fill a gap, then surely it was this rolled-up, filled-pancake-like snack, which is enjoyed in both savoury and sweet variations.

What are Štruklji?

These rolled-up delights are made from an unleavened dough, stretched thin and then filled with any number of fillings ranging from škuta (fresh cheese) to poppy seeds or blueberries. The sweet version of the dish is also often made with škuta. They form a tasty and filling snack or desert, and are popular all over Slovenia. Štruklji can be boiled, baked, steamed or fried, and when cooked they have a pancake-like consistency, although they are made from dough rather than batter. For an example, see the recipe below.

Recipe: Sweet Štruklji with Škuta

Ingredients

filling:

• 1kg pureed škuta (cream cheese would be a good alternative)
• 2-3 tbsp sour cream
• 3 eggs
• 2-3 tbsp sugar
• 2 sachets vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp rum (optional)
• grated rind of one lemon
• ground cinnamon
• a little semolina

dough:

• 300g plain flour
• 150ml lukewarm water
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp sunflower or light olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• a little melted butter
• toasted breadcrumbs, to serve

Method

• Combine the flour, egg, oil, water and salt using either a hand mixer or bread mixer, then knead well to form a smooth and silky dough. Coat the dough with oil and cover with a warm dish. Leave to rest for 1 hour.
• Beat the eggs and mix together all of the ingredients for the filling, except the semolina, which should be added at the end if the mixture is too thin.
• Place the dough on a floured surface, stretch it a little by hand, then spread with melted butter and stretch out to a thin layer. Cut away any thick edges.
• Spread the stretched dough evenly with the prepared filling, leaving a 3cm blank edge at the top end.
• Roll the dough into a sausage shape from top to bottom, then cut into 3-4 smaller pieces.
• Wrap the štrukjli in heat-resistant cling film and twist at each end, like a sweet wrapper.
• Cook them in boiling salted water for 20-30 minutes, depending on their thickness. Once added to the water, pierce the film with a needle.
• Once cooked, remove the štruklji from the heat and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. Then unwrap them and cut into thin slices. Sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs and serve!

Recipe translated from okusno.je.

If you feel this recipe is a bit complicated, then make sure you visit Slovenia (if and when you are able) in order to try the real thing. You will find them served in most gostilnas (pubs) and restaurants. The perfect dessert after a long day’s hiking!

Dober tek!
Ingrid

Featured image: FocalPoint, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons