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Muraveynik
Anthill cake
Muraveynik (Муравейник): 'anthill' cake of crumbled shortbread and condensed-milk caramel
Muraveynik is the 'anthill' that Soviet home bakers built for birthdays when shop cakes were hard to come by: crisp shortbread is baked, broken into crumbs, bound with boiled condensed milk and butter, then heaped into a little mountain and sprinkled with poppy seeds for the ants. It needs no tin and no layering, sets in the fridge, and is still a favourite at children's parties from Moscow to Omsk. The common mistake is crumbling the biscuit too fine, which makes a dense block instead of a craggy, crunchy heap. Chef's tip: break the dough through the coarse holes of a mincer or grater before baking so the crumbs are uneven and crisp.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the shortbread
- 5 ½ oz cold butter
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 ½ oz sour cream
- 11 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
For the cream
- 14 oz caramelised condensed milk (dulce de leche)1 tin
- 3 ½ oz soft butter
- 2 ⅛ oz walnutsroughly chopped
To decorate
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 oz dark chocolate (optional)grated
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub 5 ½ oz cold butter into 11 ½ oz plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder until crumbly. Mix in 2 ⅛ oz sugar, 1 egg and 3 ½ oz sour cream and bring into a dough. Chill for 30 minutes until firm.
5 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Coarsely grate the dough onto two lined trays in a loose layer and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool.
20 minStep 3: Beat 14 oz caramelised condensed milk (dulce de leche) and 3 ½ oz soft butter until smooth. Break the cooled shortbread into rough pieces with your hands.
5 minStep 4: Fold the pieces and 2 ⅛ oz walnuts into the cream, then pile into a high mound on a plate, pressing lightly.
5 minStep 5: Sprinkle with 1 tbsp poppy seeds and the grated chocolate and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until set enough to slice.
180 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does muraveynik take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 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 cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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