Bosnian · dessert

Tufahije (Walnut-Stuffed Poached Apples)

Tufahije (Walnut-Stuffed Poached Apples) reads sweetness 6.8, nutty 5.5 and citrus 5.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Bosnian dessert, about 5 hr 9 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 6.8 · Nutty 5.5 · Citrus 5.3 · Richness 5.1 · Fruity 5.1 · Sourness 5.0 · Earthy 3.5 · Floral 3.1 · Bitterness 2.1 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Umami 1.8

What's in it (11)

Time & effort: about 5 hr 9 min (1 hr 9 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 275.5 kcal, 8.1 g protein, 20.4 g fat, 16.8 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

  1. Peel the apples and hollow each one out from the stem end with a corer or a teaspoon, leaving the base intact so the filling cannot fall through. Drop them into water with a squeeze of the lemon juice as you go, or they will brown.
  2. Bring the 1.2 L of water, the 400 g sugar, the rest of the lemon juice and the cinnamon stick to a simmer and stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 8 minutes.
  3. Lower the apples in, cover with a disc of baking paper to keep them submerged, and poach at the barest simmer for 15 minutes. They must yield to a skewer while still holding their shape; boiled hard they collapse into sauce, which is the one way this dish fails.
  4. Lift them out carefully and leave them to cool in a dish for an hour.
  5. Boil the poaching syrup down by half, about 12 minutes, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.
  6. Mix the ground walnuts with the 60 g sugar, the ground cinnamon, the rose water and 2 tbsp of the reduced syrup into a stiff, spoonable paste.
  7. Pack the cavities generously, mounding the filling above the top of each apple.
  8. Chill 3 hours so the apples firm and the filling sets.
  9. Whip the cream to soft peaks.
  10. Stand each apple in a shallow bowl, spoon syrup around and over it, crown it with cream and press a walnut half on top. Tufahije are a Sarajevo sweet and they are served cold, in a glass dish, with strong coffee.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.