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Turkish Shortbread Cookies with Pistachio – Fistikli Un Kurabiyesi

By on July 19, 2021 in Cakes and Desserts, Ozlem’s Turkish Table Cookery Book 0

Turkish shortbread cookies with pistachio, Fistikli Un Kurabiyesi from SEBZE cookery book

This delicious, crumbly shortbread cookies, un kurabiyesi, is a national favouite; my mother would make them for her afternoon tea gatherings, bayrams and special occasions when I was a child. You will find them in our pastanes, patisseries in plain, with almond or sometimes with dried fruits in Turkey. They are delicious, enjoyed with Turkish coffee, Turk kahvesi and tea, cay.

I added coarsely ground (or very finely chopped) pistachios to mine – it is nice to feel the texture and enjoy the taste of pistachios, so take care not to ground them too finely. Turkish pistachios, as referred as green emeralds are packed with flavour and we use nuts liberally in our desserts and sweet treats. They add a delicious, fragrant nutty taste. You can use ground almonds or hazelnuts instead of pistachio too. These fistikli un kurabiyesi is a great hit with my family and friends; I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. This recipe is from my new book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, along with 85 other delicious, easy to make Turkish recipes. You can order a copy of SEBZE here, delivered worldwide.

I hope you enjoy this delicious, crumbly Fıstıklı Un Kurabiyesi from my book SEBZE

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem x

Turkish Shortbread Cookies with Pistachio – Fistikli Un Kurabiyesi
 
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These delicious, crumbly shortbread cookies are a national favouite. My mother would make them for her afternoon tea gatherings and special occasions when I was a child and now my children adore these too. You will find them in Turkish pastanes (patisseries) either plain, or with nuts or dried fruits. They are delicious enjoyed with Turkish coffee (Türk kahvesi) and tea (çay). I add coarsely ground pistachios to mine for a fragrant nutty taste. Turkish pistachios (fıstık) are regarded as our green emeralds and are packed with flavour.
Author:
Recipe type: Kurabiye, cookies
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Serves: 25 cookies/ kurabiye
Ingredients
  • 90 g (3¼ oz/scant ⅔ cup) shelled unsalted pistachios, plus a little extra to serve
  • 300 g (10½ oz/scant 2½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 125 g (4 oz/1 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar, plus extra for dusting
  • 250 g (9 oz) unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Coarsely chop or grind the pistachios with a few pulses in a food processor; take care not to grind too finely, as it’s lovely to retain a little texture.
  2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and set aside. Sift the icing sugar into a separate bowl.
  3. Put the butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat using a hand-held electric mixer for 2 minutes until smooth and light. Stir in the icing sugar and beat for another 2 minutes until well combined. Add the sifted flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract, and beat for another 2 minutes, making sure everything is combined well. Stir in the pistachios and beat for another minute or two until all combined and turned into a crumbly dough. Using your hands, gently form into a dough ball, place in a bowl, cover with cling film (plastic wrap) and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/gas 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
  5. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and gently shape walnut-sized pieces of dough into round balls with your hands. Each dough ball will be about 3.5 cm (1½ in) in diameter. Place on the baking sheet, with about 5 cm (2 in) between each ball, as they will expand. You should be able to make 25 balls.
  6. Bake on the lower shelf of the oven for 18–20 minutes until the cookies are pale golden; try not to overbake, so that they can retain their crumbly texture and light colour. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
  7. Once cool, sift over some icing sugar and sprinkle with a little ground pistachio to serve.
 

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Turkish coffee marble cake

By on April 29, 2021 in Cakes and Desserts, Online Turkish Cookery Course, Ozlem’s Turkish Table Cookery Book 0

Turkish coffee marble cake

I love our aromatic Turkish coffee, Turk kahvesi; it is more than a drink for us with its rituals. This is a deliciously fragrant but not overpowering Turkish coffee marble cake, ideal for coffee lovers and anyone who would enjoy a delicious slice of cake aside their favourite drink; it is especially wonderful with tea or coffee aside. Here’s my recipe for you, from my cookery book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kichen.  You can get a copy of SEBZE here worldwide.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

I hope you enjoy this fragrant cake as much as we do, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Turkish coffee marble cake and Ozlem's Turkish Table News!
 
