Traditional güllaç — Turkish dessert with milk, thin starch sheets and pomegranate

Güllaç is one of the oldest desserts of Ottoman cuisine, traditionally prepared during the month of Ramadan — thin starch sheets softened in sweet vanilla milk, as documented in the traditional description of this dessert on Wikipedia.

INGREDIENTS (8 servings)

• 6 güllaç sheets (thin starch sheets)
• 1 liter milk
• 200 g sugar (1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 100 g ground walnuts (or pistachios)
• Pomegranate seeds for decoration
• Grated coconut (optional)

PREPARATION STEPS

1. Boil the milk with the sugar and vanilla until the sugar is completely dissolved; let it cool until lukewarm (not hot, so the sheets don’t melt).
2. In a deep baking pan, lay one güllaç sheet and soak it well with 1–2 ladles of lukewarm milk; repeat with the first three sheets, soaking each one.
3. Spread the ground walnuts evenly over the third layer.
4. Cover with the remaining three sheets, soaking each with milk; pour the remaining milk on top.
5. Leave in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours, so the sheets absorb the milk and the dessert firms up.
6. Cut into squares, decorate with pomegranate seeds and grated coconut; serve cold.

Preparation time: 20 minutes + 2–3 hours chilling. Servings: 8.