Şerbetli katmer (syrup and nut pastry)

Şerbetli katmer is a popular Cypriot dessert that is often made for Bayram (Eid) celebrations. Sheets of filo pastry are filled with double cream, chopped almonds, walnuts, sugar and a generous sprinkling of ground cinnamon, before being rolled up. The pastries are then baked until golden, before a rose and spice syrup is ladled all over and left overnight to absorb.

Şerbetli (shehr-bet-lee) means ‘with syrup’ in Turkish, referring to the fragrant syrup poured over the pastries. It flows through the delicate layers of filo pastry with every bite, perfectly complementing the cream, almonds and walnuts.

Şerbetli katmer is an alternative to traditional Cypriot sini katmeri which is made with freshly prepared yufka and clotted cream. It is easier to make because it uses store-bought filo pastry. However, unlike sini katmeri, double cream is used as clotted cream will overwhelm the delicate layers of filo pastry. You will need filo pastry made specifically for baklava, which is thinner than standard filo and available in most Turkish food stores.

Serving şerbetli katmer at room temperature gives a softer bite and is ideal if you eat it within a day. Storing the pastry in the fridge keeps it fresher for longer but it will become firmer. The syrup will need to cool to room temperature before adding the rose water and ladling over the hot pastries. The pastries are ideally left covered overnight to absorb the syrup completely.

For tasty alternatives, you can also try tel kadayıf tatlısı or sütlü börek.

Makes 24 pieces | 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 fresh lemon juice
For the pastry
12 sheets of baklava filo pastry (thinner than standard filo pastry)	600ml double cream, plus extra for greasing
200g almonds, finely chopped	1 tsp ground cinnamon
100g walnuts, finely chopped	2 tbsp white sugar

Hob heat settings

Method

For the syrup

1. 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).

   
   

2. 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

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4 and brush a large D5xW30xL40cm oven pan with a little double cream.

   
   

2. Stir the chopped nuts with 2 tbsp of sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Drizzle 5-6 tbsp of double cream over a filo sheet and gently spread with the back of a spoon to evenly cover. Sprinkle 4-5 tbsp of the nut mixture over the cream evenly.

   
   

   

   
   

3. Take two sheets of the filo pastry (including the one you have covered with cream and nuts) and start rolling inwards from the bottom into a 4cm wide katmer.

   
   

   

   
   

4. 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.

   
   

   

   
   

5. 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).

   
   

6. Remove the katmer from the oven and ladle over the pre-prepared syrup (at room temperature) while the pastries are still hot.

   
   

7. 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.