In Europe, hot chocolate is especially popular in winter, but in Russia, since time immemorial, people have prepared a unique beverage made of herbs, berries and honey, known as sbiten. It used to be prepared in a samovar, but nowadays a cooker and saucepan will suffice.
Sbiten is undergoing a resurgence in Russia — it is available everywhere from coffee houses to restaurants. Oatmeal cookies with cranberries make a very tasty combination. Both recipes are easy to follow, so there's no excuse not to try them!
Sbiten
Recipe by Viktor Beley, brand chef at Uhvat restaurant
Uhvat restaurant
Ingredients:
- Sea-buckthorn puree - 60 g
- Raspberry puree - 30 g
- Chokeberry puree - 30 g
- Buckwheat honey - 70 g
- Birch sap - 100 ml
If some ingredients are missing, feel free to experiment. Instead of chokeberry puree, use black currant, for instance, or try replacing birch sap with apple juice.
Preparation:
- To make sbiten, you can use either ready-made puree or fresh berries. Crush the berries in a blender, then strain, separating out the larger pieces.
- Sugar is not added to this drink; instead use buckwheat honey. In a saucepan, mix the puree, honey and birch sap, and warm for 3-5 minutes while stirring. Serve hot.
Oatmeal cookies with cranberries and milk chocolate
Recipe by Artem Apanitsky, pastry chef at Drinks@Dinners restaurant
Drinks@Dinners restaurant
Ingredients:
- Wheat flour - 65 g
- Oatmeal - 30 g
- Butter - 50 g
- Milk chocolate - 20 g
- Cane sugar - 50 g
- Dried cranberries - 50 g
- Egg - 20 g (about half a regular egg)
- Baking powder - 1 g
- Soda - 1 g
- Salt - 2 g
Preparation:
- Mix all the ingredients with your hands or a spatula. Shape into small balls weighing up to 35 grams.
- Place on baking paper, and bake in the oven at 190°C for exactly 5 minutes.
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