A Traditional Turkish Desert: Güllaç

20 leaves of dry ‘güllaç’
4 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups sugar, more or less to taste
1 tsp. edible rose water or ½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups ground raw pistachio nuts
Fresh pomegranite seeds for garnish

Begin by putting the milk and sugar in a saucepan and stirring over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and let the milk simmer gently for about five minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the rosewater or vanilla, and leave it to cool down.
You can prepare your homemade 'güllaç' directly in its serving dish. Try to find a round , shallow glass bowl with a flat bottom and straight sides that's the same size as the sheets of 'güllaç.' This will make layering clean and easy.
If you don't have exactly the right serving dish, don't worry. If your 'güllaç' leaves don't fit in whole, start breaking them into smaller pieces and overlap them until you've covered the bottom of your dish.
With a spoon, drizzle the milk mixture over the first layer until it's saturated. Continue until you've made 10 layers and covered them each with milk.
On top of the 10th layer, spread most of the ground nuts evenly to cover the entire layer. Set about ¼ cup of the ground nuts aside.
After you've spread the nuts, continue with another 10 layers of 'güllaç' and sweet milk. If you have leftover milk, pour the rest evenly over the top. The 'güllaç' will absorb most of it.
Sprinkle the remaining ground nuts over the top, and do the same with the pomegranite seeds. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving. The 'güllaç' should be very soft and easy to cut through with a knife or spoon, but should still be quite milky. If you feel it's too dry, add a little more sweet milk and continue to refrigerate.

A Traditional Turkish Desert: Güllaç

20 leaves of dry ‘güllaç’
4 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups sugar, more or less to taste
1 tsp. edible rose water or ½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups ground raw pistachio nuts
Fresh pomegranite seeds for garnish

Begin by putting the milk and sugar in a saucepan and stirring over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and let the milk simmer gently for about five minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the rosewater or vanilla, and leave it to cool down.
You can prepare your homemade 'güllaç' directly in its serving dish. Try to find a round , shallow glass bowl with a flat bottom and straight sides that's the same size as the sheets of 'güllaç.' This will make layering clean and easy.
If you don't have exactly the right serving dish, don't worry. If your 'güllaç' leaves don't fit in whole, start breaking them into smaller pieces and overlap them until you've covered the bottom of your dish.
With a spoon, drizzle the milk mixture over the first layer until it's saturated. Continue until you've made 10 layers and covered them each with milk.
On top of the 10th layer, spread most of the ground nuts evenly to cover the entire layer. Set about ¼ cup of the ground nuts aside.
After you've spread the nuts, continue with another 10 layers of 'güllaç' and sweet milk. If you have leftover milk, pour the rest evenly over the top. The 'güllaç' will absorb most of it.
Sprinkle the remaining ground nuts over the top, and do the same with the pomegranite seeds. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving. The 'güllaç' should be very soft and easy to cut through with a knife or spoon, but should still be quite milky. If you feel it's too dry, add a little more sweet milk and continue to refrigerate.

A Traditional Turkish Desert: Güllaç

20 leaves of dry ‘güllaç’
4 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups sugar, more or less to taste
1 tsp. edible rose water or ½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups ground raw pistachio nuts
Fresh pomegranite seeds for garnish

Begin by putting the milk and sugar in a saucepan and stirring over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and let the milk simmer gently for about five minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the rosewater or vanilla, and leave it to cool down.
You can prepare your homemade 'güllaç' directly in its serving dish. Try to find a round , shallow glass bowl with a flat bottom and straight sides that's the same size as the sheets of 'güllaç.' This will make layering clean and easy.
If you don't have exactly the right serving dish, don't worry. If your 'güllaç' leaves don't fit in whole, start breaking them into smaller pieces and overlap them until you've covered the bottom of your dish.
With a spoon, drizzle the milk mixture over the first layer until it's saturated. Continue until you've made 10 layers and covered them each with milk.
On top of the 10th layer, spread most of the ground nuts evenly to cover the entire layer. Set about ¼ cup of the ground nuts aside.
After you've spread the nuts, continue with another 10 layers of 'güllaç' and sweet milk. If you have leftover milk, pour the rest evenly over the top. The 'güllaç' will absorb most of it.
Sprinkle the remaining ground nuts over the top, and do the same with the pomegranite seeds. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving. The 'güllaç' should be very soft and easy to cut through with a knife or spoon, but should still be quite milky. If you feel it's too dry, add a little more sweet milk and continue to refrigerate.