Return to Main Recipes Page/Return to Home Page

Walnut-Stuffed Cookies (Kalbura Basti) (D, TNT)
Source: "A Taste Of Turkish Cuisine"
Yield: 22 to 24 cookies

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
Juice of 1/4 lemon

Cookies:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup walnut halves

Prepare syrup by boiling the sugar, 2 cups water, and lemon juice; stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the oil, milk, and baking powder. Add the flour and mix together to form dough. If needed, add a little more flour. Dough should feel a little oily.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Oil a mold, sieve, or the sunburst shape on a plastic grater. If you don't have any of these, you can make a design with the tines of a fork.

Divide the dough into golf-ball-size pieces and press on the oiled mold or roll between your palms and flatten into a 2" circle.

Remove from the mold and press a walnut half into the center of the flattened dough. Bring the sides together to enclose the nut. Pinch well to seal. The cookie should resemble an oval cocoon with a raised design all around.

Place the cookie on an ungreased jellyroll pan and bake for 20 minutes. Cookies should be lightly golden brown. Turn oven up to 425°F and bake another 5 to 10 minutes.

When cookies are cool enough to handle pour the warm syrup over them and roll them around in the syrup. Let them sit in the syrup overnight to absorb it, turning them frequently if possible.

Poster's Notes:
This is a wonderful inexpensive dessert that has no eggs. Some people use a mold to shape these cookies, others press them against the wire mesh of a sieve, a colander, or grater. The idea is to end up with a slightly raised design on the cookies.

Posted by Sheilah Kaufman

Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A