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I love our aromatic Turkish coffee; it is more than a drink for us with its rituals. This is a deliciously fragrant but not overpowering Turkish coffee marble cake, ideal for coffee lovers and anyone who would enjoy a delicious slice of cake aside their favourite drink; it is especially wonderful with tea or coffee aside.
Author:
Recipe type: Coffee Cake
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Ingredients
  • 175 g (6 oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 2 tablespoons Turkish coffee (finely ground)
  • 90 ml (3 fl oz/6 tablespoons) warm whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 225 g (8 oz/1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 3 medium eggs, beaten
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 230 g (8 oz/generous 1¾ cups) self-raising flour, sifted
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons cold whole milk
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/gas 4. Grease a [2 lb loaf pan or 20 cm (8 in) round cake pan (or non-stick fluted cake ring) with unsalted butter.
  2. Combine the Turkish coffee with the warm milk and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in the cocoa powder and set aside to cool.
  3. Using an electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, whisking well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract and combine well. Sift the flour and salt into a separate bowl, then fold it gently but thoroughly into the butter mixture.
  4. Divide the cake batter into two equal portions. Add the 2 tablespoons of cold milk to one portion of the cake batter and stir gently to combine. Stir the cooled Turkish coffee mixture into the other portion of cake batter and stir gently to combine.
  5. Spoon large blobs of each cake batter into the prepared cake pan, alternating the flavours. Swirl the batter gently with a skewer or chopstick to create a marbled effect. Bake for 42–45 minutes until the cake is springy and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate to cool completely before slicing. This cake will keep well for up to 3 days in a container, covered.
 

 

 

 

 

 

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Coiled filo pie with zucchini (courgette), cheese and dill – Kol Boregi

By on March 23, 2021 in Savory Pastries, Turkish Cooking Classes, Vegetarian recipes 8

I am delighted to share this delicious Coiled / Swirl filo pie with zucchini, dill, cheese and onions, Kol Boregi, as we call in Turkish; it has been a huge hit at my online cookery classes recently. We really enjoyed this filling; there is a lovely natural sweetness from the zucchini and onions with the saltiness from Turkish beyaz peynir (I love Pinar Foods UK’s creamy beyaz peynir) or feta cheese, that works with dill so well.  You can also use spinach, sautéed leeks, kale, Swiss chard instead of zucchini/courgettes.

The trick with filo pastry sheets is that they need to be kept under slightly damp towel so they won’t dry out. Take only one sheet at a time to make the coiled shape for this recipe. I have used Jus Roll filo pastry sheets and they worked well.

The milk, egg and olive oil mixture works like a magic to keep the pastry intact while rolling. If the pastry breaks, please don’t worry, you can patch up brushing with the milk, egg and olive oil mixture. Once baked and cooled, you can cut this pastry in portions and freeze in a sealed bag (in one layer). You can also bake it ahead of time and give a gentle reheat at 180C/350F for about 8 minutes.

 

I love our savoury pastries and boreks in Turkish cuisine; tray bakes, filo triangles, pogacas, Pide, Flatbreads with zaatar and cheese topping and more included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed copies available at this link and delivered worldwide.

If you live in the US, Canada or Mexico, you can order hardback copies of Ozlem’s Turkish Table here for lower shipping rates.  Please kindly note that this Coiled filo pie, Kol Boregi is a new recipe and not included at my current cookery book.

