Sigara Böreği
Fried Phyllo Scrolls

Ingredients
3 sheet Yufka dough
¾ cup White cheese, crumbled
½ bunch Parsley, chopped
A small bowl filled with water
Oil for frying

Instructions
Mix the crumbled cheese and chopped parsley in a bowl. Place the yufka dough on top of each other on your work surface. Cut into quarters, and then cut each quarter in half, achieving 24 triangular pieces of yufka dough. Place them on your counter so that the thicker side is facing you, and place a tbsp. full of the cheese mixture and start rolling as you tuck the both ends in to keep the stuffing inside. Then dip the end in water and finish rolling. Do the same with the rest of the dough, then fry them in hot oil until they turn golden brown and transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Serve hot.

Un Kurabiyesi
Flour Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cup Butter
3 cups Flour

Instructions
Heat the oven to 300-320F. Combine sugar and butter in a bowl and mix well. Then add the flour to form the dough. Take walnut size pieces and roll, then place on an oven tray and flatten the top. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure not to brown the cookies.

Ev Poğaçası
Cheese Filled Pastries

Ingredients
2 cups Flour
1 cup Yoghurt
1 tbsp. Fresh yeast
¼ cup Olive oil
1 Egg
2 tsp. Salt

For the filling
1 cup White cheese, crumbled
½ bunch Parsley, finely chopped

For the top
1 Egg yolk
2 tbsp. Nigella seeds*

Instructions
Heat the oven to 390F. Mix the fresh yeast with yoghurt. Add salt, egg and butter, mix well. Add enough flour in order to make soft dough. Keep it covered on the kitchen counter for about 1 hour until it has almost doubled in size. Mix white cheese and parsley in a small bowl. Tear walnut size pieces from the dough and stretch it in your hands, place a tbsp. full of the cheese mixture and then cover the dough over the cheese to form a ball and lay on a greased oven tray. Do the same for the rest of the dough. Brush with egg yolk on top and sprinkle nigella seeds. Bake in the oven until they turn golden brown, approximately about 20 minutes.

*Nigella seeds are also known as black cumin.

Susamlı  Simit
Sesame Rings

Ingredients
4 cups Flour
½ cup Butter, at room temperature
¼ Water, warm
½ tbsp. Sugar
1 tbsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Mahlep*
1 tsp. Fresh yeast
2 Egg yolks

For the top
2 Egg whites, whisked
3-4 tbsp. White sesame

Instructions
Heat the oven to 390F. Mix all the ingredients except egg white and sesame seeds and make stiff dough. Cover dough with a moist towel and allow to rest for half an hour. Knead once more, take walnut-size pieces and shape into logs then connect the two ends to make rings. First dip in egg white, then in sesame, and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

*Mahlep is a kind of powder made from a “Mahaleb cherry”, available at spice shops or markets in Turkey. It is used to give a longer shelf life and a distinct aroma to pastries.

Mahlepli Poğaça
Savoury Yeast Pastry with Mahlep

Ingredients
¼ cup Butter, room temperature
1 cup Sunflower oil
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tbsp. Mahlep*
1 Egg white
1 packet Baking powder
Flour, as needed

For the top
1 Egg yolk
1 tbsp. Nigella seeds**

Instructions
Heat the oven to 390F. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Make semi-stiff dough (earlobe consistency). Take pieces slightly bigger than the size of a walnut. Make round or oval shaped cookies, and place on greased oven tray. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle some nigella seeds on top. Bake in the oven until they turn golden brown.

*Mahlep is a kind of powder made from a “Mahaleb cherry”, available at spice shops or markets in Turkey. It is used to give a longer shelf life and a distinct aroma to pastries.
**Nigella seeds are also known as black cumin.

Çatal
Savoury Biscuit

Ingredients
¾ cup Yoghurt
½ cup Butter, melted
1 ½ tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Sugar
1 packet Baking powder
1 tbsp. Mahlep*
5 cups Flour

For the top
1 Egg yolk
1 tbsp. Nigella seeds**

Instructions
Heat the oven to 390F. Mix all the ingredients and knead for 15 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into 20 equal portions. Divide each portion into 3 and make 3, 5 inch long ropes. Combine the 3 ropes on either end and place on a greased oven tray. Do the same for the rest of the dough. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle some nigella seeds on top. Bake in the oven until they turn golden brown.

*Mahlep is a kind of powder made from a “Mahaleb cherry”, available at spice shops or markets in Turkey. It is used to give a longer shelf life and a distinct aroma to pastries.
**Nigella seeds are also known as black cumin.