Turkish Cake and Cookie Recipes

Turkish Cake and Cookie Recipes Turkey was a country of smart traders long before America was anything but a wilderness with nomad Indian tribes following great bison herds, and hunting and fishing.

Coffee in colonial America was Turkish coffee, made after the Turkish method, and used only by those settlers who could afford luxuries – including their delicious Turkish cakes.

Turkish coffee is made by putting equal parts of finely ground coffee and sugar together in an open copper kettle and adding sufficient water to cover the ingredients. The pot is then set on a brisk fire and allowed to come to a boil. The syrup is immediately removed from the fire and allowed to cool slightly. The boiling process is repeated two more times before the syrup is ready to drain from the coffee grounds. A little rose water is added to the coffee when it is served.

1. Rabat el Halkum

4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
11/2 cups water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup almonds blanched and chopped
1 drop attar of roses

Cook the sugar and water to a heavy syrup. Mix the lemon juice, nuts and cornstarch together and blend the mixture slowly into the syrup, beating well to keep the starch from lumping. Cook until clear, stirring all the time. Add the attar of roses. Turn the paste out on a board covered with powdered sugar. Spread to one-half inch thickness. Cut in small squares when cold.

2. Beurrik

1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese puff pastry
3 tbsp. thick white sauce

Cook the cheese and white sauce together until thick. Chill thoroughly and shape into three-inch rolls the size of a pencil. Roll the puff paste very thin. Wrap the cheese in strips of pastry and fry in hot fat. Drain on brown paper.

3. Baklava

Mix together:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg slightly beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. water

Blend the egg into the flour and knead into a smooth dough. Beat the dough with a steak beater until it blisters. Divide into tiny pieces and roll as thin as paper. Allow to stand for one hour to dry out.

Make a filling as follows – Boiling to a thick syrup:

1 cup pistachio nuts
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup water

Fill a baking pan three-fourths full with layers of pastry, sprinkled with nuts. Pour the melted butter over the pastry and bake at 450° F. for twenty minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the pastry and allow to cool before cut ting it into small squares.

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