Şəkərbura (Azerbaijani Nut-Filled Crescent Pastries)
In short: Tender yogurt pastry folded around ground almonds, sugar and cardamom, crimped into crescents and baked for Novruz, the spring New Year. It takes about 1 h 15 min in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 285 kcal
Şəkərbura are crescent-shaped pastries filled with ground nuts, sugar and cardamom, baked for Novruz, the spring New Year. Families make them together before the holiday, pressing patterns into the edges with a fork or small pastry pincers. The pastry is tender and a little crumbly, the filling sweet and fragrant, and each one is glazed with egg yolk before baking.
Instructions
- Rub the butter into the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
- Add the yogurt and egg yolk and knead briefly into a soft, smooth dough. Wrap it and chill for 30 minutes.
- Mix the ground nuts, sugar and cardamom for the filling. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line two trays with baking paper.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about 4 mm (1/6 in) thick. Cut 8 cm (3 in) rounds and re-roll the scraps.
- Put about 2 tsp of filling in the center of each round. Fold it over into a half-moon, press the edge to seal, then crimp the edge with a fork or pastry pincers to make a pattern.
- Set the crescents 2 cm (3/4 in) apart on the trays and brush with the egg glaze. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Cool on a rack.
Tips
- Hazelnuts are the other traditional filling. Toast them lightly, cool and grind them finely so the filling stays compact.
- If the dough softens while you cut and fill, slide the tray into the fridge for 10 minutes. Cold dough holds a crisp pattern.
Questions and answers
How long do şəkərbura keep?
In an airtight tin they keep for 5 days at room temperature. The pastry stays tender, and the flavor of the cardamom deepens after a day.
Can I freeze şəkərbura?
Yes. Freeze the unbaked, glazed crescents on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes.
What is Novruz?
Novruz is the spring New Year, celebrated around the March equinox in Azerbaijan. Families clean the house, set a table with sweets and sprouted wheat, and bake pastries such as şəkərbura.
How long does it take to make Şəkərbura (Azerbaijani Nut-Filled Crescent Pastries)?
About 1 h 15 min in total: 50 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Şəkərbura (Azerbaijani Nut-Filled Crescent Pastries)?
About 285 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 33 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 285 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 14 g |
| Sodium | 60 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
