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Cozonac with raisins, wove and
sprinkled with sugar. |
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Cozonac is a traditional Bulgarian and Romanian sweet bread. It is usually
prepared for Easter in Bulgaria and mostly for every major holiday (Christmas,
Easter, New Year) in Romania. |
Cozonac is a sweet bread, to which milk, sugar, eggs, butter and raisins are
added. In Bulgaria lemon zest is also added to the dough mixture. The Italian
Panettone is very similar to the basic cozonac, the most visible difference
being their shapes.
In Romania, the recipes differ rather significantly between regions in what
concerns the trimmings. The dough is essentially similar throughout the country:
a plain sweet bread made with flour, eggs, milk, butter, sugar and salt.
Depending on the region, one may add to it any of the following: raisins,
Turkish delight (Rahat Lokum), grated orange or lemon rind, walnuts or
hazelnuts, vanilla or rum flavour. Cozonac may be sprinkled with poppy seeds on
top. Other styles dictate the use of a filling, usually a ground walnut mix.
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The
dough is rolled flat with a pin, the filling is spread and the whole is rolled
back into a shape vaguely resembling a pinwheel. In the baked product the
filling forms a swirl adding to the character of the bread. |
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Left: Kozunak as prepared in Bulgaria
for orthodox Easter. Compare to Russian
kulich. |
