Shekerbura is a perfect duo of dough and filling, which is kneaded by combining flour, oil, eggs, sour cream, salt, etc. food ingredients. Shekerbura is formed from the words “sheker” and “bura”. In general, shekerbura is a symbol of prosperity. The patterns that women apply to shekerbura with tweezers resemble closely arranged ears of wheat. Shekerbura is also a symbol of the moon. The patterns on the edge and on the dessert also resemble the rays of the moon. Shekerbura is the element of air. It should also be noted that shekerbura is a dessert that is not found anywhere else in the world, and belongs exclusively to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis. This dessert has been considered an indispensable attribute of the Novruz holiday since ancient times. Shekerbura, which decorates our tables during the Novruz holiday, also symbolizes the arrival of the new year and the beginning of spring. Preparing shekerbura requires special skill and delicacy. Women demonstrate their craftsmanship through the patterns they apply to shekerbura.
For the dough:
1 kilo + 1 tablespoon (for step 3) of all-purpose flour
400 grams butter
5 egg yolks
250 grams sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast (yeast powder)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) warm milk
For the filling:
800 grams of hazelnut or almonds
800 grams of powdered sugar
Cardamom about 1 teaspoon
- First, prepare the dough. To do this, place the flour and butter in a large bowl and rub them well with your hands until they become a powder.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks, sour cream, salt, and vanilla powder with a spoon.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the yeast, 1 tsp flour, and 1 tsp powdered sugar. Pour 1/4 cup warm milk over it. Let it sit for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the egg-sour cream mixture (*2) and the yeast mixture (*3) to the flour-oil mixture (*1).
5. Knead the dough with your hands until the ingredients are combined. The dough will be a little dry at this stage. To soften it, continue kneading the dough by dipping your hands in a bowl containing about 1/4 cup of warm milk.
6. Form the dough into a ball and set aside, covered, for 30-40 minutes.
7. Prepare the filling. To do this, grind roasted and peeled hazelnuts or almonds through a food processor and finely chop. Add powdered sugar and cardamom for flavor and mix.
To roast and peel hazelnuts: Place the hazelnuts in a pan and roast over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the shells begin to peel. Place the roasted hazelnuts on one side of a tea towel and press the other side of the towel against the hazelnuts to remove the shells. The shells will come off. Some of the shells may not come off completely – this is normal.
To peel almonds: Place the almonds in a pot and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit in the water for about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry the almonds. Use your fingers to rub the skins off.
8. Divide the rested dough into 38 pieces, each weighing 48 grams.
9. Cover the tops of the logs to prevent them from drying out. Roll each log into small circles with a rolling pin, about 10 cm in diameter.
10. Place 2 tbsp of filling on each circle and fold the circle into a half-moon shape.
11. Fasten the edges.
12. Then twist it into a spiral shape.
13. Place the shekerburas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
14. Then decorate the tops of the shekerburas one by one with tweezers.
15. Bake the shekerburas in a 180C oven until the edges are slightly browned. Enjoy!
