TURKISH DELIGHT-FILLED DOUGHNUTS

TURKISH DELIGHT-FILLED DOUGHNUTS -

INGREDIENTS:

For the batter:
350 g water
300 g flour
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
15 g dry yeast
100 g rose flavoured turkish delight, diced into 1cm pieces

For the syrup:
200 g honey
1 cinnamon stick
50 ml rose water
½ vanilla pods
50 g toasted and crushed pine nuts

For the nuts:
50 g sugar
50 g butter
100 g walnuts

METHOD:

For the doughnut batter: Add all dry ingredients together. Whisk warm water in the flour mix. Allow to stand in a warm place until proved, approx. 15 mins.
Carefully place a piece of Turkish delight in your hand and coat it in the doughnut batter. Form a ball and carefully drop it into very hot oil. Allow to cook until golden brown. Coat with rosewater honey.

For the syrup:
Place all ingredients excluding rosewater and pine nuts in a pot and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and add rosewater and allow to chill. Drizzle on doughnuts. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve

For the nuts:
Melt butter in hot pan and add sugar to caramelise. Add crushed walnuts.

BLACK SEA BAKLAVA

BLACK SEA BAKLAVA -

Amazing irresistible Turkish treat that combines honey, nuts and orange blossom.

INGREDIENTS:

50 g hazelnuts
50 g walnuts
100 g caster sugar
3 tbsp orange flower water
60 g butter, melted
300 g filo pastry
250 g honey
2 large oranges, zested in strips

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Put both kinds of nuts in the food processor along with half the sugar and pulse until finely chopped.
Tip it all into a bowl and stir in the orange blossom water to make a smooth paste.
Brush a 20cm x 30cm x 7cm tin with melted butter. If necessary, cut the filo pastry into 12 sheets that will fit the tin.
Lay the first sheet of filo pastry into the greased tin. Each layer should touch the sides of the tin, so use a bit of another sheet as well if you need to.
Brush again with butter and lay another sheet of pastry on top, taking care to push the sheets into the corners and up the sides - if you have a lot of overhang, trim it off with a knife. Do the same with another three sheets, so you have 5 layers. Brush with melted butter.
Spread half the nut mixture onto the pastry, then use the back of a spoon to even it out and compress it.
Cover the nut paste with another five sheets filo pastry and melted butter in alternate layers, then spread over the rest of the nutty paste.
Add another five layers of filo pastry, each brushed with melted butter.
Use a sharp knife to cut diagonal lines in the pastry so you end up with the classic diamond-shaped pieces.
Bake in the oven for around 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.
When the baklava goes in the oven, put the rest of the sugar, honey and 100 ml water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Drop the orange zest strands into the mixture. Turn the heat down and simmer until reduced by just over half and the zest is translucent.
Strain through a sieve. Separate the orange zest strands with a fork so they’re not all in one sticky clump.
When the baklava is ready but still hot, spoon the syrup over and let it soak in for a minute before topping each piece with strands of the sticky zest.
Serve at room temperature.

Tips:

Baklava is traditionally served with Turkish coffee.

TURKISH DELIGHT

TURKISH DELIGHT -

Pretty in pink and gently perfumed with rose water, this turkish delight makes a sensational sweet treat for a special gift.

INGREDIENTS:

500 ml water
450 g caster sugar
100 g icing sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
150 g cornflour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp rose water
1 tbsp grenadine

To finish:
2 tbsp cornflour
5 tbsp icing sugar

METHOD:

Dust a baking tray measuring 20x25cm with cornflour. Pour half of the water into a heavy based saucepan and add the sugars and lemon juice. Heat until the sugar has dissolved and then bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture reaches 115C on a sugar thermometer (soft ball stage). Remove from the heat.
In a separate saucepan, mix the cornflour and cream of tartar together with the remaining water until the mixture is smooth. Cook over a medium heat until the mixture thickens.
Gradually pour the hot sugar syrup into the cornflour paste, stirring continuously. Return the mixture to the heat and simmer for about one hour, until the mixture is pale and feels stringy when a little of the cold mixture is pulled between the fingers. Stir in the rose water and grenadine.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and leave to set overnight.
Cut into squares. Mix the cornflour and icing sugar together and toss the Turkish delight in it. Store in an airtight container, between layers of greaseproof paper.

Apricot & Turkish delight mess

Apricot & Turkish delight mess -

Try a Middle Eastern twist on the British classic Eton Mess, served with fresh mint tea.

Ingredients:

100g mascarpone
50g Greek yogurt
25g icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp orange flower water
1 meringue nest, broken into rough pieces
3 apricots, stoned and chopped
2 cubes Turkish delight, orange flavoured if available, chopped
25g skin-on almonds, roughly chopped
4 mint leaves, shredded, plus extra to decorate (optional)

Method:

Place the mascarpone, yogurt, sugar and orange flower water into a large bowl and whisk until thickened. Fold the remaining ingredients through, then divide the mix between 2 dessert glasses or bowls and decorate with extra mint, if you like.

