Please identify this Armenian treat

July 14, 2009 6:09 PM

Please help me identify this yummy Armenian treat.

I would love to know the name of (and recipe for, if possible) a yummy cookie-type-treat that an old Armenian co-worker used to bake up for us.

It was mildly sweet and had the texture of a grainy shortbread. There was a very light, thin sweet glaze or wash of some kind on the top, and saffron was one of the ingredients. By my recollection it must have been formed into patties or logs before baking and then cut into segments - maybe something like a biscotti, but probably not twice-baked.

I want to say the name of it started with an "M" but my memory could be playing tricks on me, because the lady who made it for me had a name that started with "M." Also, I'm 99% sure she said it was a traditional Armenian recipe.

posted by contessa to food & drink (11 comments total)

Sounds to me like Baklava (which is also a Greek treat), but Saffron is not a traditional ingredient.
posted by pazazygeek at 6:15 PM on July 14

maybe madeline cookies? not sure about the saffron though.
posted by ljesse at 6:20 PM on July 14

Definitely not Baklava or madelines. They were really more like rugelach, except not rolled or filled (if that makes sense). Similar taste & texture.
posted by contessa at 6:26 PM on July 14

Maybe kurabia? Or kurabiye.
posted by peacheater at 6:30 PM on July 14

Did it look like this?
posted by tinamonster at 7:03 PM on July 14

My Armenian boyfriend and I had a long conversation about this where he described them as almond and very dry and crumbly (which sounds like mexican wedding cookies to me). So now he asks: Sweet like a sweet white bread, or sweet like a cookie?
He also suggests Kata/Gata if we're talking brioche sweet instead of cookie sweet.
posted by ch1x0r at 7:05 PM on July 14

tinamonster: That photo looks a LOT like it. Is Nazuk gata cookie-like or is it bread-like?

ch1x0r: Almond was very possibly a flavoring, in a delicate not-overpowering way. Yes, this treat was crumbly, and it was sweet but much less so than a typical American cookie. "Brioche sweet" is a good way to describe it.

peacheater: That looks like a yummy recipe but I do not think it is the same one; there was definitely a glaze on top.
posted by contessa at 7:12 PM on July 14

Mamoul?

If not, you should be able to find it here

Www.armeniapedia.org click on cooking and desserts (on my phone sorry for no link)
posted by k8t at 7:38 PM on July 14

That photo looks a LOT like it. Is Nazuk gata cookie-like or is it bread-like?

The "gata" means it is more of a bread-like sweet than a cookie-like sweet. That's probably generally what you are looking for.
posted by ch1x0r at 7:41 PM on July 14

Nazuk/Nazook is like 50/50 bread and cookie. It's very crumbly but also fluffier than a typical cookie, like a yeast cookie. Do a google image search for it and you'll see that it varies quite a bit from more cookie-like to more cake-like. Here's another photo.
posted by tinamonster at 7:44 PM on July 14

k8t: not mamoul because it had no filling, but hello new yumminess!!

tinamonster & ch1x0r (& ch1x0r's boyfriend!): it must be nazuk, it sure looks a lot like it and maybe the saffron part was a flourish on the baker's part.

I think the mystery has been solved. Thanks everyone!!
posted by contessa at 8:17 PM on July 14