Where to eat and drink

Trieste-style presnitz

This traditional Trieste dessert is always present at Christmas celebrations.
Presnitz alla Triestina
Its origins are somewhat unclear. It is undoubtedly a traditional dessert of the Karst plateau. There is an unlikely theory that a competition was held to discover a dessert worthy of the official visit to Trieste of Emperor Franz Joseph and his consort Elizabeth (Sissi). According to this theory, the dessert received the "Preis Prinzessin" (Princess Award), which Trieste residents endearingly transformed into presnitz.

Ingredients

250/300 g puff pastry
150 g walnuts
100 g almonds
100 g hazelnuts
50 g grapes
100 g dark chocolate
50 g pine nuts
1 espresso cup rum
1 espresso cup Marsala wine
3 pats of butter
1 egg yolk

Grind the walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds.
Soak and soften the raisins in the rum and Marsala in a fairly large mixing bowl for about 30 minutes.
Pour the ground nuts into the mixing bowl and add 50 g of sugar. Mix thoroughly and let marinate for about 8 hours.

When the mixture is ready, roll out the puff pastry dough with a rolling pin until a thin sheet is obtained. Pour the contents of the mixing bowl on top and spread it uniformly over the pastry dough. Add the pine nuts, finely grated dark chocolate and two or three pats of butter. Roll the pastry dough over itself, close the ends well and shape it into a spiral.
Brush the surface with beaten egg yolk.

Bake at 180°C for approximately 25 minutes.