andrejthechef
BosniaDessertDessert

Hurmašice

Small ridged butter-based pastries baked until golden and soaked in lemon-scented sugar syrup.

prep
25 min
cook
18 min
total
43 min
serves
10
level
medium
Hurmašice, a dish from Across Bosnia and Herzegovina

Hurmašice are small, butter-rich pastries shaped into ridged ovals, baked until just golden, then soaked in a lemon-scented sugar syrup while still warm.

They're lighter and less rich than baklava despite the syrup soak, closer to a soft shortbread than a pastry built from many thin layers.

Part of our 20 best Bosnian recipes list.

method

  1. Beat the softened butter and sugar together until combined, then beat in the egg.

  2. Mix in the flour and baking powder until a smooth, soft dough forms.

  3. Shape the dough into small, ridged ovals, about the size of a finger, pressing lightly with a fork to create ridges on the surface.

  4. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), and bake the pastries for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly golden.

  5. While they bake, make the syrup by boiling the sugar, water, lemon juice and zest together for 5 minutes, then let cool to room temperature.

  6. As soon as the pastries come out of the oven, submerge them in the cooled syrup while still hot, letting them soak for a few minutes on each side.

  7. Lift out and arrange on a plate, letting any excess syrup drain off before serving.

chef's tips

  • The same hot-pastry, cold-syrup rule used for baklava applies here; soaking hot pastries in cooled syrup is what keeps them from turning to mush.
  • Pressing ridges into the dough before baking isn't just decorative; it increases the surface area, which helps the syrup soak in more evenly.