Recipe
Turkish savoury tea biscuits (Kandil simidi)
These Turkish biscuits are a classic teatime snack. Enjoy with black tea.
Yield: small biscuits
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Ingredients
- 240 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1 tsp mahlab, (optional)
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- 145 g clarified butter (ghee), or butter, melted
- 70 g Greek yoghurt, room temperature
- 12 g apple cider vinegar
Egg washes
- 1 egg, separated into white and yolk
- 2 tsp grape molasses (üzüm pekmezi), or date molasses (dibs/silan)
- 1 tsp water
Topping
- 60 g sesame seeds, toasted until golden
- 2–3 tsp nigella seeds, optional
How I make it
- Preheat the oven to
180 °C. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. - Whisk the egg white with grape syrup. In a second bowl, whisk the egg yolk with 1 tsp water. Place the toasted sesame seeds in a third bowl or plate (see notes below for toasting).
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, mahleb, baking powder and salt. Stir in the melted ghee or butter, yoghurt and vinegar. Mix until it comes together into a soft dough, but don't knead it any further than that.
- Divide the dough into 20 pieces of about 25 g (⅞ oz)each. Roll each piece into a 20 cm (8 in) sausage. Join the ends to form a ring.
- Place 10 rings on one of the prepared trays. Brush them half with the egg yolk wash, then sprinkle with nigella seeds.
- Dip the remaining 10 rings into the egg-white mixture, then coat thoroughly with sesame seeds. Place on the second prepared tray.
- Bake on the middle shelf until golden brown, 18–20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Notes
To toast sesame seeds: Add the sesame seeds to a dry pan over medium heat. Stir or shake regularly and toast until medium golden.
For baking: I bake one tray after the other, though you can bake them both at the same time as long as you switch their positions during baking to ensure even cooking.
Important note on US measurements: While US imperial measurements have been provided, I highly recommend using metric weight measures in all baking. Measuring by volume is always less accurate, especially for the smaller portions typical of home backing. These inaccuracies may lead to unfavourable results.