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Mucenici moldovenești
Honey and walnut sweet breads
Figure-eight sweet breads glazed with honey and walnuts for 9 March
On 9 March, the feast of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, households in Romanian Moldavia bake forty of these little figure-eight breads, take some to church and give the rest to neighbours; the day also marks the start of the farming year. The shape is read as a stylised human figure, or as the number eight. They come out soft and golden, then are brushed while hot with honey syrup and rolled in chopped walnuts, so they turn sticky and fragrant. Serve them with tea or a glass of milk. Some cooks add a few drops of rum essence to the syrup; vanilla does the job here. Glazing them once they have cooled is a common slip: the syrup only soaks in properly while the breads are hot. Chef's tip: twist each rope loosely before shaping the eight, so the bread has ridges to catch the walnuts.
- Total time
- 147 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- ⅓ oz instant dried yeast
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milklukewarm
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 ⅛ oz buttermelted
To finish
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tbsp milk; or brush with milk alone for an egg-free finish
- 5 ½ oz honey
- 3 ½ tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz walnutstoasted and finely chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ⅓ oz instant dried yeast, 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar and ½ tsp salt. Add 1 cup whole milk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp lemon zest and 2 ⅛ oz butter and mix to a soft dough.
Step 2: Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and silky. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
70 minStep 3: Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll each into a 40 cm rope. Twist each rope loosely along its length.
Step 4: Shape each rope into a figure eight, tucking the ends under the middle. Set on lined trays, cover and prove for 25 minutes. Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).
25 minStep 5: Brush with 1 egg yolk and bake for 18–20 minutes, until deep golden and they sound hollow when tapped underneath.
19 minStep 6: Meanwhile, simmer 5 ½ oz honey, 3 ½ tbsp water and 1 tsp vanilla extract for 2 minutes over a low heat, until runny and just combined.
3 minStep 7: While the breads are still hot, brush them generously with the syrup, then sprinkle thickly with 4 oz walnuts. Leave to soak and cool for 20 minutes. They keep 2 days in a tin.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mucenici moldovenești take?
- About 147 minutes in total: 125 minutes to prepare and 22 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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