Crunchy and crispy vegan olive oil cookies with a soft and chewy Turkish delight filling! Rose scented Turkish delights are highly recommended!
I think I’ve found my favorite cookie recipe!
Or at least one of my top favorite cookie recipes, because let’s be honest; life would be very boring if we had to limit ourselves to just one type of cookie.
I mean, if I ever faced such a dilemma, I don’t think I’d be able to choose among a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie, a double baked almond biscotti, a crispy pistachio and chocolate chunk cookie, or this Turkish delight cookie! And now that I think about it, I really have to schedule a post about these double baked almond biscotti, because they’re just amazing (and made with olive oil!).
But let’s talk a little about today’s cookies. Turkish delights (or lokum or loukoumia in Greek) are confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Some may be plain and other are mixed with nuts such pistachios, almonds or walnuts. The most common varieties are flavored with rosewater, mastic, Bergamot orange, or lemon. My favorite flavors are rosewater and Bergamot orange, which I use in this recipe, but you can choose whatever you like. However, I strongly suggest the rosewater flavor!
These cookies are actually very easy to make, and you don’t need a mixer or other type of equipment to make the dough. You just need a whisk (or even a fork) and a bowl. No butter is used for the dough, only olive oil, something that makes them a bit healthier, and they have neither eggs nor dairy which means they’re naturally vegan! 🙂
The whole process is pretty easy too! Mix everything in the bowl, add the flour and stir until a soft dough is formed. Then, take little pieces of dough, flatten them out in your palm and place a small delight in the center. Wrap the dough around the delight and roll into a ball. That’s it!
Be aware! These cookies are highly addictive! And how can they not be?
They are absolutely cute and covered in confectioner’s sugar, an indication that something delicious is hidden under the white coating… right?
They’re crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside, which is the perfect combination since this contrast enhances all the textural and flavorful characteristics of each component.
Each bite is an explosion of aroma, and by the time the cookie has dissolved inside your mouth, you already feel an uncontrollable desire to have another one (maybe that’s why they’re small, to at least minimize your guilt!).
In a word, they’re little bites of heaven!
Some notes/tips:
You don’t have to use an e.v. olive oil for this recipe. In fact, you can use half olive oil and half another vegetable oil (such as corn oil) for a subtle flavor.
If you can’t find mini Turkish delights, use the bigger ones cut into smaller pieces.
Don’t worry about the alcohol from the brandy/cognac used, because it evaporates during baking.
This is a small recipe, but it can easily be doubled for a larger batch.
Similar recipes:
Melt-in-your-mouth olive oil brownies
Cretan olive oil and sesame cookies
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- 1/2 cup oil (I use a mixture of olive and corn oil)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons brandy or cognac
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
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- 25-30 mini Turkish delights, about 0.75-inch cubes (2 cm)
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- Icing sugar for coating
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a pan with baking paper.
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In a bowl, whisk the sugar with cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
Add the oil, water, brandy and vanilla and whisk until sugar is almost dissolved.
Add the flour and mix until a soft dough is formed. If the dough is too soft add a little bit more flour.
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Dust off the excess sugar from the Turkish delights, and cut them into smaller cubes if necessary.
Take about 1 tablespoon of dough, flatten it out between your hands and place a delight in the center. Wrap it with the dough and roll with your palms into a ball.
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Place onto the pan and repeat with the rest of the dough. Place cookies about 1 inch apart, they don’t spread much.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on a rack and store I an airtight container.
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Just before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Eat!
These cookies, when stored in an airtight container, can keep for at least 8-10 days, or even more.
If you are vegan, make sure your Turkish delights don’t contain gelatin. The real traditional ones are made of corn starch, sugar, glucose and natural flavorings.
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