Recipe: Zerbo Kocke
As I was deep into writing this post, I realized that the best way to describe the Zerbo macaron flavor from Poeme Macarons was to just post the original inspiration in the first place (we’re going full-circle here now). So that brings us here: a traditional Zerbo kocke recipe, modified from one of my own family members in Serbia (if you could taste their baked goods, you’d be unable to move for about three years after how many you’d eat!).
It’s full of walnuts, apricot, and rum (oh, and chocolate too…can’t forget that!); so practically everything you need for a balanced diet in Serbia (fruit, protein, alcohol…you’re set!). When I fed my boyfriend these for the first time, his response was “where have these been all my life…” and “why aren’t these a thing here” (we live in America). He loves the Zerbo macarons as well; maybe he just loves walnuts and rum, now that I think about it 🙂 So I’m urging you to try out this recipe and explore some Balkan flavors (you might just fall in love…with the flavors I mean…I’m no relationship fairy…).
Just a warning note, however: these do require a bit of time, but they’re so worth it! Choose a long weekend to make these delicious little blocks of love and your family, friends, and maybe even mailman (I won’t judge who you share them with) will love you. Everyone deserves to try these decadent morsels! A good way to save time though is to make the dough and filling the day before (more details on how to do that in the recipe below). It’ll be just as good, and more efficient!
Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: YOU WIN A MILLION DOLLARS!!!
Actually, it’s just the recipe, sorry…but it sure is worth a million bucks in my heart (cue “awww” sounds):
Zerbo Kocke Recipe
Ingredients
- `1 9 x 13 inch Brownie pan Can use a glass or non-stick pan, your choice!
Crust
- 1 packet active dry yeast this is about 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 100 ml warm milk
- 5 tbsp granulated sugar
- 250 grams butter, cubed and chilled
- 500 grams AP flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 egg yolk
Filling
- 800 grams walnuts, ground
- 400 grams granulated sugar
- 2 cups apricot jam try to look for ones with less sugar; the amount is about two jars-worth
- 1/4 cup rum dark or light is fine; use whatever you prefer
Chocolate Glaze
- 8 oz dark chocolate I recommend 60-70 percent
- 4 tbsp canola oil
- some chopped walnuts, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
To make the filling:
- Put the walnuts and sugar into a food processor and pulse until it forms a fine mixture; be careful not to over-process (you want it more crumb-like than paste-like). Cover and set aside for now.
To make the crust:
- Place yeast in small bowl. Pour warm milk and sugar over yeast and let sit until slightly frothy, about 10 minutes (the yeast must activate).
- While the yeast is activating, mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry cutter (or pulsing in a food processor) until it reaches a breadcrumb-like stage. It should clump together easily between your fingers. This is similar to a biscuit or tart dough, if you are familiar with those consistencies.
- Once the yeast mixture is ready, make a well in the flour mixture and pour the yeast mixture into it. Add sour cream and egg yolk and mix until it combines into a loose dough. You will want to knead it then for a few minutes until the dough is relatively smooth (it will be sticky, but that’s okay). Be careful to not over knead; this will over-develop the gluten content and make for a tough final product.
- Once the dough is ready, cover in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours. If you would like to make this ahead of time, feel free to make the dough the day before and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
To assemble:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove dough from fridge and divide into five equal parts (a kitchen scale helps here!).
- Take one piece and place it on a sheet of parchment paper slightly larger than the size of your pan. Place another sheet of parchment on top of the dough and, using a rolling pin, roll it out into a rough rectangle 9 x 13 inches (should fit a brownie pan).
- Carefully remove the top parchment sheet and flip over the dough so it rests in the pan. Remove the other sheet of parchment. You want the dough to lay flat in the pan, without coming up the sides. If the dough tears slightly, it’s okay! Just gently push the dough together and use scraps to fill in any holes.
- Taking a pastry brush, spread a layer of rum onto the crust. This is to taste; just make sure to not make the dough too-soggy.
- Now take some apricot jam and spread it evenly onto the crust (it will be about 1/2 cup). These amounts are somewhat to taste, so feel free to use slightly more or less depending on your preferences.
- Add a quarter of the walnut mixture on top of the jam; it should fully cover the crust with no jam spots peeking through (it’s a little over a cup).
- You will want to repeat these steps until all the dough has been rolled out. The final layer will not have filling on top of it (you should end with a dough piece on top).
- Place pan in oven for 25-30 minutes. The crust should look golden on top, and shouldn’t be squishy when touching it. Let sit for a few hours to cool before pouring glaze on top.
To make the glaze:
- Melt chocolate and oil together in a double-boiler until the chocolate has fully melted. The glaze should be a pourable consistency; add more oil if it needs to be thinner.
- Pour chocolate glaze on top of the cooled Zerbo. If using chopped walnuts, sprinkle them over the warm glaze now. Let set (this might take about an hour). Cut into squares, with your choice of size (I usually cut them large, getting 12 squares out of this). If the edges look a little rough, feel free to cut a thin strip around the pan and remove them (this can be the “snack tax” for the baker!).
Notes
Let me know how it went if you made this recipe (I want to see pictures!)
And to try the macarons inspired by this classic Serbian dessert, visit Poeme Macarons’ website.
Happy baking everyone!
Zerbo macarons from Poeme Macarons 
Zerbo kocke
