Mediterranean🍰 Sweets & drinks

Seker Pare (Semolina Cookies)

Name: Seker Pare (Semolina Cookies)
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 140 g unsalted butter, softened; 130 g confectioner's sugar; 2 eggs, at room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp almond extract; 300 g all-purpose flour; 100 g fine semolina flour; ½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; 24 whole almonds, for garnish; 400 g granulated sugar; 2 cups water; 1 tbsp rosewater; 1 tbsp orange blossom water; ¼ tsp ground mastic gum; 1 lemon or orange zest

⏱ 90 min🍽 Serves 24

A traditional Greek and Turkish semolina cookie with a crispy, crumbly top and soft, syrup-soaked bottom, topped with a whole almond. The warm sugar syrup infuses the cookies while the tops remain delightfully crunchy, creating a perfect balance of textures.

Adapted from a video by Dimitra's Dishes

Delicious Semolina Cookies: Seker Pare

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

unsalted butter, softened140 g
confectioner's sugar130 g
eggs, at room temperature2
vanilla extract2 tsp
almond extract1 tsp
all-purpose flour300 g
fine semolina flour100 g
baking powder½ tsp
salt¼ tsp
whole almonds, for garnishCan substitute hazelnuts, pecans, or pistachios

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1
Prepare the almonds by soaking them in water overnight, then pinching to remove the skins. If time is limited, pour boiling water over them and let sit 5 minutes, then the skins will slip off easily.
2
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, semolina, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3
In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and confectioner's sugar on low speed, then high speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and room-temperature eggs, beating until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl to ensure even incorporation.
4
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixer one cup at a time, beating just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing as this will result in hard cookies. The dough will feel slightly sticky initially but will become easier to handle as it rests.
5
Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes while you prepare the almonds. This allows the dough to firm up and become easier to work with.
6
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Using a mini ice cream scoop or by rolling by hand, form the dough into walnut-sized balls. Place them on the tray, then gently flatten each cookie slightly with your fingertip.
7
Press a peeled almond into the center of each cookie, pressing gently to ensure it stays in place. Leave adequate spacing between cookies to allow for rising during baking.
8
Bake on the center rack at 350°F for about 25–30 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown all around.
9
While the cookies bake, prepare the syrup by combining granulated sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract (and any optional flavorings like rosewater, orange blossom water, lemon zest, or mastic gum if desired). Keep the syrup warm.
10
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, pour the warm syrup evenly over them. Allow the cookies to absorb the syrup for about 1 hour at room temperature. The bottom will become soft and moist while the top remains slightly crispy and crumbly.
11
Serve the cookies at room temperature or slightly chilled. They taste better after a few hours or the next day once the syrup has fully been absorbed. Pair with hot coffee or tea.

Seker Pare (Semolina Cookies)

Ingredients

Steps

More like this