Şekerpare is among the best known desserts in syrup. Badempare is the less known but technically more interesting member of the same family.
How does it differ from şekerpare?
The two desserts get made by the same method; the dough gets shaped, baked and soaked in syrup.
The difference lies in the composition of the dough.
Only wheat flour goes into şekerpare.
Almond flour takes the place of part of the flour in badempare.
The proportion runs between 25 and 40 percent.
That change alters both the texture and the absorption of syrup markedly.
| Measure | Badempare | Şekerpare |
|---|---|---|
| Almond flour | 25-40% | None |
| Syrup absorption | Slower | Fast |
| Texture | Moist, dense | Soft, porous |
| Shelf life | 5-7 days | 4-5 days |
| Calories (per piece) | 180-220 | 160-190 |
| Topping | A whole almond | A whole hazelnut or almond |
What does almond flour change?
Almond flour differs from wheat flour in three respects.
The first is fat; almond flour carries 50 to 55 grams per hundred against one gram in wheat flour.
The second is gluten; almond flour has none.
The third is water retention; almond flour can hold twice its own weight in water.
Those three differences together make the dough moister and denser.
They also slow the entry of syrup; the fat forms a barrier and the absorption happens gradually.
What dough ratios apply?
A classic badempare dough consists of six components.
Three hundred grams of wheat flour and a hundred and fifty of almond flour.
A hundred and fifty grams of butter.
A hundred grams of caster sugar.
Fifty grams of semolina; it provides lightness and eases the absorption of syrup.
Two eggs and a sachet of baking powder; those proportions keep the dough both workable and loose enough.
Why does semolina go in?
That is the shared secret of şekerpare and badempare recipes.
Semolina is coarsely milled wheat.
It does not gelatinise like flour; it keeps its granular structure.
It creates small voids in the dough.
Those voids let syrup enter.
Without semolina the dough stays too tight and the syrup sits only at the surface; the inside stays dry and the dessert loses its character.
How does badempare get shaped?
The dough gets divided into pieces the size of a walnut.
They get rolled in the palm.
They get pressed lightly; not fully round but flattened.
A whole almond goes on top and gets pressed into the centre with a finger.
That pressing serves two functions.
The first fixes the almond; the second creates a hollow at the centre of the dough, and syrup enters more easily through it.
How does badempare bake?
A hundred and seventy degrees for twenty-five to thirty minutes.
That is five minutes longer than şekerpare; the fat in almond flour conducts heat slowly.
The colour turns golden.
Dark brown does not get wanted; burnt almond flour leaves a bitter taste.
The tray gets turned halfway through baking.
The pieces wait five minutes on the tray out of the oven; syruped at once, the structure has not yet set and they fall apart.
How does the syrup get made?
The proportions match classic desserts.
A litre of water, a kilo and a half of sugar and the juice of half a lemon.
It boils and cooks fifteen minutes.
It cools completely.
The rule of hot pastry and cold syrup applies.
Badempare absorbs around ten percent less syrup than şekerpare; the quantity therefore falls somewhat and no excess pools in the tray to soak the pieces.
How long does the syruping take?
The absorption runs slower because of the fat in the almond flour.
Twenty minutes suffice for şekerpare.
Badempare needs forty-five minutes to an hour.
The pieces wait in the tray through that period.
They get turned over every half hour.
That turning lets the syrup get absorbed evenly from every side and stops the underside becoming too wet.
How does the difference in texture register?
Şekerpare gives a porous texture that breaks lightly in the bite.
Badempare stays denser and moister.
The fat in the almond flour leaves a sense of richness in the mouth.
The aroma differs too; almond adds a clear layer to the neutral taste of wheat flour.
That difference makes badempare a dessert eaten in smaller numbers but more satisfying than şekerpare.
What portion of badempare applies?
One badempare weighs forty to fifty grams.
Calories run 180 to 220.
Sugar runs fifteen to twenty grams.
A standard portion runs two pieces.
One suffices alongside clotted cream.
Almond flour adds protein and healthy fat to the product, but that does not change the fact that it is a dessert in syrup, and the portion gets set accordingly.
How does badempare get served?
Badempare goes out at room temperature.
A dessert straight from the fridge stays firm and the syrup crystallises.
Clotted cream goes alongside; the most classic accompaniment.
Ice cream gets used too.
Plain service is widespread as well; being dense already, a further component proves too much for some palates and pushes the almond aroma into the background.
How does badempare get stored?
Desserts carrying syrup wait at room temperature.
Five to seven days in a closed container.
Badempare keeps a day or two longer than şekerpare; the fat in the almond flour delays the drying.
It does not go into a fridge; cold crystallises the syrup and hardens the dough.
It can be frozen, but before syruping; baked badempare without syrup keeps two months, then thaws and takes its syrup while warm.
At which tables does badempare appear?
The product gets associated with particular occasions more than with daily eating.
It takes a place on holiday tables; desserts in syrup see their highest consumption in that period.
It goes out to guests; being servable as a single piece makes it practical.
Pastry shops sell it by the kilogram.
It appears on the dessert plates at weddings and engagements.
It gets offered alongside coffee too; one piece is the right portion to accompany a cup.
It gets preferred less in gift boxes; its syrup transfers to other pieces on a long journey and it needs a compartment of its own.
