Modla 180°C otkrila nam je svoj tajni recept za božićni kuglof

My female ancestors were not known as great homemakers, but rather as rebels, workers, and fighters. Yet when the holidays arrived, the same tradition was always observed: gathering in shared joy, from decorating the home to preparing the most delicate sweets, the scents of walnut cookies and vanilla crescents, a Christmas gugelhupf baked after exchanging New Year’s gifts and wishes, excitement, a bit of twist, and a glass or two of champagne. All of these are memories that make me describe this time of year only as idyllic, with a line from that famous song, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Amid a sea of recipes modeled after the familiar “just like our grandmother used to make,” Modla 180°C stands out as a name that has managed to revive precisely that spirit and feeling, a blend of past and present, with secret spices and methods entirely its own.

With a small workshop of homemade cookies, cakes, breads, and delicious savory bites, Jelena Perović, a woman from Vojvodina based in Dorćol, takes us back to a time when recipes were copied by hand, from notebook to notebook, passed down by our mothers, grandmothers, and aunts, infused with nostalgia and pure happiness. In the background, Arsen plays “Sve što znaš o meni,” while, with the help of Tijana and Marko, she scatters stardust in the kitchen. Before she shares her recipe for Christmas gugelhupf with me, I ask which scent or flavor takes her back to her childhood during the holidays. Freshly baked cake layers for my mother’s cake that marked every birthday and holiday in my family. The scent of a real Christmas tree, an indispensable decoration in most homes of that time, she replies, adding the news that she will soon bring a baby girl into the world, whose childhood will also be shaped by airy, buttery, soft dreams.

As I look at all those fairytale photographs signed by Monika Pavlović, I ask her for some tips and tricks for setting a festive table. If you have a beautiful old serving set, take it out of the display cabinet and let it live its best holiday life. Although I always vote for beautiful, old, inherited, or flea market finds to be used even when it is not the holidays, because every time we feel good at the table, it is a small reason to celebrate.

Recipe for Christmas gugelhupf

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 200 g butter, at room temperature
• 150 g sugar
• 200 g flour
• baking powder
• 100 g raisins soaked in rum for a few hours
• 50 g candied orange peel
• 100 g finely chopped walnuts
• the combination of dried fruit and nuts can be adjusted to your taste

Preparation:

Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Whip the egg whites until stiff and set aside. Beat the yolks with the sugar until the mixture becomes pale and triples in volume. Add the butter and gently combine everything with a mixer. Into this mixture, fold in the flour mixed with baking powder by hand, then add the dried fruit and walnuts. Once everything is well combined, fold in the egg whites.

Pour the prepared batter into a gugelhupf mold that has been greased with butter and dusted with breadcrumbs. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 50 minutes.

Once the gugelhupf is baked, wait a few minutes, then use a knife to loosen the edges from the mold and transfer it to a festive plate. When the kuglof has cooled, dust it with powdered sugar and enjoy it with a glass of wine or a cup of tea.

Photo: Monika Pavlović