Some people use their leftover egg whites to make macarons, some meringue, but here, in Serbia, we make komisbrot. Although it's name resembles kommisbrot - a German army rye bread, it's not a bread, but a kind of fruitcake. What is sure is that it certainly has some German/Austrian background, but apart from a women magazine's story, I wasn't able to find out about it's origins. If anyone knows anything about the true story, please let me know.
Here is the story:
"Wilhelm von Lidl wasn't as rich as other nobles of his rank, but he had more beautiful and fulfilled life, filled with love to his wife Luiza. Even when they got old, they had something to talk to each other, and their favorite evenings were the ones when through their stories they relived all those beautiful travels from their young age, and remembered all the adventures and people they met. During one of those evenings, Wilhelm yearningly remembered the outstanding dried fruit cake from Siena, that they once bought somewhere in Italy. "Even if we traveled to Italy, I could never eat the cake, for it's too hard for my worn teeth", he said sadly.
Luiza gave it a thought: Wilhelm's birthday was coming soon and it would be nice to surprise and cheer him up with a cake of at least similar taste, but softer than original Siena cake. The next day she spend some time discussing her idea with their cook. They decided to increase the amount of dried fruits and decrease the amount of flour to the just enough to keep the ingredients together. The experiment succeeded and Luiza served the cake on Wilhelm's birthday. The taste was very similar to Siena cake, but the cake was so softer. Wilhelm was thrilled, and family friends soon began to ask for the recipe. And that's how the cake someone later called komisbrot started it's journey into the world."
"Wilhelm von Lidl wasn't as rich as other nobles of his rank, but he had more beautiful and fulfilled life, filled with love to his wife Luiza. Even when they got old, they had something to talk to each other, and their favorite evenings were the ones when through their stories they relived all those beautiful travels from their young age, and remembered all the adventures and people they met. During one of those evenings, Wilhelm yearningly remembered the outstanding dried fruit cake from Siena, that they once bought somewhere in Italy. "Even if we traveled to Italy, I could never eat the cake, for it's too hard for my worn teeth", he said sadly.
Luiza gave it a thought: Wilhelm's birthday was coming soon and it would be nice to surprise and cheer him up with a cake of at least similar taste, but softer than original Siena cake. The next day she spend some time discussing her idea with their cook. They decided to increase the amount of dried fruits and decrease the amount of flour to the just enough to keep the ingredients together. The experiment succeeded and Luiza served the cake on Wilhelm's birthday. The taste was very similar to Siena cake, but the cake was so softer. Wilhelm was thrilled, and family friends soon began to ask for the recipe. And that's how the cake someone later called komisbrot started it's journey into the world."
The recipe:
Take egg whites from 5 large eggs. Measure their volume, it will be your reference. Take the same amount (as egg whites) of sugar, flour and mixture of various chopped dried fruits and nuts and 1/5 of the initial egg amount of oil.
Take 1-2 Tbsp of already measured flour and use it to coat nuts and fruit. I used mixture of: raisins, fig, apricot, almonds and cranberries.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt with a hand mixer. Gradually add sugar. Continue with a mixer until it's well combined. Gradually stir in sifted flour with a spoon, and then nuts and fruits. Finally, stir in oil.
Grease loaf pan, and then dust it with flour. Pour in komisbrot mixture and bake in a preheated oven on 180°C for about 20 minutes.
Note: This is a part of What to do with Leftover... Eggs event.
Take egg whites from 5 large eggs. Measure their volume, it will be your reference. Take the same amount (as egg whites) of sugar, flour and mixture of various chopped dried fruits and nuts and 1/5 of the initial egg amount of oil.
Take 1-2 Tbsp of already measured flour and use it to coat nuts and fruit. I used mixture of: raisins, fig, apricot, almonds and cranberries.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt with a hand mixer. Gradually add sugar. Continue with a mixer until it's well combined. Gradually stir in sifted flour with a spoon, and then nuts and fruits. Finally, stir in oil.
Grease loaf pan, and then dust it with flour. Pour in komisbrot mixture and bake in a preheated oven on 180°C for about 20 minutes.
Note: This is a part of What to do with Leftover... Eggs event.
What a lovely story. I love your blog. Its beautiful. I don't know how you manage to make so many wonderful things so often. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThanks Heaven!
ReplyDeleteActually, I had a spring break at the university. Classes started yesterday, so I guess it will be more studying and just a little less cooking.
Heavenly looking, and a very interesting post!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of light fruitcake and the story was fun to read. Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteOh, this looks so delicious! Actually, just like everything you make. Interesting story behind the cake too. Filing it into my "to cook" file:)
ReplyDeleteBonjour Marija,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your visit. I don't speak english very well, but i have understood your message.
Your blog looks very nice.
Happy to know someone from Serbia.
Une française amie.
Henriette
What a light and beautiful cake. I will definitely try this cake.
ReplyDeleteJust found your post care of www.thekitchn.com your cake looks great. But is it the same weight or volume as the egg whites for the other ingredients?
ReplyDeleteThanks
Dear Marija,
ReplyDeleteI found you on twitter via Rosa's Yummy Yums and I'm so delighted. What a wonderful blog! In April and May, my husband and I visited several contries of former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegownia, Macedonia, Albania) and I will try some of your recipes soon. "Komisbrot" is my favourite, I was just thinking about the eggwhites in my fridge, not knowing, what to do with them. Now I know... thank you!