Turkish desserts include baklava, muhallebi, dondurma, and asure. Baklava is the most popular, while asure is an unusual pudding-based dessert made with rosewater, nuts, fruit, and beans. Muhallebi is a family of pudding-like desserts, and dondurma is a Turkish dessert similar to ice cream.
There are many different types of Turkish desserts, ranging from cakes and pastries to preserves made with fresh fruit and rose petals. Some of the most common and recognizable Turkish desserts include baklava, muhallebi, dondurma and asure. These desserts have a long history in the region, dating back to the Ottoman Empire. Desserts originating from Turkey are usually rich in nuts, syrups and fruits.
Of all the Turkish desserts, baklava is probably the most popular, as the layered pastry is served in many bakeries and restaurants around the world. Traditional baklava consists of layers of phyllo dough filled with a blend of peanuts, spices, and honey or rich syrup. Various types of nuts and spices can be used, but most baklava recipes call for walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, and cloves. The pasta is cooked and then cut before serving. Baklavas can typically be made well in advance, then refrigerated or frozen until needed.
Asure is an unusual pudding-based dessert, made with a blend of rosewater, nuts, fruit, and beans. Most recipes call for a combination of chickpeas and white beans, but other beans can be used. According to popular stories, asure was first served on Noah’s Ark, and was made with whatever items Noah had on hand. Asure requires a great deal of preparation and is usually reserved for special occasions such as religious holidays or celebrations. In many families, special recipes for asure are passed down through the generations.
Muhallebi describes a whole family of pudding-like Turkish desserts. Traditionally, these puddings are made without the use of eggs and are typically thickened with rice flour. Some of the more common flavors of muhallebi are coconut, vanilla and cinnamon. Muhallebi can be served on its own, but is often garnished with spices, fruit, nuts, or heavy syrup. In Turkey, some muhallebi recipes call for meat or poultry to be added to the sweetened pudding.
Dondurma is a Turkish dessert that is in many ways like ice cream, made with sugar, milk, mastic and salep. Mastic is a type of flour made from orchid roots and is used to add thickness to the dish. Salep is a resin that is added to give dondurma a chewy texture. The hearty confection is served frozen and can be prepared in many different flavors or with the addition of chopped fruit and nuts.
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