Reader Linda Kevorkian asked me to help locate a cookie recipe (Shakar Loukome) made by her late aunt. Her description was limited, so trying to locate a recipe posed a challenge. I was excited when I found a recipe by that name in one of my Armenian Church Women’s Guild – produced cookbooks, “Paree Josh – Good Eating”, compiled by St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, Livingston, NJ. The recipe was submitted by Pamela Matossian.
Linda, I hope this recipe brings back fond memories.
Shakar Loqum
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup clarified butter* (or use a combination of 1/2 margarine and 1/2 butter at room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
Approx. 2 ½ cups flour (enough flour for consistency of pie dough)
***************
Egg white
***********
Directions:
1. Cream clarified butter, sugar, and egg yolk until mixture reaches creamy consistency. Add flour a little at a time, and mix with hands until the consistency of pie dough.
2. Lightly press dough into an 11”x 7 – 1/2”x 1 ½” or equivalent size pan. Brush top with egg white, removing excess white. Cut into diamond shapes.
3. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 300°F and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes more or until golden brown.
4. Remove from oven while still warm, recut diamond shapes. When completely cool, carefully remove from pan. Makes about 2 to 3 dozen cookies.
*To clarify butter: Melt about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups butter or butter and margarine over low heat until foam appears. Skim foam and keep on low heat for about 15 minutes or until water has evaporated and salt and solids settle to bottom of pan. Cool about 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully pour clarified butter into container, leaving salt and solids at bottom of the pan. Discard solids.
Robyn’s Notes:
1. I used an electric hand mixer to cream together the clarified butter, sugar and yolk.
2. A wooden spoon was used to stir in the flour, then I used my hands to form the dough.
3. After baking the cookies for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, I baked the cookies for an additional 30 minutes at the lower temperature.
WARNING: These cookies are very rich…eat with caution!
View Comments
Robyn- Thank you so much!! It's so funny; I e-mailed my cousin a few days ago to get my aunt's recipe. She e-mailed it to me, and I am making it now. But as in most handed-down recipes, there are no measurements and she didn't write down how long to cook it. So out desperation, I was googling it, and came back to your site! With my name! Again thank you so much, it is exactly what I was looking for..I am forever grateful, and will let you know how they come out...Linda Kevorkian
A few questions... what is the purpose of clarifying the butter? Also, can or should I use unsalted butter instead? Thanks, Linda
Linda, You absolutely, positively must let me know if this recipe works for you!
Baked products taste better when unsalted butter is used. Plus you can regulate the amount of salt being used in the recipe.
Clarifying the butter evaporates most of the water in the butter and separates the milk solids which sink to the bottom. Be sure to skim off any foam that rises to the top. This process gives the finished product a fresh taste. Clarified butter doesn't turn rancid as quickly as regular butter, and allows foods to be cooked at a higher temperature without burning.
Here is a great tutorial on clarifying butter.
http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culinaryfundamentals/ss/clarifiedbutter.htm
Anonymous,
Thanks so much for the link showing step-by-step instructions ... very helpful!