Dessert Recipes – Turkish food guides

Şekerpare recipe: soft Turkish semolina biscuits in syrup

Şekerpare are buttery semolina biscuits, each topped with an almond, baked and soaked in syrup until meltingly soft. A Ramadan favourite.

Turkish delight recipe: homemade lokum with rosewater

Homemade lokum is softer and more fragrant than the boxed kind. It takes patience and stirring, but just sugar, cornflour, water and rosewater.

Künefe recipe: crisp shredded pastry with melted cheese and syrup

Buttery shredded kadayıf pastry around a layer of melting cheese, cooked until crisp, then soaked in syrup. Künefe is eaten hot and takes 40 minutes at home.

Baklava recipe: homemade Turkish pistachio baklava with filo

Crisp layers of buttered filo, a thick seam of pistachios and a light lemon syrup. This homemade baklava recipe uses shop-bought filo and makes about 30 pieces.

Sütlaç recipe: Turkish baked rice pudding with a caramelised top

Creamy rice pudding thickened with rice flour, set in little bowls and grilled until the top is spotted brown. Fırın sütlaç is served cold and keeps for days.

Revani recipe: Turkish semolina cake soaked in lemon syrup

Revani is a light semolina sponge soaked in cold lemon syrup. This home recipe uses yoghurt for a tender crumb and takes 20 minutes to mix.

Kazandibi recipe: Turkish caramelised milk pudding

Kazandibi is milk pudding with a burnt-sugar bottom, rolled so the caramel side shows. This home version needs a metal tin, a hob and patience.

Aşure recipe: Noah’s pudding with grains, fruit and nuts

Aşure, or Noah's pudding, is a big pot of wheat, pulses and dried fruit made to share with neighbours. Here is a home recipe with all the toppings.

Lokma recipe: crisp Turkish dough balls in syrup

Lokma are bite-sized yeasted fritters, crisp outside and airy inside, soaked briefly in cool syrup. No kneading, just a loose batter and hot oil.

Dessert Recipes: Turkish food guides