Ekmek kadayıfı is a specialty dessert of

Turkish cuisine Turkish cuisine () is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, Ottoman cuisine (Osmanlı mutfağı), European influences, Seljuk Empire, Seljuk cuisine and the Turkish diaspora. Turkish cuisine with traditional Turkic peoples, Turkic elements s ...

but it is also known in many regions that were historically part of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. The Turkish name of the dessert literally translates as " Kadayıf made of ''ekmek'' (Turkish bread)" giving clues on its preparation. The dessert is usually served with

kaymak Kaymak, sarshir, or qashta/ashta ( ; or ; ) is a creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream, made from the milk of water buffalo, cows, sheep, or goats in Central Asia, some Balkan countries, some Caucasus countries, the Levant, Turkic r ...

, a kind of

clotted cream Clotted cream (, sometimes called scalded, clouted, Devonshire or Cornish cream) is a thick cream made by heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this time, the cream c ...

. Historically being a regional specialty of

Afyonkarahisar Afyonkarahisar (, 'poppy, opium', ''kara'' 'black', ''hisar'' 'fortress') is a major city in western Turkey. It is the administrative centre of Afyonkarahisar Province and Afyonkarahisar District. Its population is 251,799 (2021). Afyon is in the ...

, the dessert is served in special events within its region of origin. The dessert may optionally be flavored or topped with cherries of which Afyonkarahisar produces a significant amount. In Greek cuisine, it is known as "ekmek kataifi". The Greek version differs to the Turkish version as it is layered with kataifi at the base, followed by a layer of custard and then topped with a layer of whipped cream.

History

Historically, as with other

bread puddings Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

, this recipe emerged as a way to utilize stale or day-old

bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

. For modern home cooks, it is a popular alternative to more demanding traditional desserts like

baklava Baklava (, or ; ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. There are several theories for the origin of th ...

. It is served at

iftar ''Iftar'' () is the Fasting in Islam, fast-breaking Supper, evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan at the time of ' (call to prayer) of the Maghrib prayer. Iftar is the second meal of the day; during Ramadan, the daily fast begins immediately a ...

meals during

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

Preparation

In modern times, ekmek kadayıfı is sold ready made. All the cook needs to do at home to prepare the dessert is to make the sugar

syrup In cooking, syrup (less commonly sirup; from ; , beverage, wine and ) is a condiment that is a thick, viscous liquid consisting primarily of a Solution (chemistry), solution of sugar in water, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars but ...

called "''şerbet"'' and top the finished dessert with "

". To prepare the dessert from scratch with bread, first a piece of bread is carefully hollowed out to make a bread bowl. If the bread is too fresh it may be further dried in an oven. Then, ''şerbet'' is poured over the prepared bread. It is important to prepare the bread correctly to maximize absorption of ''şerbet''. When the bread has fully absorbed the ''şerbet,'' it softens. The bread bowl can then be filled with kaymak before serving. The finished dessert is flipped upside down to make ice cream stuffed ''ekmek kadayıfı''. Some recipes prepare it as a simple

cake Cake is a flour confection usually made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elabor ...

made with eggs,

flour Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...

and

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

. First the eggs and sugar are

whisk A whisk is a cooking utensil which can be used to blend ingredients smooth or to incorporate air into a mixture, in a process known as '':wikt:whisk, whisking'' or '':wikt:whipping, whipping''. Most whisks consist of a long, narrow handle with ...

ed until the eggs are frothy, then the flour is mixed in. A little

baking powder Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. The base and acid are prevented from reacting prematurely by the inclusion of a buffer such as cornstarch. Baking powder is used to increas ...

is added as a

leavening agent In cooking, a leavening agent () or raising agent, also called a leaven () or leavener, is any one of a number of substances used in doughs and batters that cause a foaming action (gas bubbles) that lightens and softens the mixture. An altern ...

. The

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...

filling for the cake is made with milk,

cornstarch Cornflour, cornstarch, maize starch, or corn starch (American English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken s ...

, flour, sugar and powdered Crème Chantilly. When fully baked, the thin cake is cut in half like a

layer cake A layer cake (US English) or sandwich cake (UK English) is a cake consisting of multiple stacked sheets of cake, held together by a filling such as frosting, jam, or other preserves. Most cake recipes can be adapted for layer cakes; butte ...

. ''Şerbet'' syrup is poured over the bottom layer and a layer of cream is spread between the two cake layers. The top layer is cut into slices and arranged on top of the cream. The remaining ''şerbet'' syrup is poured over the assembled cake, which is garnished with ground

pistachio The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...

and shredded

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

. The cake is left to set in the fridge for several hours before it is ready to be served.

References

* * Turkish cuisine Turkish puddings {{Turkey-cuisine-stub

History

Preparation

See also

References