Passover

by pastry chef of Hotel Lomnica Jožek Brudňák

Ingredients:

1 kg semi-coarse flour
750 ml lukewarm milk
10 g of dried yeast
50 g sugar
75 g butter + a little for greasing
1 egg for the dough + 1 for rubbing the cake
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
50 g milk powder
50 g raisins
50 g chopped almonds

"The fluffy Easter cake, also known as "pascha", has become familiar especially in the kitchens of eastern Slovakia. According to old customs, a well-baked and hearty pascha foretold a fruitful year. It is served with ham, lump, sausage, eggs, but also tastes delicious sweet with honey or jam.'

Procedure

1. Pour all the dry ingredients into the bowl. Add the milk, softened butter and one egg.
2. Knead the dough by hand for at least 1/2 hour. It will be thinner and sticky at the beginning, but gradually it will become elastic and springy.
3. Leave the kneaded dough to rise in a bowl for an hour.
4. Knead the risen dough on a board, divide into 4 loaves and let them rise again for 15 minutes.
5. Grease a baking tin with butter.
6. Roll the loaves into equal lengths, rolling the ends a little thinner. Braid and carefully transfer the cake into the tin. Let rise again for about 15 minutes.
7. Prick the cake several times with a toothpick, brush with whole egg, sprinkle with chopped almonds and bake in a well heated oven at 180°C.
8. Bake at 180°C for the first 20 to 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for about an hour. The total baking time for a cake made with 1 kg of flour is about 80 to 90 minutes.
9. After baking, brush with sugar water and leave to cool under a cotton cloth.

Easter lump with bear garlic
served by Hotel Lomnica breakfast chef Ľubek Slodičák

Ingredients:

1 l whole milk
10 eggs
2 tsp salt
nutmeg
bear garlic pesto to taste

"Syrek" or "syrec" is one of the traditional festive dishes, which in the distant past were consecrated and used to end the forty-day fast."

Procedure

1. Mix the milk, eggs, salt and about half of the grated nutmeg together and cook slowly.
2. With constant stirring, the eggs in the milk will start to curdle.
3. Add the bear garlic. We used 2 tbsp of pesto. Stir.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cheesecloth and tighten it properly with string.
5. Suspend the lump over a bowl and leave to drain for at least 6 hours. Preferably overnight in the fridge.
6. Remove the lump from the cheesecloth and serve.

We wish you a good taste enhanced by the festive atmosphere!