Tufahije
Poached apples filled with sweetened walnuts and topped with whipped cream.
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total
- 45 min
- serves
- 6
- level
- medium
Tufahije are whole apples, poached gently in sugar syrup until tender, then hollowed and filled with sweetened walnuts and topped with whipped cream.
They're a genteel, old-fashioned dessert found across Bosnia and Herzegovina, more delicate than most of the region's pastry-heavy sweets.
Part of our 20 best Bosnian recipes list.
method
Peel the apples, and core them from the top without going all the way through, leaving a cavity for the filling.
Bring the water, sugar and lemon juice to a boil in a pot large enough to hold the apples, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Lower the apples into the syrup, and poach gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until just tender but still holding their shape. Turn occasionally for even cooking.
Lift the apples out carefully, and let them cool to room temperature; reserve the syrup.
Mix the chopped walnuts with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Fill the hollowed core of each cooled apple generously with the sweetened walnut mixture.
Top each filled apple with a dollop of whipped cream, and garnish with a cherry if using. Drizzle with a little of the reserved syrup before serving.
chef's tips
- Poaching the apples gently, rather than boiling hard, keeps them from collapsing; they need to hold their shape through the whole process.
- Tufahije are traditionally served chilled, so poach them ahead of time and let them cool completely before filling and topping.