Kalburabasti (Turkish Syrup-Soaked Walnut Cookies)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cookies bars Medium

Kalburabasti (Turkish Syrup-Soaked Walnut Cookies)

Kalburabasti are small walnut-filled cookies stamped with a grid pattern and soaked in cool sugar syrup. They are crisp at the edge and tender inside. Makes 18 cookies in about 2 hr 10 min.

Prep 40 min

Cook 30 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 2 hr 10 min

Yield 18 cookies

Ingredients

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2 ⅓ cups (300 g)all-purpose flour
1 oz (30 g)fine semolina
½ cup (100 g)butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup (60 ml)neutral oil
¼ cup (60 g)plain yogurt
1 tsp (4 g)baking powder
1 pinch (1 g)fine salt
¾ cup (100 g)walnuts, finely chopped
1 ½ tbsp (20 g)sugar, for the filling
1 ½ cups (300 g)sugar, for the syrup
1 ¼ cups (300 ml)water
1 tsp (5 ml)lemon juice

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Instructions

Make the syrup: simmer the sugar, water and lemon juice for 10 minutes until slightly thickened, then cool completely.
Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Mix the flour, semolina, baking powder and salt. Stir in the butter, oil and yogurt and knead briefly until the dough is soft and smooth.
Mix the walnuts with 20 g sugar for the filling.
Divide the dough into 18 pieces (about 28 g each). Flatten one piece, place a teaspoon of filling in the center, enclose and shape into a small oval.
Press the top of each oval against the back of a fine sieve or the fine side of a box grater to leave a grid pattern.
Set on the sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes until pale golden.
Pour the cool syrup evenly over the hot cookies and let them soak for 1 hour.

Tips

Cold syrup on hot cookies lets them drink it in without turning mushy.
Press gently on the sieve to avoid flattening the filling.
Do not let the cookies brown deeply; they should stay pale.
Good with turkish tea.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make kalburabasti (turkish syrup-soaked walnut cookies)?

Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to chill. The recipe makes 18 cookies.

How should I store kalburabasti (turkish syrup-soaked walnut cookies)?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.

Can I make kalburabasti (turkish syrup-soaked walnut cookies) ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Kalburabasti is a Turkish cookie whose name refers to pressing the dough against a sieve to mark the surface, and it is soaked in syrup after baking. Serve it with turkish tea.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 18 servings this recipe makes.

241 Calories / serving

11.5g Fat

32.6g Carbs

2.9g Protein

18.1g Sugar

Whole recipe (18 servings): ~4338 cal · 207g fat · 587g carbs · 52g protein · 326g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.