Moldovan Martyrs

We begin to prepare a delicious recipe for 'mucenici', a traditional specialty that will bring a touch of joy and flavor to every home. The first step is to ensure we have all the necessary ingredients at hand. In the bread machine bowl, we will add the ingredients in the following order: lukewarm milk, lukewarm water, melted butter (previously prepared in the microwave), egg, salt, sugar, freshly sifted flour, and yeast. It is important to respect this order to achieve a perfectly risen dough. After adding all the ingredients, we select the program for kneading and rising the dough, which lasts about 1 hour and 25 minutes.

After the dough has risen, we take it out of the bowl and prepare to shape it. On a floured work surface, we divide the dough into equal portions of about 55-60 grams, each portion being shaped into a ball. These balls are rolled between our palms and on the work surface until we obtain rolls of about 50 cm in length, which are evenly shaped. Each roll is folded in half, the middle is secured with a finger, and the two parts are carefully braided. Finally, the ends of the braid are joined together to form a circle. The dough is twisted to resemble the number eight. The shaped 'mucenici' are placed on a large tray lined with baking paper, ensuring to leave space between them. We cover the pieces of dough with a kitchen towel, and then cover the tray with 'mucenici', letting them rise in a warm place for one hour.

In the meantime, we prepare the syrup. In a pot, we put 300 ml of water, 150 g of granulated sugar, a packet of vanilla sugar, and a bottle of rum essence. We let the mixture boil, stirring occasionally, until we obtain a thick syrup. After the syrup has boiled, we let it cool to room temperature, and when it reaches a lukewarm level, we add the grated zest of a lemon to enhance the flavor.

The oven is preheated to a moderate temperature. Meanwhile, we mix 50 ml of milk with an egg yolk. This mixture will be used to brush the 'mucenici' before putting them in the oven. Using a pastry brush, we carefully brush each 'mucenic' with this mixture. The 'mucenici' are baked on the middle rack of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until they turn brown and golden.

After the 'mucenici' are baked, we brush them with the sugar syrup to give them a moist texture and a sweet taste. Then, we brush them with honey, which will give them an unmistakable flavor. Finally, we sprinkle ground walnut on the surface of the 'mucenici', adding a crunch and flavor. This traditional delight is now ready to be enjoyed, bringing a touch of tradition and joy to special days.