4 delicious vegan Turkish dessert recipes not to be missed!

• Cezerye: they are small balls of puree of carrots, sugar, coconut and pistachios. To prepare them, you need to peel and cut 6-7 medium carrots into pieces and steam them. Then you blend them and put them in a pot with 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups of sugar and a pinch of cloves. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture dries and thickens. Add the juice of one lemon, ½ teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Cook for 5-6 minutes longer, then add a cup of shredded coconut and ¼ cup of chopped pistachios. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. When warm, form walnut-sized balls and roll them in the remaining grated coconut. Store them in the refrigerator.

• Baklava: It is a puff pastry filled with nuts and soaked in a sweet syrup. To make it vegan, you need to use vegetable butter instead of animal butter. To prepare it, you need to finely chop 1 cup of pistachios and 1 cup of walnuts and mix them with a teaspoon of cinnamon. Then you need to melt 1 cup of vegetable butter and brush it on a baking sheet. Overlay 8 sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet with butter. Spread half of the dried fruit mixture over the dough, then cover with another 8 sheets of phyllo pastry, always brushed with butter. Cut the baklava into lozenges or squares, without reaching all the way to the bottom. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25-30 minutes, until golden. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by bringing to a boil 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, ½ cup maple or agave syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon rose water. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Pour the hot syrup over the freshly baked baklava and let it rest for at least 4 hours before serving.

• Meghli: is a rice pudding spiced with cinnamon and caraway, typical of Lebanon. It is consumed to celebrate the birth of a child or during Christmas. It is a vegan dessert that can be garnished with coconut, pistachios, almonds or pine nuts. To prepare it, you need to mix 80 g of rice flour, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of caraway and a liter of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring often, until the pudding thickens. Add 80 ml of maple syrup and mix well. Pour the pudding into small bowls and leave to cool. Before serving, decorate with grated coconut and dried fruit to taste.

• Lokma: These are balls of dough fried and dipped in a sweet syrup. To prepare them, you need to dissolve 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of brewer's yeast in ¼ cup of warm water. Let sit for 10 minutes, then add 2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup warm water, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Knead well and let rise for an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by bringing 2 ½ cups sugar, 1 ½ cups water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a cinnamon stick, and 5 cloves to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat. Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a pan and fry small portions of pasta, cutting them with scissors. Drain them on absorbent paper, then immerse them in the syrup for a minute. Serve hot or cold, with lime juice or cherry syrup and chopped pistachios.

We hope you enjoyed these recipes and made you discover new flavors selected for you by KenaFeh! 😊