Turkish cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Höşmerim

Warm dessert from Balıkesir: unsalted fresh cheese stirred with semolina, sugar and butter until it turns stretchy.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 500 g fresh cheese (unsalted)
• 120 g semolina
• 150 g sugar
• 80 g butter
• 200 ml whole milk
• 3 tbsp walnuts
• 2 tbsp pistachios

Instructions

1. Crumble the unsalted fresh cheese into a bowl and break it up with your fingers so no firm lumps remain; roughly chop the walnuts and pistachios.
2. Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium heat, sprinkle in the semolina and toast for 5–6 min. while stirring constantly until it is light golden and smells nutty.
3. Add the crumbled cheese and work it into the hot semolina with a wooden spoon until it melts and the mixture comes together.
4. Pour in the milk and sugar and keep stirring vigorously over gentle heat for 8–10 min. until the mixture glistens, comes away from the bottom of the pan and pulls fine strings when the spoon is lifted.
5. Spread the höşmerim onto a shallow dish or directly onto four plates and draw the characteristic ripples into it with the back of a spoon.
6. Serve still warm sprinkled with chopped walnuts and pistachios – once cold it firms up and loses its stretchy bite.