Romanian Dessert Recipes

Yesterday I shared the background to Shavuot and why many of us eat dairy for this holiday in Savory Romanian Recipes for Shavuot.   Since I am a vegetarian I eat dairy for every holiday and love to make these classic Romanian desserts I learned from my grandmother.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Papanasi with Cranberries

 Papanash are usually sweet cheese doughnuts, patties or cooked dumplings.   The most common Papanash are the deep fried Doughnuts. I make them every now and then But personally, I like the other two versions better so I'll post their recipes. If you want the doughnut version – I may post its recipe on my Facebook page soon.   Here are two versions I prefer: Patties with Dried Cranberries and Cooked Dumplings Covered with a Crunchy Crumble.

Sarailie  - Baklawa filled with cheese

The Turkish/Ottoman Empire reigned over Romania and many Romanian dishes were influenced by it.  Sarailie is a type of Baklava/Baklawa filled with nuts and soaked in sugar syrup and honey with a pinch of rose water (or orange Blossom water).  This time – I filled it with a cheese filling – very similar to the ingredients of the Papanash patties, and made it a dairy sweet for Shavuot. The dairy version comes out softer and moister than the original nut Sarailie. Main Image - Malai – Cornmeal Cheese Cake