Turkish cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Pişmaniye (Turkish Cotton Candy Halva)

Thread halva from Kocaeli: hand-pulled sugar dough with buttery flour that falls into cotton-like strands.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 400 g sugar
• 150 ml water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 200 g flour
• 150 g butter
• 50 g pistachios
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and toast over low heat for 15–20 min., stirring constantly, into a pale beige, nutty-smelling roux; let cool to lukewarm.
2. Bring sugar, water and lemon juice to a boil without stirring and cook for 12–15 min. to 150 °C – a drop in cold water must instantly turn glassy hard.
3. Pour the sugar syrup onto a greased marble slab or baking sheet and let cool for 5–8 min. until firm at the edge but still pliable in the middle.
4. Shape the sticky mass into a ring with greased hands and pull it apart again and again, twisting and doubling it over – after 15–20 repetitions the sugar turns silky white and fibrous.
5. Place the ring onto the lukewarm roux and work both together while continuing to pull until the strands separate into a fine, cotton-like bundle.
6. Cut the strands into bite-sized nests with a knife, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and a pinch of salt and serve dry in an airtight container.