Sekerpare - Turkish dessert

Şekerpare is one of the several popular and traditional Turkish desserts besides baklava, künefe, sütlaç, tulumba, aşure, lokma etc.

It is prepared by baking soft balls of pastry, then dipped in thick lemon sugar syrup. Because of the butter, semolina and syrup it is so soft, almost melts in your mouth. In spite of the syrup it's not too luscious.

It is easy, quick to prepare şekerpare so do not hesitate to try it, bring some Turkish atmosphere with it to your home. 

My first base was Binnur's recipe.

Ingredients:

125 g butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup castor sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/6 cup semolina

1 cup plain flour

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

+ almonds, hazelnuts on the top

For the syrup:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 tablespoon lemon juice

In a large bowl combine the butter and the castor sugar with a spoon or a wooden spoon, add the egg yolk and mix well with the butter. Strew the semolina to this mixture, then slowly the flour also and mix all with your hands. Knead until you get a medium-hard dough, if it's needed add some more flour to it.

Preheat the oven to 190°C and grease a pan or a heat-resistant glass dish with butter or oil. Divide the dough into 8 same-sized part, first make balls with your hands, lay in the dish, keep their ball forms or shape them into oval form (as I did), gently press their tops and place some nuts on the center of each. 

Bake them in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

While the şekerpare bakes in the oven, prepare the syrup. Mix the syrup ingredients in a pan and start to bring to full boil for about 5-10 minutes. Let it cool for a while.

When the şekerpare is ready, take it out from the oven and when it is still warm, pour the lukewarm syrup on it with a spoon. Repeat this a few times and let them soak in the syrup for about 10-15 minutes before remove them from the syrup and lay them on a service plate. Let them cool in the fridge.

Şekerpare is best served cold.

Afiyet olsun!