Azerbaijani şəkərbura with hazelnuts

Ingredients

• 2 kg of flour
• 600 g of butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon of yeast (pre-mixed with warm water)
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of vanilla
• 1 glass of milk (or more, depending on the consistency of the mixture)
• 500 g of roasted and peeled hazelnuts, walnuts, or blanched almonds
• 300 g of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom

Yeast

Dissolve the yeast in warm water, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of flour. Let it sit for 10 minutes, away from direct contact.

Dough

Mix the flour and butter by hand. On the sandy mixture, add the egg yolk, yeast, vanilla extract, and salted milk, adding the milk gradually until a dough forms.

Dough

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and refrigerate them: cold dough helps to maintain the shape of the pastry.

Farce

Chop the hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds and grind them finely. Add the powdered sugar and cardamom, then mix well.

Farce

To roast and shell hazelnuts or walnuts: heat a frying pan over medium heat and stir frequently until the skins start to separate, without burning them. Then, rub the nuts in a dishcloth to remove the skins.

Farce

To remove the almond skins: pour over boiling water, let them soak for 2 minutes (no more, or they will become soft), drain, dry, and remove the skins with your fingers.

Shaping and cooking

Form small 50g balls and flatten them into 15cm diameter discs, covering them with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Do not use flour or butter to spread: the dough is very greasy and spreads easily.

Shaping and cooking

Place 1 tablespoon of filling, then pinch the edges from the bottom up, without letting the filling spill out. Fold the edges neatly, as per the design.

Shaping and cooking

Decorate with a fork and arrange on plates covered with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 15 minutes, keeping a close watch: the top should not brown. Remove from the oven when the bottom is lightly pink.