Turkish Delight and Apricot Cookies
A jammy little bonbon, a quick pick-me-up treat with a prize in the middle - delicious Turkish delight! Thanks to my neighbour, who shared his baba's family recipe for this cookie, popular in his family at Christmas time. The delicate shortbread melts in your mouth, which means it's gone quickly. You know what that means - you can have another. These cookies freeze well.
Want orange cookies, butter cookies, rugelach or delicious treats for the holidays? Click here.
Yield: 6 dozen
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening or lard, room temperature
7 tbsp sour cream
1 egg. separated
pinch of salt
fine coconut
icing sugar
apricot jam
Turkish delight
ground almonds
Method
Cut together the butter and shortening into the flour using a pastry blender or fork. Once mixed, add the egg yolk, sour cream and a pinch of salt. Knead until incorporated. Put the dough in a container or cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Cut the Turkish delight into small pieces that will fit onto the cookie - for example, cut each piece into 3rds and then 3rds again.
Combine an equal amount of icing sugar and coconut on a counter or a silicone mat, enough so that the dough will not stick. Mix them together.
Roll the dough over the sugar/coconut mix to a 1/8 inch thickness. If necessary, divide the dough in half, refrigerating the second half until ready to use.
Once rolled out, cut the dough into 2" x 2" squares and place the squares on a parchment paper-covered pan or a nonstick baking sheet.
Place 1/2 teaspoon of apricot jam in the centre of each square and then add a piece of Turkish delight on top.
Fold two corners over top of the Turkish delight to create the characteristic shape. Use a tiny drop of water to seal the edges of the dough together.
Brush with egg white and sprinkle with ground almonds.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-16 minutes (depending on your oven) until golden brown.
If using parchment paper, let the cookies cool completely before removing. If using a non-stick pan, remove immediately, using a pizza cutter or knife to trim away any jam that has stuck to the pan. Lift off gently with a pie server to avoid breaking the cookie.
A jammy little bonbon, a quick pick-me-up treat with a prize in the middle - delicious Turkish delight! Thanks to my neighbour, who shared his baba's family recipe for this cookie, popular in his family at Christmas time. The delicate shortbread melts in your mouth, which means it's gone quickly. You know what that means - you can have another. These cookies freeze well.
Want orange cookies, butter cookies, rugelach or delicious treats for the holidays? Click here.
Yield: 6 dozen
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening or lard, room temperature
7 tbsp sour cream
1 egg. separated
pinch of salt
fine coconut
icing sugar
apricot jam
Turkish delight
ground almonds
Method
Cut together the butter and shortening into the flour using a pastry blender or fork. Once mixed, add the egg yolk, sour cream and a pinch of salt. Knead until incorporated. Put the dough in a container or cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Cut the Turkish delight into small pieces that will fit onto the cookie - for example, cut each piece into 3rds and then 3rds again.
Combine an equal amount of icing sugar and coconut on a counter or a silicone mat, enough so that the dough will not stick. Mix them together.
Roll the dough over the sugar/coconut mix to a 1/8 inch thickness. If necessary, divide the dough in half, refrigerating the second half until ready to use.
Once rolled out, cut the dough into 2" x 2" squares and place the squares on a parchment paper-covered pan or a nonstick baking sheet.
Place 1/2 teaspoon of apricot jam in the centre of each square and then add a piece of Turkish delight on top.
Fold two corners over top of the Turkish delight to create the characteristic shape. Use a tiny drop of water to seal the edges of the dough together.
Brush with egg white and sprinkle with ground almonds.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-16 minutes (depending on your oven) until golden brown.
If using parchment paper, let the cookies cool completely before removing. If using a non-stick pan, remove immediately, using a pizza cutter or knife to trim away any jam that has stuck to the pan. Lift off gently with a pie server to avoid breaking the cookie.