Prague Morning
Baked goods in some form or other are staples of Easter traditions across Europe. The Hungarians have fonott kalacs; Italians have colomba pasquale, and the English have their hot-cross buns. Here in the Czech Republic, the two classic Easter baked goods are mazanec and beránek. Apart from sharing some connections to other European customs, these two foods can lay claim to centuries of tradition. Long-lasting food Mazanec is a sweet, though not cloyingly so, bread filled with raisins and often topped with almonds. Beránek is a cake baked in the shape of a lamb. Many commercial varieties are covered in chocolate. The earliest evidence of baking mazanec apparently goes back to the 15th century. The noted Czech writer Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová later included a recipe in her popular cookbook, Domací kuchařka, (a Household Cookery Book). The tradition of baking lamb-shaped sweet bread extends even further back in time. It is claimed the Jewish people of ancient times prepared bread in the shape of a lamb. The basic ingredients of mazanec haven’t changed much. It is made from flour, yeast, milk and eggs. Rettigová’s version called for sweetened cream and grated lemon rind. Today, people add sugar, vanilla, and sometimes nutmeg, though... The post Mazanec and Beránek: Timeless Czech Easter Traditions appeared first on Prague Morning .
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