Grižane bonfire cake (Griški kres)

Griški kres is a traditional dessert originating from Grižane in the Kvarner region. It’s usually made with a combination of bread slices, milk, butter, whipped cream, eggs, sugar, apples, walnuts, figs, cinnamon, honey, and rum. The bread slices are dipped into a mixture of milk, cream, and sugar before they’re arranged on a buttered baking sheet.

The apples are grated and mixed with ground walnuts, figs, cinnamon, honey, rum, and egg yolks. The mixture is placed on the bread slices, and it’s topped with apple slices and a mixture of beaten eggs and sugar. The dessert is baked in the oven for about half an hour.

Once baked, griški kres is topped with beaten egg whites and sugar, and it’s then shortly baked once again until the top is golden brown. It’s recommended to serve griški kres with a cup of tea or coffee on the side.