Kemalpasha Dessert

(Kemalpaşa Tatlısı - Bursa)

Dough ingredients:
250 g ricotta cheese, unsalted
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp semolina (I used Turkish semolina)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp flour, all purpose
1 tsp baking powder

Sherbet:
1 1/2 cups sugar, granulated
3 cups water
1 tbsp lemon juice

Garnish:
Kaymak
Pistachio, ground
Sweetened flaked coconut
Ice cream

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).

Combine all the dough ingredients in a large bowl, knead lightly. The dough should be soft and a little bit sticky. Break small pieces from the dough. They should be rolled out smoothly without giving pressure. If you like, lightly grease one palm while rolling them out. Line them on an oven tray with the parchment paper (picture). Then bake until golden colour at the middle rack of the oven. Let them cool first. If there are some little cracks on the surface of the cookies; don't worry, most of them will disappear when soaking in the sherbet.

Meanwhile, to prepare the syrup, bring the water and sugar to boil at medium heat. Add the lemon juice along with the cookies. Boil them for about 15 minutes at low-medium heat so that the syrup will be absorbed. Turn the heat off. Let them cool in the pot.

The taste will be better the following day. Then place them in a serving platter with the remaining syrup. Serve the Kemalpasha Dessert with Kaymak or ice cream, garnish with pistachio or coconut flakes.

Makes 15 pieces of Kemalpasha Dessert.