Şerbetli katmer (shehr-bet-lee kut-mehr) is an alternative to traditional Cypriot sini katmeri. It is much easier to prepare as you use ready-made filo pastry rather than making yufka pastry from scratch. However, unlike sini katmeri, you use double cream as clotted cream will overwhelm the thinner filo pastry.
Şerbetli means 'with syrup' in Turkish and reflects the generous addition of rose and spice syrup. It simply oozes out of the layers of filo pastry with every bite and complements the flavours of cream, almonds and walnuts perfectly.
You will need to buy filo pastry made specifically for baklava that is thinner than the standard - it is available in most Turkish food stores. Serving şerbetli katmer at room temperature gives a softer bite and is ideal if you eat the it within a day. Storing the pastry in the fridge keeps it fresher for longer but it will be firmer to eat.
The syrup will need to cool to room temperature before adding the rose water and ladling over the hot pastries. A suggestion would be to make the syrup in the morning and the pastries in the evening. They can then be covered overnight to absorb the syrup completely.
Makes 24 servings | Preparation time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 45 minutes for the syrup | Baking time: 30 to 40 minutes for the pastries | Additional time: For the syrup to cool and for the pastries to absorb the syrup overnight
Ingredients
For the syrup | |
800g white sugar | 2x 5cm strips of a cinnamon quill (break up the quill to get the individual strips) |
1250ml water | 4 tbsp rose water |
8 cloves | 1 tbsp lemon juice |
For the pastry | |
12 sheets of baklava filo pastry (thinner than standard filo pastry) | 600ml double cream |
200g almonds, finely chopped | 1 tsp ground cinnamon |
100g walnuts, finely chopped | 2 tbsp white sugar |
Hob heat settings
Method
For the syrup
Mix the sugar, water, cinnamon and cloves in a large saucepan until the sugar fully dissolves. Place on a high heat while loosely covered until there is a rolling simmer (about 15-20 minutes).
Stir in the lemon juice and continue to simmer while loosely covered for 30-35 minutes more, or until the syrup thickens slightly and goes light brown in colour. Allow the syrup to cool completely to room temperature before adding the rose water and mix well.
For the pastry
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4 and brush a large D5xW30xL40cm oven pan with a little double cream.
Stir the chopped nuts with 2 tbsp of sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Drizzle 5-6 tbsp of cream over a filo sheet and gently brush to evenly cover. Sprinkle 4-5 tbsp of the nut mixture over the cream evenly.
Take two sheets of the filo pastry (including the one you have covered with cream and nuts) and start rolling inwards loosely from the bottom into a 4cm wide katmer.
Place each katmer in the oven pan 1-2cm apart. You might need to squash the katmer inwards along its length to fit them in if they are too wide. Brush about 2 tbsp of double cream over each katmer - make sure the edges are generously coated so they don’t burn. Pierce each katmer gently with a knife so that it is 1cm wide and deep, every 5cm along the katmer.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown all over and cooked through (check the bottom of the pastry too to make sure it is crisp).
Remove the katmer from the oven and ladle over the pre-prepared syrup (at room temperature) while the pastries are still hot.
Loosely cover the şerbetli katmer with a large tea tray and tea towel, and allow them to cool and absorb the syrup for a few hours (preferably overnight). Cut into 10cm pieces and serve at room temperature or chilled from the fridge.