Sekerpare – Turkish Semolina Cookies

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Last Updated on May 12, 2021 by Chef Mireille

Sekerpare – Turkish Semolina Cookies are soft and tender cookies, perfect for tea time with citrus flavors.

Sekerpare Turkish Semolina Cookies

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It’s time for the monthly event of the Baking Bloggers again and this month’s theme of Turkish, Greek or Cypriot baking I was more than happy to embrace. I love this region of the Mediterranean which is at the crossroads of Europe & the Middle East, yielding a fusion of flavors in their cuisine.

I’ve explored this part of the world quite a lot already. Do check out some of the other Greek & Turkish recipes I’ve whipped up.

Greek & Turkish Recipes

Wow after that list, I must really like the multi layered cuisine of this part of the world.

As you can see by some of the recipes above, semolina is a popular grain used in the cuisines of this region. Sekerpare – Turkish Semolina Cookies are one of the most popular Turkish treats. They make frequent appearances with a cup of cay (Turkish tea).

Sekerpare Variations

Although I flavored my version with orange, it is even more common to use lemon.
Cookies LR 6

You can choose to use hazelnuts instead of almonds for the center nut.

After soaking in the syrup, these cookies are super soft and tender – almost cake like.

These are so delicious with the citrus flavor from the syrup.
Cookies LR 7

It's going to be really hard to have just one...
Cookies LR 5

Turkish Sekerpare Cookies
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3 from 2 votes
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Sekerpare – Turkish Semolina Cookies

Sekerpare - Turkish Semolina Cookies are soft and tender cookies, perfect for tea time with citrus flavors.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: Turkish
Servings: 14 cookies
Calories: 269.87kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup semolina
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 12-14 blanched and peeled almonds
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Syrup Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ¼ cup orange juice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with non stick spray.
  • Make the syrup first since it needs time to cool.
  • In a saucepan, combine sugar, water and orange juice.
  • Boil for about 10-15 minute, stirring occasionally,, until a thin syrup consistency.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Meanwhile, combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, combine semolina, baking powder and flour.
  • Using a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until you have a smooth consistency.
  • Add egg and mix until thoroughly combined.
  • Add half of the flour combination and mix until thoroughly combined.
  • Add the remaining flour combination and knead by hand until you have a smooth dough that sticks together. The dough will barely stick together. It is a somewhat crumbly dough.
  • With wet hands, grab a walnut sized ball of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten into a disc and place on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Place each cookie a few inches apart and be sure to wet your hands between each cookies to get smooth cookies.
  • Press an almond in the center of each cookies.
  • Brush the tops with milk.
  • Transfer to oven and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Check the syrup. If it has thickened too much, add a little water and place on the stove and whisk just until you have a smooth consistency, 1-2 minutes.
  • Rotate the cookies in the syrup a few times until it is well coated on all sides. Leave the cookies to dry.

Notes

Makes 12-14 cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 269.87kcal | Carbohydrates: 47.6g | Protein: 3.39g | Fat: 7.75g | Saturated Fat: 4.38g | Sodium: 85.75mg | Fiber: 0.86g | Sugar: 29.11g
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Comments

    • oh I made them twice. I discovered the trick is to make sure your hands are wet for each cookie. You need the water in order to achieve smooth cookies. My first batch was also very “rustic” looking 🙂

  1. 5 stars
    These cookies remind me of nankhatai. Adding orange juice must be making it flavorful. Cookies look so crunchy and would love to dunk them in some tea.

3 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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