Tufahije — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Whole apples poached in sugar syrup until tender, filled with whipped cream and walnuts — an elegant Montenegrin dessert.

Ingredients

6 firm apples (Granny Smith)
400g sugar
1L water
1 lemon, juiced
1 cinnamon stick
200ml heavy cream, whipped
100g walnuts, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1 Peel and core apples, keeping them whole. Rub with lemon juice to prevent browning.
2 Make syrup: dissolve sugar in water with cinnamon stick and remaining lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
3 Add apples to simmering syrup. Poach 15-20 min until tender but still holding shape.
4 Remove apples carefully. Reduce syrup by half until thick and glossy.
5 Fill apple centers with whipped cream. Top with chopped walnuts.
6 Drizzle reduced syrup around and over the apples. Serve at room temperature.

Did You Know?

Tufahije is considered the test dessert for aspiring Montenegrin pastry cooks — perfectly poaching the apples without them collapsing requires precise timing.