KALBURA BASTI - RIDDLED COOKIES

August is generally always a calm month as most people are on vacation or enjoying the summery weather. Throughout this period of the year, my village becomes a ghost town, the building block where I live is quiet like a tomb, televisions stations are broadcasting old programs, friends are having a great time abroad and even bloggers are less active than usual. This holiday atmosphere is quite infectious. Most people get infected by the virus and dream of taking a break and having a blast away from closed walls and computers...

Consequently, it is the right moment for me to put a momentuous halt to my blogging and to have a bit of fun. But don't worry, I am not completely abandoning my blog during my short week off, because I'll be home chillin' all the while, and knowing how addicted I am to "Rosa's Yummy Yums" I will surely publish a couple of pictures in addition to a guest post (around the 19th of August) and will be on Twitter, Facebook or visiting your sites.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Friday, I have decided to write about a traditional delicacy from the majestic land of exotic delights, beauty, diversity and heritage that is Turkey. Despite having never travelled there, I have fallen in love with its wonderful culture and stunning landscapes...

"Kalbura Basti", sometimes also known under the name of "Hurma", are Turkish syrup-drenched pastries that have a riddled appearance. They are featured among the favorite specialities that are prepared for the three-day Candy Holiday (Şeker Bayram aka Eid Ul-Fitr) that follows the holy month of Ramazan (Ramadan). Although this treat is of Ottoman origin, a very similar variation of it ("Hurmašice" or "Hurme") can be found in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina too, since the Osmanli Turks invaded, controlled and influenced those regions.

Those date-shaped cakelets are rolled in very original way as one needs a colander, sieve or grater (the side used to grind nutmegs) to give them their unusual looks ("Kalbur" meaning colander). Apart from having a unique form, this speciality cannot be found everywhere in Turkey. As a matter of fact, it is quite difficult to come across it in bakeries or to see it being served in restaurants, because they are commonly baked at home and savored among family members.

According to the information I gathered while surfing in search for meager information, "Kalbura Basti" can be stuffed with chopped walnuts and grated coconut, or can even be devoid of any filling just like the version I am presenting today which is very basic. Nonetheless, I have made a few modifications by adding ground mahleb into the biscuit mix and a pinch of cinnamon into the coating liquid.

I took the recipe from "Turkish Cookbook" which I had bought on a Swiss bidding site. This book on Turkish cuisine is written by one of Turkey's leading cookery author and Sufi practitioner Nevin Halici who has published nine publications, "Sufi Cuisine" being her latest publication so far.

These simple cookies require hardly any ingredients or work (so easy to put together), and they contain no eggs nor butter, yet they are incomparably delicious. It is absolutely impossible not to get hooked on their exquisitely soft and crumbly texture, syrup-engorged and gooey dough as well as absolutely divine nutty, cinnamony and marzipany flavor. "Kalbura Basti" are incredibly addictive. Once you've eaten one, you cannot stop!

"Kalbura Basti"
Recipe adapted from Nevin Halici's "Turkish Cookbook".

Makes 16 cookies.

Ingredients For The "Cookies":
75ml Milk

75ml Olive oil
1/4 Tsp Baking soda
150g Plain flour
1/2 Tsp Ground mahleb (optional)

Ingredients For The "Syrup":

150g Castor sugar
125ml Water
1/2 Tsp Lemon juice
1/3 Tsp Ground cinnamon Optional)

Method For The "Cookies":
1. Grease a baking pan or cover it with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, olive oil and baking soda together, then add the flour and mahleb. Knead into a smooth dough.
3. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.
4. Press each piece of dough over a sieve or a shredder with your fıngers while rolling and shaping into oblongs (do not press through).
5. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Method For The "Syrup":
6. Meanwhile, in a medium pan, add the sugar, water, lemon juice and cinnamon, bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes or until the mixture is syrupy, then remove from heat.
7. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place them in a shallow dish and immediately pour the hot syrup over them.
8. Let them soak for 10 minutes, then turn them over and let the other side soak for another 10 minutes, then turn the cookies around again and let them cool.
9. Serve as soon as the cookies are no more hot.

Remarks:
This video (at 0:36 secs) will help you visualize how those cookies are shaped.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with a good cup of Turkish, Greek or Lebanese coffee or some black tea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Kalbura Basti"
Recette adaptée de "Turkish Cookbook" par Nevin Halici.

Pour 16 gâteaux.

Ingrédients Pour Les "Gâteaux":
75ml de Lait
75ml d'Huile d'olive
174 de CC de Bicarbonate de soude
150 g de Farine
1/2 CC de Mahleb en poudre (en option)
Ingrédients Pour le "Sirop":
150g de Sucre cristallisé
125ml d'Eau
1/2 CC de Jus de citron
1/3 CC de Cannelle en poudre (en option)

Méthode Pour Les "Gâteaux":
1. Beurrer une plaque de cuisson ou la recouvrir de papier sulfurisé. Préchauffer le four à 200° C (400° F).
2. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble (émulsionner) le lait, l'huile d'olive et la bicarbonate de soude, puis ajouter la farine et le mahleb, puis pétrir jusqu'à obtention d'une pâte lisse.
3. Diviser la pâte en 16 portions égales.
4. Presser chaque morceau de pâte contre un tamis ou une râpe (côté pour râper la noix de muscade) et les rouler afin de leur donner une forme oblongue.
5. Placer les gâteaux sur la plaque et les cuire dans le four préchauffé pendant 20 minutes.

Méthode Pour Le "Sirop":
6. Pendant ce temps, préparer le sirop: mettre le sucre, l'eau, le jus de citron et la cannelle dans une casserole moyenne et porter à ébullition, puis laisser cuire 2 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que le sirop se soit un peu épaissi, puis le retirer du feu.
7. Dès que les biscuits sortent du four, verser immédiatement le sirop chaud dessus. Laisser s'imbiber pendant 10 minutes, puis les retourner et les laisser s'imbiber pendant encore 10 minutes dans le sirop. Puis les retourner à nouveau et les laisser refroidir.

Remarques:
Cette vidéo (à 0:36 secs) vous aidera à visualiser la méthode de roulage.

Idées de présentation:
Servir avec un bon café à la turque, grec ou libanais, ou du thé noir.