I hope you enjoy this delicious Coiled filo pie, Kol boregi, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Coiled filo pie with zucchini (courgette), cheese and dill – Kol Boregi
 
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I hope you enjoy this moreish Coiled / Swirl filo pie with zucchini, dill, cheese and onions, Kol Boregi, as we call in Turkish. We really enjoyed this filling; there is a lovely natural sweetness from the zucchini and onions with the saltiness from Turkish beyaz peynir (or feta cheese) that works will dill so well. You can also use spinach, sautéed leeks, kale, Swiss chard instead of zucchini. The trick with filo pastry sheets is that they need to be kept under slightly damp towel so they won’t dry out. Take only one sheet at a time to make the coiled shape for this recipe. I have used Jus Roll filo pastry sheets and they worked well.
Author:
Recipe type: Savoury pastry, borek
Cuisine: Turkish cuisine
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 7 Filo pastry sheets (270g - 480mm x 255mm), thawed (I used a packet of Jus Roll filo sheets, they work well)
  • For the filling:
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 medium to large zucchini/courgettes (485g/1lb 1oz), trimmed and grated
  • 1 small bunch of dill, finely chopped
  • 200g/7 oz Turkish beyaz peynir or feta cheese, juice drained and crumbled
  • 30ml/2tbsp olive oil (to sauté the onions)
  • 5ml/1tsp pul biber
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • For the egg, milk and olive oil sauce:
  • 30ml/ 1fl oz milk
  • 1 free range medium egg, beaten
  • 15ml/1tbsp olive oil
  • For the topping of the coiled/swirl pie:
  • 1 free range medium egg, beaten
  • 10ml/2tsp olive oil
  • 1tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. For the filling, place the grated courgette (zucchini) in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 10 minutes. Using a clean tea towel or sturdy couple of sheets of kitchen paper towel, squeeze out the excess juice (this is an important step, otherwise this excess juice would make the pastry soggy). Place the squeezed zucchini/courgette in a large bowl.
  2. Pour in the 2 tbsp olive oil on wide heavy pan and stir in the chopped onions; gently sauté for 8 minutes, until they soften. Stir in the grated zucchini/courgette, combine and sauté for another 4 minutes, season with salt and ground black pepper. Turn the heat off.
  3. Place the sautéed onions and courgettes in the large mixing bowl. Stir in the crumbled cheese, dill, season (you may not need additional salt, as feta/beyaz peynir is already salty) and pul biber. Combine all ingredients well and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. The filling is ready.
  4. Preheat fan oven to 180C/200C/400F.. Line a round baking dish (with 25cm/10in diameter) with baking paper.
  5. Combine the milk, beaten egg and olive oil for the sauce in a small bowl. .For the topping, mix the beaten egg and olive oil in a small bowl
  6. Open your thawed filo pastry sheets and gently lay them on a dry, clean surface and cover with a damp towel. To coil the filo, the pastry needs to be kept moist. Only take one sheet at time and keep the rest covered.
  7. Take 2 filo sheets and lay on top of another lengthways on a clean, dry surface. Brush the top sheet with he milk, egg and olive oil mixture. Place about 145g/5oz filling in a line, along the edge near you, leaving 2cm at each end filling free. Gently roll up into a cylinder. Brush the edge with the milk, egg, olive oil mixture. Starting from one end, wind the filo into a coil and put on the baking dish with the baking paper on. Brush over and sides of the coiled pastry with the egg, milk and olive oil mixture (this also helps to patch up any broken pastry).
  8. Repeat the same procedure with the next 4 filo pastry sheets, using 2 sheets at a time .Coil each filo cylinder around the previous one to make a larger spiral. Make sure to brush the top and sides of the coiled pastry with the egg, milk and olive oil mixture.
  9. Fold the last remaining sheet, lengthways and brush the sheet with the egg, milk and olive oil mixture. Place the remaining filling (about 85g/3oz) in a line along the edge near you. Roll up again into a cylinder and coil around the previous one to complete the spiral. Brush the top and sides of the coiled pastry with the egg, milk and olive oil mixture and patch up any broken pastry.
  10. Brush the top and visible edges of the pie the beaten egg and olive oil all over, and then sprinkle the sesame seeds.
  11. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and cooked through. Let it slightly cool for 5 minutes. Slice in wedges. You serve with Spicy bulgur wheat salad with pomegranate molasses, Kisir, aside if you like.

 

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