Hurmašice: Bosnian Syrup-Soaked Date-Shaped Cookies (Hurmašice)
Hurmašice Say it: HOOR-mah-shee-tseh
Hurmašice show up at Eid tables, family gatherings, and alongside afternoon coffee in Bosnia, and their appeal is easy to see: soft oval cookies with fork ridges that soak up lemon-scented syrup until the crumb is tender and moist. The dough is quick to mix, but the soaking depends on one practical detail—hot cookies and completely cold syrup. Despite the name, which comes from hurma, the word for date, there are no dates in the dough; the shape and ridges are what give these cookies their date-like appearance.
Hurmašice: Bosnian Syrup-Soaked Date-Shaped Cookies (Hurmašice)
Hurmašice
Pronounced HOOR-mah-shee-tseh
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Syrup
Method
For the syrup, put 3 cups (600 g) sugar and 3 cups (720 ml) water in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high, stirring just until the sugar dissolves; once boiling, lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes without stirring. Take the pan off the heat, add 1 tbsp lemon juice, and leave to cool completely.
For the dough, beat 1 cup (225 g) softened butter and 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar in a large bowl for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs one at a time, beating after each, then mix in 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole-milk yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and the zest of 1 lemon.
Whisk 4 cups (500 g) flour and 2 tsp baking powder in another bowl. Add this dry mix to the butter mixture in stages, stirring with a wooden spoon or working with your hands just until a soft dough forms. Cover and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Break off walnut-sized portions of dough and roll each into a 2-inch (5 cm) oval. Drag the tines of a fork lengthwise over the top to create 3-4 ridges. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) between them.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cookies are golden and the ridges have taken on light brown color.
While the cookies are still hot from the oven, pour the completely cold syrup over them evenly, or briefly dip each hot cookie in the syrup and put it back on the tray. Leave at room temperature for at least 2 hours, turning once halfway, until the syrup has been absorbed. Serve at room temperature.
Regional variant: Hurmašice with semolina (hurmašice s grizom)
Swap 1/2 cup (60 g) of the all-purpose flour for 1/2 cup (60 g) fine semolina and continue as directed. The semolina adds a slightly nubby texture and helps the fork ridges stay defined in the oven. Some cooks also fold 2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped walnuts into the dough.
Cook's notes
- The syrup needs to be fully cold and the cookies straight from the oven; that contrast is what lets them soak without breaking apart.
- Stop mixing as soon as the dough holds together—extra handling makes the cookies less tender.
- If syrup remains pooled at the bottom after 2 hours, tilt the tray or turn the cookies; absorption will continue as they sit.
Serve with
Pair with strong Bosnian coffee or tea; no other accompaniment is needed.
Make ahead and storage
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They soften and become more syrupy as they stand.
