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Home » World Cuisine

Tuzlu Kurabiye - Salty Turkish Cookies

Dated: November 2, 2023 . Modified: Dec 18, 2023 by Kate Hahnel

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A plate of Tuzlu kurabiye (savory Turkish cookies).

Tuzlu Kurabiye are delicious Turkish cookies. Easy to make, ready in just a few minutes, and with just the right amount of saltiness, these tasty cookies are a wonderful treat!

A plate of savory Turkish cookies with sesame seeds with some black tea in the background.

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I got this recipe from my Turkish neighbor but it is one of those things I never got to doing. There has just been too much going on with the kids, with work, my YouTube channel, the list goes on. It is one of five recipes I received from her, and I couldn't be happier now that I am finally getting to publishing them.

Ingredients needed to make this recipe.

what are Tuzlu Kurabiye

Tuzlu Kurabiye are Turkish savory cookies. They are made primarily with butter, vinegar, all-purpose flour, salt, cooking oil, (and sometimes yogurt or some water). They are normally topped with some egg or oil, and sesame, black cumin, or nigella seeds before baking.

The cookies are normally served at tea time, to visitors, at weddings, or whenever there is a gathering of some sort and are a staple you'd expect to find in any local Turkish bakery.

Some versions include Mahleb (also known as mahlab or mahlepi), a spice that is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Greek cuisines. The subtle saltiness and buttery texture of the cookies is what makes them so popular.

how to make them

For this recipe, we start by preheating the oven. Mix white vinegar and room-temperature butter.

Good to know 💡: So you don't end up overmixing, use either your hands, a small whisk, wooden spoon, or spatula to combine. You also want to make sure that your butter is at room temperature to ensure the mixture combines more efficiently with the rest of the ingredients.

A photo collage showing how to make Turkish cookies tuzlu kurabiye.

Next, add the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Knead the dough with your hands until you obtain a homogenous dough.

When it comes to cutting, you can either roll the dough and use a cookie cutter. Alternatively, pinch out pieces of dough and form these into walnut-sized balls.

Roll each small piece of dough between your hands to form a rod then form to your desired cookie shapes.

Proceed to place the cookies in a lined baking tray. Brush their tops with an egg yolk, top them with sesame seeds along with black sesame seeds, and bake until the tops turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool before serving.

Top tip 💡: Substitute the black sesame seeds for black cumin, or nigella seeds.

Tuzlu kurabaye cookies and some black tea.

serving suggestions

For an authentic experience, serve your Tuzlu Kurabiye with Turkish black tea, or "çay". Just as Tunisian green tea holds a special place in Tunisian traditions, in Turkey, çay is more than just a beverage; it's a cherished ritual and a symbol of hospitality.

Not a fan of black tea? Coffee is a wonderful alternative. These cookies are also absolutely delicious enjoyed as they are. We love to pack them in our kid's lunch boxes as we are always sure they will be eaten up. Unconventionally, we have served them twice with cheese platters and they were I big hit! If you are a cheese lover, I highly recommend giving this a try.

top tips

  • Leave some space between the cookies in the baking tray; they will expand during baking.
  • While sesame seeds enhance the cookies' appearance, they also elevate the taste. Don't skip them!
  • Once baked and cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Stored properly, they will keep for several weeks.
  • We tested this recipe with both chilled and unchilled dough, with no significant difference in the outcome.
A plate of savory Turkish cookies with sesame seeds with some black tea in the background.

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Great news, you have made it this far which means you probably made or are making this recipe! It would go a long way if you could leave a ⭐rating on the recipe card or comment in the comments section below.

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📖 Recipe

Tuzlu kurabiye

Tuzlu Kurabiye - Salty Turkish Cookies

Kate Hahnel
Tuzlu Kurabiye are delicious Turkish cookies. Easy to make, ready in just a few minutes, with just the right amount of saltiness, these tasty cookies are a wonderful treat!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 22 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, brunch, Snack
Cuisine Turkish, World Cuisine
Servings 50 cookies
Calories 77 kcal

Equipment

Baking tray
Baking tray
Mixing bowl
Mixing bowl
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Ingredients
  

  • 250 g butter - at room temperature (or 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 450 g all-purpose flour
  • 1-2 egg yolks (for brushing the cookies with)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (alternatively, use nigella seeds or black cumin seeds)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven at 180°C (or 350°F), conventional heating.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine room-temperature butter, cooking oil, and vinegar. To avoid over-processing, simply use your hands, a small whisk, a wooden spoon, or a spatula.   
    Softened butter, vinegar, and cooking oil in a bowl.
  • Add the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder to the mixture. Using your hands, knead until you obtain a homogenous dough.
    Adding all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to a bowl in making this recipe.
  • For shaping, either: Roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter for desired shapes, or pinch out walnut-sized pieces of dough, then roll these into balls.
    Small balls of dough on a baking tray.
  • Roll each piece between your hands to create rods, then shape as desired.
    A piece of dough rolled out into a rod.
  • Arrange the cookies on a lined baking tray.  Brush the tops of the cookies with egg yolk, sprinkle with sesame (or cumin) seeds on top, and bake for 11 -14 minutes, or until golden brown and done.
    Shaped tuzlu kurabiye cookie dough on a baking tray in preparation for baking.
  • Once done, remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool before serving.

Notes

  • Leave some space between the cookies in the baking tray; they will expand during baking.
  • While sesame seeds enhance the cookies' appearance, they also elevate the taste. Don't skip them!
  • Once baked and cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Stored properly, they will keep for several weeks.
  • We tested this recipe with both chilled and unchilled dough, with no significant difference in the outcome.

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 113mgPotassium: 13mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 130IUCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? I would love it if you could leave a rating by clicking on the stars above on this recipe card.Pin this recipe on Pinterest or tag me out on socials @weeatatlast. I love seeing your creations.

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