Italian recipes
  1. Home
  2. Recipe types
  3. Desserts
  4. Menih (The Monk): Slovenian Easter cake
Desserts

Menih (The Monk): Slovenian Easter cake

⏱ 180 min👤 4 pp★★☆☆☆

In Slovenia there is a lovely Easter tradition: On Easter Sunday one should go to Mass with a wicker basket full of food to be blessed before eating it later for lunch with your family. One item in the basket is often a plaited bread, beautiful to look at and wonderfully fragrant. This plaited bread has a soft, sweet delicate flavour and is called Menih, which in English means ‘monk’. This recipe is from Grandma Fani, born and raised in Slovenia. Many of you will already be familiar with it, especially if you live in or around the Friuli region which is close geographically and culturally to Slovenia. To all the rest of you, the discovery will be a delight because it is an irresistible sweet bread that, once tasted, will become a classic of your family get-togethers, and even on an ordinary workday!

Ingredients

Nutritional values 320 kcal / serving
Protein
7g
Carbohydrates
52g
Fat
8g
Fiber
1.5g

* approximate values per serving

Information
180 minutes Preparation time
Serves 4 persons
★★☆☆☆ Medium difficulty

Preparation

First allow the milk to come to room temperature, then dissolve the yeast in it along with a teaspoon of sugar. Set it aside and let it ferment. With the electric mixer beat the egg and yolks together with the sugar, butter and lemon zest. Add the milk and yeast, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and then add the flour slowly until it turns into a ball (almost like dough for bread). Let it rise for an hour, covered with a damp cloth. After an hour, knead again and then let it rise for another hour. Knead once again and divide the dough into three equal parts. Each part should be shaped until it looks like a loaf 30 cm long. With these three loaves of dough you'll make a single plaited loaf, with the three ends pushed well together to form a "ball" or “head” at one end. The tradition is to put a boiled egg coloured with onion skins in this head of the Monk. If you like the idea, boil the egg in a little water with lots of red onion skins until it takes on a slightly dark colour. When you have made your plait, using your fingers open a hole in the ‘head’ end in which you place the egg with its thickest part upwards. Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C but be careful not to let it brown too much.

Tips
To give your boiled egg a beautiful red colour, you can boil it, as in the recipe, with lots of red onion skins. Alternatively, you could simply avail yourself of some food colouring.
Trivia
The tradition is to make the head of the monk from a boiled egg coloured red. When you have made your plait, in the endmost part of the dough make a hole with your fingers in which to place the egg, keeping the thickest part upwards. This technique of "embedding" real hard-boiled eggs also exists in other regions: in Puglia, for example, there are the famous ‘scarcelle’; in Sicily, similarly, is the famous ‘cicilio’.

Step by step

Ingredients
Ingredients
**Click on the photos to access full step by step!

Additional information

Slovenian Easter Sweet Menih with Lemon

One of the most appreciated variations of Menih, the Slovenian Easter sweet, is undoubtedly the one that includes lemon. This ingredient gives the sweet an unmistakable freshness, making it perfect for Easter celebrations. To prepare this version, simply grate the zest of an untreated lemon and add it to the dough along with the juice. The final result will be a fragrant Menih with a citrus flavor, ideal to accompany an afternoon tea or coffee. Additionally, the combination of butter and lemon makes the sweet particularly soft and pleasant on the palate, making it a perfect choice for those who love fresh and delicate flavors. Don't forget to decorate the sweet with a dusting of powdered sugar for an elegant finishing touch.

Slovenian Easter Sweet Menih in the Traditional Way

The Menih, Slovenian Easter sweet, can be prepared following the traditional recipe, which involves the use of simple and genuine ingredients. This classic version requires an "00" flour dough, brewer's yeast, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, and a pinch of salt. The preparation begins with the fermentation of the yeast in warm milk, a fundamental step to ensure optimal rising. After mixing the ingredients, the dough must rise for an hour, covered with a damp cloth, to achieve a soft and light consistency. The traditional Menih is often served during Easter festivities, accompanied by a good sweet wine or a local liqueur, making each bite a reminder of Slovenian culinary traditions.

Slovenian Easter Sweet Menih Light without Butter

For those who wish to enjoy the Slovenian Easter sweet Menih in a lighter version, it can be prepared without butter. By substituting butter with a lighter alternative such as seed oil or yogurt, you get a sweet that maintains its fluffiness without being heavy. This variant is perfect for those who want to indulge in a sweet during the Easter festivities without feeling guilty. The preparation remains essentially the same, but the final result will be a more digestible Menih with fewer calories. It is important to pay attention to the amount of sugar, slightly reducing it to balance the flavor. Served with a dusting of powdered sugar, this light Menih will be a sweet appreciated by everyone, even by those who are mindful of their diet.

Slovenian Easter Sweet Menih: Benefits and Nutritional Values

The Menih, Slovenian Easter sweet, is a dessert rich in nutritious ingredients. The "00" flour provides complex carbohydrates, while the eggs and milk contribute high-quality proteins. Butter, if used, adds healthy fats, while sugar offers immediate energy. On average, a serving of Menih can contain about 250-300 calories, depending on the ingredients used. The benefits of lemon, if present in the recipe, include a high vitamin C content, which supports the immune system. Additionally, the Menih is often prepared during festivities, representing a moment of sharing and tradition, making it not only a sweet to enjoy but also a symbol of conviviality and celebration.

Can Slovenian Easter Sweet Menih be Frozen?

The question of whether Slovenian Easter sweet Menih can be frozen is very common among those who love to prepare sweets in advance. The answer is yes, Menih can be frozen without any problems. It is advisable to do so once the sweet has completely cooled. To freeze it properly, wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in a food bag, making sure to remove excess air. This way, the Menih will maintain its freshness and softness. When you want to enjoy it, simply let it thaw at room temperature or warm it slightly in the oven. This way, you can enjoy this sweet even after some time, keeping its flavors and aromas intact.