Turkish cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Kömbe (Spiced Pastry)

Festive pastry from Antakya with mahlab, cinnamon and clove, patterned with a wooden stamp and baked golden.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 500 g flour
• 200 g butter
• 100 g sugar
• 100 ml milk
• 1 tsp mahlab
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground clove
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100 g walnuts
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a small pot, let it cool back down to hand temperature, and roughly chop the walnuts; preheat the oven to 170 °C.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, mahlab, cinnamon and ground clove in a bowl so the spices are evenly distributed.
3. Add the butter and lukewarm milk and knead for 3–4 min. into a smooth, non-sticky dough; let rest covered for 15 min.
4. Shape the dough into about 20 balls, press 1 tsp of walnuts into the center of each, seal and press a pattern into the top with a wooden stamp or a fork.
5. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for 22–25 min. until the edges are golden brown and the pastry smells strongly of clove and cinnamon.
6. Let rest on the sheet for 10 min., then dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve warm or cold with tea.