Güllaç is a delightful Turkish dessert made from layers of thin, starch wafers soaked in rosewater-scented milk and often garnished with pomegranate seeds and crushed pistachios. Here’s a traditional recipe to make Güllaç at home:
Ingredients:
For the Güllaç Layers:
10 güllaç wafers (thin starch wafers), available in Middle Eastern or Turkish stores
1 liter (4 cups) milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rosewater
A pinch of salt
For Garnish:
Pomegranate seeds
Crushed pistachios
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Güllaç Layers:
In a large saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves.
Add the rosewater to the milk mixture and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Assemble the Güllaç:
Place a güllaç wafer in a deep, wide dish (traditionally, a round dish is used).
Pour a ladleful of the rosewater-scented milk mixture over the wafer, ensuring it’s evenly soaked but not overly soggy.
Layer another wafer on top of the first and repeat the process until you’ve used all the wafers, creating a stack of güllaç layers.
Pour any remaining milk mixture over the top layer to ensure it’s fully soaked.
3. Refrigerate:
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until the güllaç layers absorb the milk and become soft and translucent.
4. Garnish and Serve:
Just before serving, garnish the güllaç with pomegranate seeds and crushed pistachios. This adds a delightful contrast of textures and flavors.
Slice and serve the güllaç, ensuring each portion has a generous amount of garnish.
5. Enjoy:
Güllaç is best served chilled and is a refreshing and fragrant dessert, perfect for hot summer days or as a sweet ending to a special meal.
Note: While güllaç wafers are traditional, you can substitute with rice paper sheets if you cannot find güllaç wafers in your area. Soak the rice paper sheets as you would the güllaç wafers, and proceed with the recipe.
