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 »  Home  »  Culture And Arts  »  (E) CROATIAN CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA
(E) CROATIAN CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA
By Nenad N. Bach | Published  12/9/2001 | Culture And Arts | Unrated
(E) CROATIAN CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA
CROATIAN CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA 
By Sjor Adam Eterovich 
Christmas is a very happy time of year for Croatians and the celebration of 
Christmas. Croatians express themselves thru their food and cuisine. These 
recipes are a very important part of their culture and have been passed down 
for generations. Bozo Bozic says “the ingedients contain no fat or chemical 
additives and have been approved by the Hrvatski Institute Za Pijani”. 
 
CROATIAN VIRGINS BRIDAL RIBBONS 
(Hrstule) 
6 eggs 
1/2 cube butter 
1 tablesoon oil 
6 tablesoons sugar 
1 tablespoon lemon rind 
1 tablespoon salt 
6 cups flour, unbleached 
2 tablespoons sour cream 
3 tablespoons plum brandy 
3 tablespoons brandy 
3 tablespoons whiskey 
3 tablespoons gin 
3 tablespoons orange juice 
1 teaspoon lemon juice 
2 teaspoons vanilla 
 
Mix together eggs, butter, sugar, oil, and flavors. Use blender or wooden 
spoon until well blended. Add flour and knead until well blended. 
 
Divide into four balls, working each ball until smooth for about 5-10 
minutes. When handling dough, dust with flour to keep from getting sticky. 
Place each ball into a container with lid for about 2 hours or overnight. 
Keep covered at room temperature. 
 
Heat oven and turn off. Place balls in lukewarm oven for 1 hour. Roll out 
first ball from center to edges, turning as necessary, until thin. Cut into 
into strips 1 1/2 “ wide. Hang strips on sheet or tablecloth over backs of 
chairs. Stretch each strip before hanging. This will allow for slight drying. 
Repeat with other balls. 
 
Cut each strip and make 2 bows or knots and drop into moderately hot oil 
turning to keep from darkening. When a light golden color, remove from oil, 
drain and place on tray. When all have been fried, use equal amounts of 
granulated and powdered sugar in sifter to dust finished Hrstule. Will keep 
for several weeks. 
BRAC DOUGHNUT HOLES---THE HOLE, NOT THE DOUGHNUT 
(Prsurate) 
Place 2 pounds of flour in large bowl. Into hole in the middle, add gradually 
about a quart of hot water. Beating as you go, and sides are cleaned of 
batter. Whip the batter thoroughly with the wooden spoon and add water until 
the mixture begins to ball. Gradually add: 
 
1 cup raisins 
1 cup sugar 
1/2 Army cup brandy or whiskey, or vodka or gin or scotch or cognac 
or........... 
1/2 nutmeg, grated 
Zest of 1 lemon (grated peel) 
2 tsp. vanilla 
 
Blend in and whip 1/2 cup tepid water in which you let soak 6 teaspoons of 
dried yeast as you begin the recipe. Let batter stand (about 15 to 20 minutes 
while oil heats). Heat about 1 1/2 plus quarts light cooking oil in pan. 
Whip the dough again. Have teaspoon and cup warm water handy. 
When oil is hot enough (stops speaking), take a small fistful of dough and 
squeeze upward a ball about double, filling the teaspoon that had been dipped 
in the warm water, then drop in hot oil. Continue, dipping spoon in water 
before scraping off the ball of dough, until your pan surface is nicely 
filled but not crowded. Whip some more air into your dough. Turn your 
prsurati when they are golden brown. When both sides are golden brown, 
remove and let cool slightly before rolling in confectioners fine sugar to 
coat. 
 
BOZO’S (Chris’) WINE AND BRANDY MIXER 
(Vino i Vinjak Gemished) 
2 barrels 
2 bottles, empty 
37 corks 
2 glasses, large 
2 Croatians,1 male,1 female 
Serves two, mixed company 
2 aspirins, later 
1 Church, go in morning, take female, confess, repent, sing 
Mix ingedients as needed, sing; say Hvala Bogu often 
 
Empty contents of barrel into bottles, sing; cork at room temperature, sing; 
dip Kolaci, Hrstule, Prsurate, Kifli i Salame into full glass, large, sing; 
drink and eat before chilled, sing. 
Vinjak served best on Badnjak (Christmas Eve); Wine on Bozic (Christmas Day). 
 All of the above can be repeated on New Year’s Eve. 
Vocabulary: trezan-sober; pijan-soused; aspirin-ahspereen; wife-zena, don’t 
sing; cura-girlfriend, sing; confession-ispovijed, sing Thank God-Hvala Bogu. 
distributed by CROWN (Croatian World Net) - CroworldNet@aol.com 
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