Karyoka is a Turkish sweet made of chestnuts, chocolate and nuts, eaten mainly in the cold winter months, and is a typical product especially in the province of Bursa, in north-western Turkey. It comes in many shapes: elongated, in balls (like chocolates), in squares…
Ingredients for 8 persons
- 1 kg of chestnuts
- Water
- 12 savoiardi biscuits
For the syrup:
- 200 g sugar
- 200 ml water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
For the chocolate coating:
- 80 gr. dark chocolate
- 200 gr. liquid cream
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
To pour on top:
- Almond, pistachio, grated coconut
Preparation
Make a cross on the surface of the chestnuts to make it easier to peel them after cooking.
Put water in a pot and boil it, then add the chestnuts and let them cook until they are soft. Leave the chestnuts to cool, and when they are cold peel them and keep them in the fridge.
To prepare the syrup, put 200 g of sugar and 200 ml of water in a saucepan and boil it for 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and boil for a further 10 minutes. Add the chestnuts and simmer for 3 hours.
Add the vanilla at the end and turn off the heat, let it cool down and then stir the mixture.
Place cling film on the kitchen worktop and spread the prepared chestnut mixture evenly over it; place the savoiardi biscuits on top and cut them according to the shape of the biscuits. Take each cut and place it on a tray but upside down, so that the sponge cake is on the bottom and the chestnuts on top, and put it all in the fridge.
To prepare the chocolate couverture, crush the chocolate in a bowl and heat the cream in a saucepan. When it starts to boil, pour it over the crushed chocolate, add butter and olive oil, and mix well. Pour this mixture on top of the karyoka that you had left in the fridge, sprinkling crushed pistachios or almonds or grated coconut on top.
To make the chestnut bonbons, put the leftover chestnut mixture on cling film and make a roll, leaving it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Then cut the roll into small pieces to make the bonbons, and pour the liquid chocolate mixture on top, decorating it as desired.
You can make both karyokas and chestnut chocolates in a variety of ways, adding whatever you like on top (hazelnuts, almonds, grated orange, chocolate noodles…).
Finally put it back in the fridge, ready to serve whenever you want.
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Funda is a master of Turkish cuisine. Her cooking skills have led her to participate in all kinds of contests and competitions, and she has won numerous awards for her recipes. If you try one of her dishes… Say goodbye to your diet!
