Have you been naughty or nice this year? St. Nicholas Day is just around the corner and these adorable Sweet Krampus Breads (Miklavževi Parkeljni) are a fun afternoon DIY gift to make with your kids and grandkids to help them prepare for the arrival of St Nicholas. They are traditionally eaten for breakfast on the morning of St. Nicholas day.
On the Eve of St. Nicholas' Day, children leave their shoe or a boot in front of the fireplace or the front door, in hopes to waking up to a boot full of gifts from St Nicholas. Unfortunately, Saint Nicholas might leave a stick for the misbehaving children. There are variations of this tradition across European countries, ranging from a bag of salt or a branch (šiba) for parents to use as discipline. The nice children can expect to receive — anything from hot chocolate and oranges to personalized notes, candy, and coins to be shared with family and friends.
Legend has it Krampus (Parkelj) travels with Saint Nicholas. This scary half-goat and half-demon punishes misbehaving children at Christmas time, it was said that he beats those who are naughty with branches and sticks.
Celebrate the start of the season with these Sweet Krampus breads — So turn on your ovens and let’s get started...
Ingredients
- 500g of semolina flour (around 3 cups, plus 3 1/2 Tbsp’s of semolina flour)
- 200ml of warm milk
- 1 x package of active dry yeast (8g)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp’s of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp’s of sour cream
- 1 tsp of salt
- poppy seeds
- Raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries
- a little milk
- a little flour for sprinkling
- a little oil
Directions
- Sift the flour into a bowl. Make a well and pour in the warm milk (ensure that the milk is not too hot, because it will kill the yeast). Now we add the active dry yeast (or the fresh yeast). Add a tsp of sugar into the milk.
- Let this rest now for 10 minutes to the yeast to activate. Once the yeast bubbles we will continue.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt to the flour, but only along the edges. *The salt should never come into contact with the yeast, because yeast does not like it.
- Then add 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, 2 Tbsp’s of sour cream and start kneading the dough.
- Knead the dough until it separates off the sides of the bowl and it becomes nice elastic, and smooth.
- We do not have to wait to raise the dough. Add some oil to your clean hands and divide the dough into 6 equal parts. This is the fun part. Making the “Miklavževi parkeljni”.
- Form a long oval shape and flatten it a little with your hands.
- Cut the horns in the middle at the top, make a slightly longer cut for the legs at the bottom.
- Pinch off the dough for the hands on either side.
- This is a fun activity for your children and grandchildren. They will love to play and be creative. Have fun making their legs by braiding or twisting the dough into a spiral. The same can be done with the horns.
- Lastly we will beat the leftover egg yolk and 2 Tbsp’s of milk. Then we will brush the tops of the “Parkeljni” with yolk mixture. Now we add the finishing touches.
- Eyes: add raisins, dried cranberries or dried cherries
- Tongue: use candy or red pepper or even red paper.
- Legs: sprinkle on some poppy seeds over top of his legs to make him look furry.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place the “parkeljni” on the parchment paper as you are done making and decorating them. By the time the last one is done, the first two have risen enough to go to “hell”. Bake them in a 375 degree oven for about 18 minutes.
- Remove the baked “parkeljni” from the baking tray, immediately, and place them on a cooling rack. Cover them with a cotton cloth, and let them cool down slowly. This will also help keep them nice and soft and fluffy. Happy Miklavževanje!!
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Made with Love,
❤️ Michelle XO