Sekerpare (Turkish Semolina Cookies) is a sweet, moist, and tender dessert that's traditionally served for religious celebrations, such as Seker Bayrami that marks the end of Ramadan. It is a great alternative to Turkish Baklava for your sweet cravings when you want something much simpler & quicker.
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Sekerpare is a type of cookie made with semolina, butter, eggs, flour, and sugar. It is then shaped into small balls, baked in the oven until golden, and soaked in simple syrup. You can find them in Turkish bakeries or on the restaurant's menus everywhere in Turkey. Alternatively, you can make your homemade version with my simple recipe.
Why This Recipe Works?
- It is very easy to make with step-by-step pictures and instructions.
- My simple recipe gives you 24 pieces of this delicious dessert, it is a real crowd-pleaser.
- They are freezer-friendly, you can keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- You can prepare them in advance, they taste even better on the second or third day.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Butter - Use a good quality unsalted butter and make sure it is softened at room temperature before using it.
- Plain white flour - It is also known as all-purpose flour. It is perfect for making cakes, cookies, pastries and thickening sauces. Sift it before using it in your pastries.
- Icing Sugar - It has a tiny bit of cornstarch and a powdery consistency which gives a more crumbly texture to the cookies.
- Semolina - It makes the cookie dough light and crumbly.
- Eggs - They add colour, structure and flavour to the cookies. Keep one egg yolk for egg washing the cookies before baking them.
- Vanilla paste - It adds extra flavour to the cookies. You can also use vanilla extract or vanilla beans.
- Baking powder - It helps the cookie dough rise or puff, giving you more airy and crumbly cookies.
- Sugar - I use caster sugar or granulated sugar to make a stock syrup.
- Lemon juice - A few drops of lemon juice is necessary to prevent the syrup from crystallising. You can add more lemon juice if you want to add your Sekerpare some lemon flavour.
- Hazelnuts - Although they are the most common nuts to use for Sekerpare, you can also use pistachio nuts or almonds.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making these sweet and tender semolina cookies is very easy and straightforward. However, to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
- Make the Syrup - Place the water and sugar in a pan and put on medium heat. Stir it until the sugar dissolves, bring it to a boil, and let it gently boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Add a few drops of lemon juice, let it simmer for a few more minutes, and then remove the pan from heat. Let it cool down while making the semolina cookies.
- Make the cookies - Preheat your oven to 180 °C (fan oven) and start making the dough for the cookies. Sift the flour in a large bowl and then add the egg, egg white, softened butter, icing sugar, semolina, vanilla paste, and baking powder. Mix well using your hands until you have a nice and smooth dough. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and turn them into balls. Lightly flatten the dough balls and place them on a baking tray leaving enough space between each as they will rise when cooked.
Lightly press in the middle of the cookies with your fingertip and place a piece of hazelnut on each cookie. Eggwash the cookies with a pastry brush and place the baking tray in preheated oven. Bake them for 20- 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. Let the cookies cool down for 5 minutes and then pour the syrup on with a ladle. Cover the tray with a lid or cling film and let the cookies absorb the syrup and turn soft & moist, almost like a cake consistency.
Related Recipes
For other delicious sweet treats why not try:
Sekerpare means "a piece of sugar" in the old Ottoman language. It is also the name of a type of very sweet apricot growing in Turkey.
You can keep them at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. Make sure you store them in an airtight container for extra freshness.
Top Tip From the Chef
When placing the semolina cookies on the baking tray, make sure to leave enough space between them as they will expand while baking.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this sweet and tender Sekerpare as much as you would enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Sekerpare (Turkish Semolina Cookies)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Syrup
- 400 g caster or granulated sugar
- 500 ml water
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
For the Cookies
- 150 g unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- 70 g icing sugar
- 20 g semolina
- 350 g plain white flour / all-purpose flour
- 1 medium egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 5 g baking powder
- 24 hazelnuts, almonds, or pistachio nuts
- 1 egg yolk (for the egg wash)
Instructions
Making the Syrup
- Place the water and sugar in a pan and put on medium heat.
- Stir it until the sugar dissolves, bring it to a boil, and let it gently boil for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add a few drops of lemon juice, let it simmer for a few more minutes, and then remove the pan from heat.
- Let it cool down while making the semolina cookies.
Making the Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 180 °C (fan oven).
- Sift the flour in a large bowl and then add the egg, egg white, softened butter, icing sugar, semolina, vanilla paste, and baking powder.
- Mix well using your hands until you have a nice and smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and turn them into balls.
- Lightly flatten the dough balls and place them on a baking tray leaving enough space between each as they will rise when cooked.
- Lightly press in the middle of the cookies with your fingertip and place a piece of hazelnut on each cookie.
- Eggwash the cookies with a pastry brush and place the baking tray in preheated oven.
- Bake them for 20- 25 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool down for 5 minutes and then pour the syrup on with a ladle.
- Cover the tray with a lid or cling film and let the cookies absorb the syrup and turn soft & moist, almost like a cake consistency.
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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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.
Christy
This looks so yummy! Very simple and quick to serve for last minute guests.