Hurmasice

     Hurmasice are my favorite Bosnian dessert. My mom used to make them growing up, but I never really appreciated them until I got older. Bosnian desserts are usually very sweet, but don't have very potent flavors that are usually seen in American desserts. They are basically cookies that are soaked in a sugar water mixture, which gives them a sweet, moist texture. These cookies are so easy to make, require simple ingredients, and the optional addition of coconut flakes makes them absolutely delicious.

     Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar (whole packet) or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup coconut flakes (optional)

     I like to start by making the simple sugar water mixture first. Add 2 cups water with 2 cups of sugar to a small pot and place on medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir occasionally. Remove from heat once the sugar has melted, about 10-15 minutes, and allow to cool. 

     In a large bowl, beat the eggs with 1/2 cup of sugar. Add the vegetable oil and packet of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract. Mix in the baking powder and flour, adding half a cup at a time. Lastly, mix in 1/2 cup of coconut flakes.

     Form rectangular shaped cookies, and place side by side in a baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes until the cookies are light golden brown. Pour the sugar water mixture over the hurmasice and allow to soak in. Once half of the sugar water has soaked into the hurmasice, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut flakes over the cookies. 

Blueberry Muffins

     Tomorrow is Sunday, and on Sunday mornings I love making something sweet for breakfast. As you can probably tell by now, I have a huge sweet tooth. Believe it or not, I have never made muffins! I had some fresh blueberries in the fridge and decided to utilize them for blueberry muffins. I topped them with a sugar/nutmeg mix to give them a bit of a crunch which perfectly balanced the warm and sweet blueberry filling.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

      For the topping:

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

     Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 18 regular-sized muffin cups with some butter or oil. 

     In a bowl, mix the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. Using a spoon, fold in half of the flour then milk into the batter and repeat. Finally, fold in the blueberries. 

     Spoon the muffins into the muffin tin (I found that using an ice cream scoop is easiest). Top them with the sugar/nutmeg mixture, and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.