KULICH with nuts and chocolate

The bright holiday of Easter is just around the corner! We suggest making the main festive treat — the Easter cake — at home using the Kukmara recipe!

INGREDIENTS FOR 2 EASTER CAKES

Flour — 330 g (sifted) Warm milk — 220 ml Dry yeast — 6 g Butter — 70 g (soft) Eggs — 4 pcs (separate the whites from the yolks) Sugar — 200 g Vanilla sugar — ½ tsp Salt — ¼ tsp Walnuts — 70 g (finely chopped) Dark chocolate — 70 g (finely chopped) Powdered sugar — 120 g Lemon — ½ pc (squeeze a few drops of juice) A gas torch for caramelising the meringue

Combine half of the flour with the yeast, stir and pour in the milk. Lightly knead the sponge, cover with a towel and put in a warm place for 1–2 h. Combine the yolks (2 pcs) with the sugar and vanilla sugar and beat until the mixture turns pale. Add the yolks, salt and butter to the sponge and stir. Beat the whites (2 pcs) until fluffy and add to the sponge. Stir gently. Add the second half of the flour and knead the dough. Cover with a towel and return to a warm place for 1 h. Add the nuts and chocolate to the dough, stir and leave for 10 min. Grease the Easter cake tins with cold butter, dust lightly with flour, line the bottom with baking paper and add the dough. Bake first at 100°C for 10 min, then raise the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 40–50 min.

Cool the finished Easter cakes on a rack. For the French meringue, beat the whites (2 pcs) with the lemon juice, gradually adding the powdered sugar. Beat for 5 min at low speed, then increase the speed and beat for approximately another 10 min until soft peaks form.

Spoon the meringue onto the Easter cakes and caramelise with the torch.

Enjoy your meal!

P.S.: The sponge and the dough can be placed in a switched-off oven after preheating it for 5 min at 50°C.