Keskul is a light and creamy Turkish Almond Pudding made with milk, rice flour, corn starch, sugar and ground almonds. This delicious Turkish dessert is traditionally served in small bowls, garnished with ground pistachios, red fruits, or coconut shavings.
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Keşkül is definitely one of the tastiest milk-based puddings in Turkish cuisine. Also, this indulgent Turkish dessert is very easy to make and comes together in just 25 minutes. Same as Sutlac - Turkish Rice Pudding, Kazandibi and Turkish Fig Pudding - Incir Uytmasi, it is perfect to serve for dinner parties as well as for a weekday family meal.
What Is Keskul?
Keşkül is a milk-based pudding from Turkish Cuisine, dating back to Ottoman Empire. The meaning of the name is "beggars bowl", the bowl used for collecting donations by dervishes. The collected donations would then be used to buy groceries for making this milk pudding and served to the poor again in the same bowls. Therefore, the name of the pudding eventually got the name of the bowl, "keşkül", coming from the old Ottoman saying, “Keşkül-e-Fugara (Poor Man’s Beggar Bowl)”.
Why This Recipe Works?
- It is extremely easy to prepare this light and creamy Turkish dessert with a few ingredients you might have in your fridge/pantry.
- You can prepare it in advance, it tastes even better after a day or two!
- It is perfect for sudden sweet cravings, Keskul will be ready in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Milk - I prefer full-fat milk for milk-based desserts but you can substitute it with semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. You can use almond milk if you have a dairy intolerance.
- Sugar - I use caster sugar or granulated sugar. Adjust the amount to your taste.
- Vanilla paste - It is a great flavouring for milk-based desserts. Vanilla beans are the best option if you have them or you can use a good quality vanilla extract.
- Ground almond - It is also called almond flour. You can buy it from most large supermarkets.
- Corn starch - Same as rice flour, it is used for thickening the pudding.
- Egg yolk - It gives a more decadent tasting, velvety smooth pudding, and a deeper yellow colour that is more appetising.
- Desiccated coconut - It gives texture and flavour to the pudding. You can omit it and use coconut shavings for garnishing the top.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding is very easy and straightforward. However, you need to follow a few simple steps and tips to achieve the best results:
Place the egg yolk, sugar, rice flour, and corn starch in a saucepan and mix.
Add ½ cup of milk to the mix and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Mix in the remaining milk. Add the ground almond and desiccated coconut to the saucepan, and mix well.
Place the saucepan on low-medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring continuously. Cook the mixture for a few more minutes and then add the vanilla paste.
When the pudding gets thick enough, remove the pan from the heat and divide the mixture into serving bowls. You can check the consistency of the pudding with a spoon. It should be covering the back of the spoon without dripping.
Let the bowls chill in the fridge for a couple of hours and then garnish them with ground pistachio, coconut flakes and red fruits before serving.
Related Recipes
For more delicious dessert recipes why not try:
This delicious Turkish dessert would keep for up to five days when refrigerated in an airtight container. Unfortunately, Keskul is not suitable for freezing as the texture and taste change when defrosted.
Yes, you can easily turn this delicious pudding into vegan. Simply omit the egg yolk and use almond milk instead of regular milk to turn this delicious pudding vegan friendly.
Top Tip From the Chef
Make sure to stir the pudding continuously on low heat without letting it boil. Adjust the thickness by adding more milk if it's too thick or adding cornstarch slurry if it is too thin.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this scrumptious Turkish dessert as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
Keskul - Turkish Almond Pudding
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 l full-fat milk (whole milk)
- 220 g caster or granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 50 g ground almond
- 15 g desiccated coconut (optional)
- ground pistachio and red fruits for garnish
Instructions
- Place the egg yolk, sugar, rice flour, and corn starch in a saucepan and mix.
- Add ½ cup of milk to the mix and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Add the remaining milk.
- Add the ground almond and desiccated coconut to the saucepan, and mix well.
- Place the saucepan on medium-low heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring continuously.
- Cook the mixture for a few more minutes and then add the vanilla paste.
- When the pudding gets thick enough, remove the pan from the heat and divide the mixture into serving bowls. You can check the consistency of the pudding with a spoon. It should be covering the back of the spoon without dripping.
- Let the bowls chill in the fridge for a couple of hours and then garnish them with ground pistachio, coconut flakes and red fruits before serving.
Nutrition
FOOD SAFETY
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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