Zagorje štrukli
The most famous specialty of northwestern Croatia, Zagorje štrukli are soft pastry cushions filled with fresh cheese, egg and cream. They can be savoury or sweet, boiled or baked and served as a starter, main course or dessert.
Ingredients (makes 8–10 štrukli)
Dough:
● 300 g all-purpose flour
● 1 egg
● 1 tsp salt
● 2 tbsp oil
● about 1 dl lukewarm water (as needed)
Filling:
● 500 g fresh cow’s cheese
● 1 egg
● 2 tbsp sour cream
● a pinch of salt
Topping (for baked version):
● 200 ml sour cream
● 1 egg
● a knob of butter
Preparation
1. Dough:
○ Knead a smooth, elastic dough from all the ingredients. Shape into a ball, coat with a bit of oil and let it rest covered with a cloth for 30 minutes.
2. Filling:
○ Mix the cheese, egg, sour cream and salt into a smooth filling.
3. Shaping:
○ Roll out the dough on a floured cloth and stretch it by hand until it's paper-thin (almost transparent).
○ Spread the filling along one edge.
○ Roll up the dough using the cloth, then cut into individual štrukli by pressing down with the edge of your hand.
○ You can boil them briefly in hot water (2–3 minutes) or place them directly in a baking dish.
4. Baking:
○ Arrange the štrukli in a greased baking dish.
○ Pour the sour cream and egg mixture over them, add pieces of butter.
○ Bake at 180 °C for about 30 minutes until golden.
Serving suggestion
Baked štrukli are typically served warm, plain or with a spoon of sour cream. They're ideal as a starter, light lunch or even dessert. In mountain huts around Medvednica, you’ll often find a sweet version dusted with sugar and cinnamon.