Raspberry & rose trifles

Raspberry & rose trifles -

A mix of classic Middle Eastern flavours that come together very simply in this pretty trifle.

Ingredients:

2 cubes Turkish delight, optional
500g pot good-quality vanilla custard
½ a 350g/12oz bought Madeira loaf
300g pack raspberries
juice 1 orange
200ml tub crème fraîche (use reduced-fat if you like)
handful pistachios, roughly chopped

Method:

If you don’t want to add the Turkish delight, move on to step 2. Snip the Turkish delight into pieces with kitchen scissors into a large bowl and add a few tablespoons of water. Microwave on High for 1 min, stirring after 30 secs, or until dissolved and smooth. Tip in the custard and stir together.
Break the cake into rough chunks and divide between 6 sundae dishes or serving glasses. Mix half of the raspberries with the orange juice in a bowl and crush gently with a fork to break the fruit up slightly. Spoon over the cake layer. Cover with the custard, then leave to cool in the fridge for at least 30 mins. Can be made up to 1 day ahead. To serve, top the trifles with a dollop of crème fraîche, the remaining raspberries and a sprinkling of pistachios.

Walnut, date & honey cake

Walnut, date & honey cake -

A tea-time treat - packed with sweet honey. A great way to use up those ripe bananas too.

Ingredients:

225g self-raising flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
175g softened butter
100g light muscovado sugar
3 tbsp clear honey
2 eggs, beaten
2 medium, ripe bananas, about 250g/9oz total weight in their skins
100g stoned dates
50g pack walnut pieces

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3/fan oven 140C. Line the base and long sides of a 900g/2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper, buttering the tin and paper.
Tip the flour, cinnamon, butter, sugar, 2 tablespoons of the honey and the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Mash the bananas and chop the dates (kitchen scissors are easiest for this) and add to the bowl. Beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes, using a wooden spoon or hand-held mixer, until well blended.
Spoon into the prepared tin and level the top. Scatter the walnut pieces over. Bake for 1 hour, then lightly press the top – it will feel firm if cooked. If not, bake for a further 10 minutes.
Cool for 15 minutes, then lift out of the tin using the paper. When cold, drizzle the remaining honey over. Cut into thick slices.

Almond & honey pastries with orange cream

Serve these prepare-ahead puds with coffee, dessert wine or fresh mint tea for a real after-dinner treat.

Ingredients:

200g whole blanched almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
85g icing sugar, plus extra to serve
85g butter, melted
2 tsp orange flower water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg yolk
190g pack brik pastry
clear honey, to serve
For the cream
zest 1 orange
300g Greek yogurt
300ml tub double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted

Method:

Set aside a quarter of the almonds. Put the rest in a food processor with the icing sugar, half the butter, orange blossom water, cinnamon and egg yolk. Whizz to a paste. Scrape into a bowl and stir in most of the remaining chopped nuts.
Unroll one sheet of brik pastry at a time, brush all over with melted butter and halve into 2 semi-circles. Shape 1 heaped tbsp of the nut mixture to look like a thin wedge shape along half the pastry edge you’ve just cut (leaving 2.5cm border on the rounded side), so it looks as if you’re cutting the semi-circle of pastry into pieces like a cake. Roll up like a pastry cone, sealing the nut mixture inside, then brush all over with more butter and fold over the open, wide end to seal. Sit on a baking tray, end flap side down to help it stay closed, and repeat until nut mixture is used up. Cover with cling film and chill. Put zest, yogurt, cream and icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Cover and chill.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, put the pastries in and bake for 15 mins until golden and crisp. Just before they’re ready, beat together the yogurt mixture until thick. Pile pastries onto a serving dish, drizzle with honey and scatter with remaining nuts. Serve with the orange cream and Honeyed orange & grapefruit (see 'Goes well with').

Tip:

Brik pastry:
This is similar to filo but crispier and easier to work with. It comes in round sheets from Waitrose. You can use filo if you need to – cut into 15cm wide strips, add a thin sausage of nut mixture to the strip end, then fold over the edges and roll up like a cigar.

Turkish Halwa

Turkish Halwa -

This traditional Turkish dessert is easy and yummy!

Ingredients:

 1 1/2 cups water
 1 1/2 cups molasses
 1/2 cup unsalted butter
 2 cups all-purpose flour
 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Bring water and molasses to a boil in a saucepan. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a separate saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Pour the molasses mixture into the flour, stirring to form a ball. Fold in chopped walnuts. Drop onto waxed paper by the spoonful, and allow to cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container.