Here we have yet another recipe that involves mlinci. I’ve already done a couple of savoury dishes using this rehydrated North Croatian “pasta”, so why not add something sweet to the mix?

I’ve heard that some people mix jam through the hot mlinci for a sweet treat that’s easy and tasty. Why not take it further and incorporate it with a baked custard? I thought about what flavours Croatians use in their cooking. Lemon is a big one. Chestnuts and rosemary are two more classic Croatian ingredients. How about all three together, in a dessert? Crazy, some of you may think.

Well I’m here to push the boundaries with the humble mlinci, something that’s traditionally only served with roast turkey. I’ve made a custard with lemon zest and juice and added some grated chestnuts. Poured it over the cooked mlinci, then into a warm oven it went. It’s a cross between a lemon tart and a baked pasta, of sorts. It’s creamy, tart and made even better thanks to a simple garnish of finely chopped rosemary and sugar and that crunchy layer of brûléed sugar. The smell alone reminds me of the Croatian countryside; dotted with lemon trees and shrubs of wild rosemary.

Check my other mlinci recipes –

Mlinci with rabbit and mlinci with mushrooms, pumpkin & peas

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Pečeni mlinci sa limunom i kestenom -Baked mlinci with lemon & chestnuts

I take a traditional north Croatian dish and transform it entirely. Croatia, please don't hate me until you try this for yourself!

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

Croatian

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 2 sheets dried mlinci recipe link in notes
• 5 eggs
• 200 g caster sugar
• 200 g cream
• Juice of 3 lemons finely grated zest of 2
• 16 chestnuts (175 g chestnut flesh), finely grated see notes
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• Caster sugar, extra to brûlée

Course Dessert Cuisine Croatian Servings servings Ingredients 2 sheets dried mlinci recipe link in notes 5 eggs 200 g caster sugar 200 g cream Juice of 3 lemons finely grated zest of 2 16 chestnuts (175 g chestnut flesh), finely grated see notes 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves 1 tsp caster sugar Caster sugar, extra to brûlée

Instructions

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Break the dried mlinci into 7-10cm pieces, drop into the boiling water, and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Drain and cool under cold running water. Drain again.
2. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
3. Combine the eggs and sugar and whisk until combined. Add the cream, lemon juice and zest and chestnuts. Combine well and set aside.
4. Lightly oil or butter four shallow bowls. Place the drained mlinci into each bowl, distributing evenly. Allow for a few pieces to poke out the sides, as these will crisp up when they're in the oven. Give the custard mixture a stir, then pour it evenly over the mlinci.
5. Place the bowls onto a baking tray and bake for 15-30 minutes until just set. The cooking time depends on the depth of your bowls. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
6. Place the rosemary and 1 tsp caster sugar onto a chopping board. Chop finely and set aside.
7. Sprinkle the caster sugar over each cooled baked custard. Brûlée with a torch, taking care not to burn any pieces of pastry that are poking out of the custard. Garnish with the chopped rosemary and sugar.

Recipe Notes

Get my recipe for mlince here.

To cook the chestnuts, score an X in the hilum (pale end) of each chestnut and roast at 240°C for 20 minutes. Alternatively, cut the X and boil them in water for 10 minutes. Once they're peeled they're ready to use. I used frozen Australian chestnuts as they were out of season when I made this recipe. They're available at specialty providores and come already peeled.

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