Saghi bourma (Rolled pastry w/walnuts)

Saghi bourma

The following recipe is a reproduction of that which appears on The Armenian Kitchen website, and is published here with the approval of Doug and Robyn Kalajian. It agrees in every respect with what I recall my mother doing, and is expressed so well that I felt it unnecessary to re-invent the wheel, as they say.

BOuRMA

Ingredients:

1- 1 lb. pkg. fillo dough, at room temperature

1 lb. chopped walnuts or pistachio nuts

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Lay out the fillo dough on a work surface. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the dough and then a slightly moistened towel on top of the plastic wrap. This will keep the dough from becoming brittle while you work.

2. Mix the chopped nuts, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

3. Take a single fillo sheet and fold it in half. Brush with melted butter, especially the edges.

4. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the nut mixture all over the dough.

5. Place the dowel on top of the dough at the end closest to you, and loosely roll the dowel away from you.

6. With one hand on either end of the dough, squeeze inward toward the middle, crinkling the dough.

7. Gently slide it off the dowel, and place on a greased baking sheet.

8. Continue to do this until all fillo sheets and filling are used.

9. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until boorma is golden brown.

10. Cool completely.

11. Once the boorma is cooled, drizzle each one with simple syrup just before serving. The boorma will be slightly sweet, and crispy.

Simple Syrup

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

A drop of lemon juice

Procedure:

Heat the sugar & water in a saucepan, until sugar is dissolved, then add

lemon juice. Cool until ready to use.

Added Note: Saghi bourma, (also known as Sari bourma) is a variant of Sarughuh bourma, which, in Turkish, means Sultan’s turban.