Rožata — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A silky caramel custard from Dubrovnik, delicately perfumed with rose liqueur (rožulin), with a bittersweet caramel top that cracks beautifully when served. Croatia's most elegant dessert.

Ingredients

6 eggs
150g sugar (for custard)
100g sugar (for caramel)
500ml whole milk
200ml heavy cream
2 tbsp rožulin (rose liqueur) or Maraschino liqueur
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

1 Make caramel by heating 100g sugar in a dry saucepan until amber. Pour into ramekins or a pudding mold, swirling to coat the bottom.
2 Heat milk and cream with lemon zest until just simmering. Remove from heat.
3 Whisk eggs with 150g sugar until pale and smooth. Do not overbeat.
4 Slowly pour the warm milk into the eggs while whisking gently. Add rose liqueur and vanilla.
5 Strain the custard into the caramel-lined mold(s). Place in a water bath and bake at 160C for 45-50 minutes until set with a slight wobble.
6 Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Unmold by running a knife around the edge and inverting onto a plate.

Did You Know?

The rose liqueur (rožulin) that gives rožata its name is made from rose petals grown in the gardens of Dubrovnik — it connects the dessert to the city's famous walled gardens.