Desserts
Poached Apples Stuffed with Walnuts in Syrup
Ingredients
- - 4 medium firm apples, peeled and cored (kept whole)
- - 400 g (2 cups) sugar
- - 500 ml (2 cups) water
- - 1 tsp lemon juice
- - 100 g (1 cup) walnuts, finely crushed
- - 2 tbsp sugar, for the filling
- - 150 ml (2/3 cup) whipping cream
- - 1 tbsp icing sugar
Method
- Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Gently poach the whole cored apples in the syrup for 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until just
- tender.
- Remove apples carefully and set aside to cool; continue simmering the syrup for 10 more minutes until
- slightly reduced.
- Mix crushed walnuts with the 2 tbsp sugar for the filling.
- Once apples are cool, fill the hollow centres generously with the walnut mixture.
- Whip the cream with icing sugar to soft peaks.
- Place each stuffed apple in a serving dish, spoon over a little reduced syrup, and top with whipped
- cream just before serving.
Introduction:
Tufahija is Sarajevo’s signature dessert, a whole apple poached until tender, filled with sweetened crushed
walnuts, and topped with whipped cream — a refined Ottoman-legacy sweet that appears at celebrations
and in the city’s oldest pastry houses.
Cultural Background:
Tufahija is Sarajevo’s signature dessert, a whole apple poached until tender, filled with sweetened crushed walnuts, and topped with whipped cream — a refined Ottoman-legacy sweet that appears at celebrations and in the city’s oldest pastry houses.
Tips:
Choose a firm apple variety so it holds its shape through poaching. Cool the apples fully before filling, or the walnut mixture will melt into the fruit.
Variations:
Add a pinch of cinnamon to the poaching syrup for extra warmth. Top with a few pomegranate seeds for a festive finish.
Vegetarian/Vegan:
Fully vegetarian as written.
Storage:
Refrigerate filled apples (without cream) for up to 2 days.
Reheating:
Served cold; do not reheat.
Nutrition:
Approx. 310 kcal, 3 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat per serving.
FAQs:
Q: Which apple variety works best?
A: Firm, slightly tart varieties such as Granny Smith or similar local firm apples hold up best to poaching.
Q: Can tufahija be made a day ahead?
A: Yes, poach and fill the apples a day in advance, adding the whipped cream just before serving.
Q: Is this dessert very sweet?
A: It has a balanced sweetness, with the tart apple and toasted walnut offsetting the syrup’s sugar.