Tufahija: Bosnian Stewed Apple Dessert

For the Multicultural Kid Blogger’s World Cup series, I am presenting on several different countries that are participating. Today’s country is Bosnia! Today we’ll look at tufahija, a simple poached apple dessert popular in Bosnia- enjoyed year round, but especially during Eid (Eid Al-Fitr is a holiday marking the end of Ramadan).

 

Tufahije (singular: tufahija) are a sweet dessert from Bosnian made of apples poached in sugar water, stuffed with nuts (walnuts or almonds), and topped with whipped cream or creme fraiche. Often called the “National Dessert of Bosnia,” it is not only common in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but also in Serbia and Macedonia. People say that tufahije were first made in Persia, and then brought to the region of the Balkans during the spread of the Ottoman rule. In fact, the word tufahija originally comes from the Arabic word tuffàh (Arabic: تفاحة‎), which means apple.

What I love about this tufahija dessert is that is so fast, so easy, so healthy- and so delicious! These are whole foods, and you can monitor the amount of sugar you add. For my 8 month old, I just gave him the poached apples without the filling and topping– but my other kids gobbled up their tufahije and asked for more!

Ingredients:

sugar (I used 1.5 c for a pot of water, you could add more or less for sweetness preference)

6 apples (or however many you want to prepare)
vanilla
cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon
about 1.5 c of ground walnuts/almonds
1/2 c of thick, plain yogurt or creme fraiche

Toppings: almonds, walnuts, cherries, whipped cream

Instructions:

First, boil the water, cinnamon sticks, and sugar. While it is coming to a boil, prepare your apples by peeling and coring them. I left my apple peel cuttings out on the counter and told my kids to nibble, and before I finished making the dessert, the peels had vanished!:)

Boil the apples for 5-10 minutes, until you can poke them with a fork. They take on an odd, mushy texture if you overcook them- you still want to be able to chew them! Cool them on a plate while you make the stuffing.

Next, smash up the nuts you will use. We have a walnut allergy here, so we chose to use almonds. I ran out of almond meal, so I just had my kids use the meat tenderizer to hammer the almonds (they enjoyed this a little too much- the almonds were everywhere!). Mix your yogurt or cream with the almonds and some cinnamon. Once the apples are cool to the touch, stuff your apples with the filling and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Right before serving, add your toppings: whipped cream, walnuts, almonds, cherries, cinnamon- however you’d like to top them!