Alivenci | Romanian Sweet Polenta Cake
Alivenci is a traditional Romanian dessert that originated in the Romanian Moldova region (not to be confused with neighboring Moldova Republic).
It is a type of savory pie made with cheese and corn flour. All grandmothers know how to do it, and it is the joy of many generations of grandchildren, even nowadays.
The secret of alivenci is to knead the dough constantly, starting with the cottage cheese, then adding egg yolks, sour cream, butter, and corn flour. The dough is kneaded until it becomes a very fine paste. This is mixed with foamed egg whites and then baked in the oven until it browns.
Enjoy the full alivenci recipe below.
Alivenci | Romanian Polenta Cake
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 500 ml milk
- 100 gr butter
- 100 gr corn flour
- 30 gr flour
- 3 sachets vanilla sugar
- a pinch salt
- 500 gr cottage cheese
- 200 ml cream
- 5 eggs
- 150 gr caster sugar
- lemon peel of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
- sour cream
Instructions
How to Make Alivenci:
- Boil the milk together with 70 g/ 2 ½ oz (out of 100 g/ 3½ oz) of diced butter, vanilla sugar, and a pinch of salt .
- When the milk starts to swell, add the cornmeal and flour, constantly stirring to avoid lumps.
- When the corn has swelled a little (it should not be completely boiled), put the pan on the heat and let the mixture cool.
- Meanwhile, place baking paper in a tray and turn the oven to 180° C (356 ℉).
- In a bowl, mix the cheese, cream, five yolks, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- Pour in the bowl with the cornmeal boiled in milk and mix.
- Separately, beat the egg whites until they retain their shape.
- Incorporate the beaten egg whites into the mixture prepared above, with light movements, from the bottom up. The air in the egg whites is what will make the alivenci rise.
- Pour the mixture into the pan and place the remaining 30 g (1 oz) of butter cut into small strips or cubes on top.
- Put the tray in the oven for 40-45 minutes, depending on the stove.
- It’s ready when it’s well coagulated and starts to brown. You can test it with a toothpick to see if it is well cooked inside.
- Let the alivenci cool in the pan for a few minutes, then you can serve it sprinkled with sugar or with cream and jam of your choice.
Notes
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