Slovenian Traditional - Prekmurska Gibanica

The best way to translate the name is “folded cake”. This is one of the most famous and loved Slovenian dishes. It comes from our most eastern region Prekmurje whose cousine is inspired by Hungarian and Austrian traditions. The recipe is very old and varies a little from family to family. I got this one from a Slovenian cookbook to be certain that all the measurements are correct. The preparation takes quite some time but it is all worth it.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1 baking pan

Ingredients

• Dough

• 500  g flour
• 1  egg
• 2  tablespoons  oil
•  lemon juice
•  warm water
• 1  pinch salt

• Poppy filling

• 200  g poppy seeds
• 50  g sugar
• 100  ml milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence

• Cottage cheese filling

• 400  g cottage cheese
•  raisins
• 1  egg
• 100  ml sour cream
• 1  tablespoon sugar

• Walnut filling

• 200  g  grinded walnuts
• 50  g sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 100 -200  ml milk
•  cinnamon

• Apple filling

• 500  g apples
• 30  g sugar
•  lemon zest
•  cinnamon
•  butter, for greasing
• 100 -200  ml  cream

Directions

1. Mix the dough from all the ingredients until it is elastic and smooth. Divide it into 12 pieces. Leave it to rest for half an hour.
2. To make poppy filling boil the milk and mix it into poppy seeds. Add sugar and vanilla essence.
3. Mash the cottage cheese until smooth, add egg, cream and as much raisins as you like.
4. Pour boiled milk over walnuts. Add sugar, vanilla essence and cinnamon. Mix it until smooth and creamy. If you need add some more milk.
5. Peel and grate the apples. Sauté them with the sugar in a small pan for 5 minutes. Add cinnamon and lemon zest.
6. When all the fillings are ready, roll and stretch the dough to fit into the deep pan. Leave them on a floured clean tablecloth to dry a bit.
7. To put “gibanica” together gently put one piece of dough into the greased pan. Spread on it the poppy filling and cover it with another sheet of dough. Brush it with melted butter.
8. Spread on it the cottage cheese filling and again cover it with sheet of dough which you brush with butter.
9. Do the same with walnut and apple filling.
10. Repeat the fillings in the same order.
11. Put the remaining sheets of dough on the top and brush them with butter.
12. Pour the cream over it and bake it on 180-200 °C for an hour.