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    Sekerpare (Turkish Semolina Cookies)

    January 1, 2022 by Ayla Clulee 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Sekerpare (Turkish Semolina Cookies) is a sweet, moist, and tender dessert that's traditionally served for religious celebrations, such as Seker Bayrami which marks the end of Ramadan. It is a great alternative to Turkish Baklava for your sweet cravings when you want something much simpler & quicker.

    Sekerpare Turkish semolina cookies soaked in syrup
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Related Recipes
    • Top Tip From the Chef
    • Sekerpare (Turkish Semolina Cookies)

    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

    Ingredients for sekerpare (Turkish semolina cookies)
    • 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:

    Prepare 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. 

    put sugar and water in a pan to make syrup
    gently simmer for 15 minutes

    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.

    place sugar, butter, egg, semolina and flour in a bowl to make semolina cookies
    mix them well to turn it into a soft dough
    divide the dough into 24 equal balls

    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.

    place a piece of hazelnut on each cookie
    bake them in preheated oven until golden brown
    pour the syrup on the cookies

    Related Recipes

    For other delicious sweet treats why not try:

    • Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Turkish Baklava with Pistachio
    • Chocolate Pastry Rolls
    • Turkish Cookies (Elmali Kurabiye)
    • Strawberry Mille Feuille
    • French Strawberry Tart
    • Cranberry Orange Muffins
    • Turkish Fig Pudding (Incir Uyutmasi)
    • Irmik Helvasi (Turkish Semolina Halva)
    • Chocolate Strawberry Tartlets
    What does Sekerpare mean?

    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.

    How to store Sekerpare?

    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!

    soft and moist Sekerpare (Turkish semolina cookies

    Sekerpare (Turkish Semolina Cookies)

    This delicious Sekerpare recipe is made with semolina cookies baked until golden and then soaked in syrup.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 24 pieces
    Calories 192 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 STAUB Casserole Dish
    • 1 Fine Mesh Strainers, Set of 3 Sizes
    • 1 Kitchen Digital Scale
    • 1 Pastry Brush

    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

    Calories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 29mgPotassium: 33mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 177IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Baking, Dessert, Festive Dessert Ideas, Mediterrenean Cuisine, Traditional Turkish Recipes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    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.

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

    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.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christy

      January 04, 2022 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so yummy! Very simple and quick to serve for last minute guests.

      Reply
    2. Tabitha

      April 09, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe! So soft and fluffy, delicious, yum!
      Followed recipe exactly and came out perfect!

      Reply
    3. Veronica

      April 09, 2022 at 1:59 pm

      5 stars
      These are so good. Moist and delicious! They came out amazing.

      Reply
    4. Fiona

      April 13, 2022 at 8:15 am

      5 stars
      Made this recipe twice now, really easy to follow and it’s extremely delicious!

      Reply
    5. Margaret

      May 16, 2022 at 4:39 am

      5 stars
      I have made these two times in the last three days. Way too addicting is the only negative I can say. Thanks for sharing your recipe

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        May 16, 2022 at 7:08 am

        Hi, Margaret! It is my pleasure. Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
        Best wishes
        Ayla x

        Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    In Turkish culture, food is at the centre of every gathering: religious holidays, birthdays, celebrations, funerals and the list goes on. So, probably like many others, I love food. And not just the food itself, but also the process of preparing the food fascinated me from a very young age. 

    More about me →

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