The Famous Ramadan Dessert: Güllaç

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Güllaç is a traditional Ramadan dessert. It is preferred especially in Ramadan as it is a light and easy to prepare dessert, suitable to be served after a long day’s fasting. There are also non-gluten sheets available in the markets. 90% of the annual gullac sheet production is sold during the Ramadan month in Turkey.

History of Gullac

During the 15’th century, women used to prepare gullac sheets using corn starch and would save them to use later. When these sheets are subject to air, they dry very quickly, so they made it soft again by soaking them up in milk and sugar and ate them, later on, they started to add rose water. Rose means gül in Turkish and the name of the dessert is gül aşı – rose food. The name eventually turned into güllaç.

How to prepare Gullac Dessert

My husband and son love this dessert; a good reason for me to prepare. It is easy, once you find the gullac sheets. Just heat the milk with sugar, add rose water. Only then open the packaging of the gullac sheets. The fact that the sheets dry when opened is still true, so you must be quick to soak them in milk.

I happen to have a big enough tray that the sheets can fit in it as a whole. If you do not have such a big tray just break them in half. After placing each sheet in the tray pour some milky mixture. When you have laid about half of the sheets sprinkle some walnuts then lay two more sheets and sprinkle some more walnuts and then some more sheets. Pour the remaining milk and you are done. The remaining milk should cover all around the top layer.

Then put the tray or the dish into the fridge. It should rest at least 2 hours before you serve. The best timing would be to prepare during midday and serve at night. Gullac dessert is best when finished in the day it is prepared, next day it will become too soft and soggy.

How to garnish Ramadan Dessert-Gullac

Add the garnish just before serving so that the garnish does not get soaked up and does not change the color of the gullac. Traditionally it is garnished with pomegranate seeds. However, when the season is not right, you can use other fruits such as strawberries and seedless cherries. You can change walnuts with nuts or almonds. You can add ground pistachio or coconut flakes for garnish too. Garnish is actually up to you and up to what you have available.

If you liked this Ramadan dessert, take a look at my Turkish Pide Bread recipe which is also a Ramadan speciality. Enjoy

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Gullac Ramadan Dessert

This light, milky dessert is especially prepared during Ramadan in Turkey. Super easy.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Turkish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chilling 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 250kcal

Ingredients

Dessert

• 10 sheets gullac
• 2 litres milk
• 500 grams sugar
• 1 tablespoon rose water optional
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• 200 grams walnuts coarsely chopped

Garnish

• 3 tablespoons walnuts coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons nuts coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground pistachio
• 2 tablespoons fruit of choice sliced

Instructions

• Put the milk and the sugar in a pot. Mix. Heat until it is warmer than lukewarm. The milk should not come to boil.
• When the milk is warm enough and if you choose to use them, add the rose water and/or vanilla and mix to dissolve.
• Use a wide enough tray or dish to prepare the dessert and place the first layer of gullac in it. Sprinkle with a generous amount of milk spread and place another layer on top and do the same.
• When you have placed 4 sheets with milk spread in between put half of the walnuts and then put 2 more sheets again with milk mixture in between.
• Then put the remaining walnuts. Then place 4 more sheets with milky spread again in between each sheet.
• Pour all over the remaining milk spread. The gullac sheet on the top should be covered with milk all around.
• The dessert is ready. Put it in the fridge and wait until the mix is soaked up and the dessert chills, for at least 2 hours.
• Before serving garnish according to your choice. The traditional garnish is pomegranate seeds, but any seasonal fruit will do; such as strawberries and seedless cherries. Also additional walnuts, nuts, pistachio will be good choices.

Notes

Rose water and vanilla extract are optional. 

Open the packaging of the gullac sheets at the very last minute when everything else is ready and make the assembly as quick as possible. When gullac sheets are exposed to air they get dry and crumbly very quickly. 

Keep in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. 

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