cesnica traditional Christmas food aroudn the world

Česnica

Česnica is a kind of soda bread made on Christmas morning, in Serbian tradition. A solid silver coin along with wood and a bean for health and good luck is placed into the bread. During the Christmas Breakfast (being the most important meal of Christmas in Serbian tradition) family members break the česnica and the one who finds the coin in the piece of bread is considered to be most fortunate that year; however, the head of the family has to buy the coin so it stays in the house. Sometimes, there are other things put in česnica, like piece of badnjak, also called the Yule Log – good luck, hazelnut – health, plum – traveling, etc.

RECIPE for Česnica

As you might expect, recipes for Serbian Christmas bread known as cesnica (chesnica, chesnitsa) or "money bread" vary from family to family. This "peasant-style" recipe comes from Pattee Russell-Curry of California. It was handed down to her by a cousin, Nedja Vignevic Jacobs (deceased), whose mother and sisters emigrated to the McKeesport/Aliquippa, Pa., areas from Ponikve in the former Yugoslavia.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Rising time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 55 minutes

Yield: 1 Serbian Christmas bread

Ingredients: for Česnica

1 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups or more all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping soup spoon vegetable shortening

Preparation: for Česnica

In a large bowl, mix yeast with warm water and shortening until yeast is dissolved. Add salt and flour and mix until the dough comes away from your hands and cleans the bowl, adding more flour as necessary.
Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise again until doubled.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until shiny. Add a silver coin that has been sterilized in boiling water for 3 minutes (Don't use a copper coin because it will turn the dough green.) and knead again, making sure the coin doesn't pop out.
Shape into a round and place on a greased cookie sheet. Make an indentation with the top of a glass in center. Then make 4 slight slits radiating from the center with symbols for wheat, rice, oats and rye to ensure a good harvest that year. Let rise until almost doubled.
Bake about 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees. Cool on a wire rack.

Categories: Christmas food

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