Mom tells us that there weren’t big patisserie shops in Turkey in the past, there were just small pudding shops (muhallebici), which weren’t very big in number. Because these pudding shops were not very common, they were considered as special places for special events. When people had an important meeting with friends, these pudding shops were their only choice. However, these pudding shops had a more important role in Turkish culture those times. When a young man wanted to declare his love to a young woman, he would invite her to a pudding shop and the woman would understand that there would be some very exciting conversation when they met there. So these pudding shops were meeting point of lovers.
Pudding shops were known as small, cute and friendly places. People would enjoy their pudding in peace. Pudding (muhallebi), Turkish rice pudding (sütlaç) and keşkül were some of the dairy desserts they would serve. They wouldn’t serve other types of desserts, just the desserts made of milk. Although we have numerous patisserie shops today, I’m not sure if they have the same friendly atmosphere. Today’s luxury patisserie shops serve various desserts, but they are not as important as the small pudding shops were for lovers.
The English pronounciation of keşkül may be something like this: kashkul
Keşkül
Ingredients:
- 1kg milk
- 1 ½ tbsp rice flour
- 1 ½ tbsp corn starch
- 3 egg yolks
- 100g cream
- ½ tbsp vanilla
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup almond, peeled and crumbled
- Pistachio, almond and raisin to decorate
Put sugar and egg yolks in a pot and beat with an egg beater. Take about ¼ cup milk into a bowl and mix it with rice flour and corn starch. Put it aside. Add the rest of the milk into the pot and go on beating. Put the pot on fire and boil it over medium heat and stir occasionally. When it starts to boil, add the rice flour and starch mixture and beat it. Add peeled and crumbled almonds after 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cream after a few minutes. Never stop stirring until it’s done. When it gets thick enough, it’s time to take it from fire. But how do we understand it’s thick ‘enough’? You can understand it with the help of the egg beater or a spoon. When you dip the spoon in it and take it out, if the pudding is not runny, if it drops little by little, it’s done.
Take it from fire and pour it in a jug so that it’s easier to pour them into small bowls or cups. Then pour the pudding into small cups one by one. If you see bubbles on their top, you are on the right path.
Do not move these cups until keşkül gets cold.
When it’s cold enough, decorate the tops of keşkül with pistachio, whole almonds and raisin.
22 Comments on "Keşkül"
I wish there was a pudding shop here in the states. maybe there is and I just don’t know.
That that would be really cool though. Looks really delicious!! Something I can definitely get into for dessert.
What a decadent dessert, I just love your topping decoration, beautiful!
Wow, what a nice dessert…from the ingredients in it must taste delicious…love the picture as well…beautiful presentation
This sounds and looks phenomenal! I will be trying this soon. Thank you!
Welcome back, long time Zerrin! Beautiful the Keskul with almonds inside, totally yummy, a dessert for me
Cheers,
Gera
I love this pudding, yours looks absolutely beautiful and delicious!!
I absolutely loved reading about the history of pudding shops! Your pudding is really beautiful, Zerrin. I love the decoration on top!
welcome back!
I liked your story of the pudding shops! Sometimes I really long for things to be more like they were in the past.
Your pudding sounds and looks wonderful!
Welcome back Zerrin!
I love the idea of the pudding shops – wish I could find one around here
The dessert also sounds gorgeous, will have to try it out sometime…
merhaba zerrin
hmmm i like ur pudding my dear
so romantic the idea of pudding shops for lovers
kisses
Merhaba Zerrin, keskul mukemmel gozukuyor. Hic yapmadigim bir tatli, ama bir gun deniyecegim. Ellerine saglik.
There was a pudding shop in a town I used to live in around here, but it never really took off. Maybe it would have done better if they’d served dishes like this! This looks delicious and I’ll have to make it sometime soon.
What fun to be invited to a pudding shop then ! Too bad they don’t preserve the tradition and they prefer to go with Starbucks-like joints!
Love that pudding; in fact we make it too, just without any eggs.
What a yummy sounding dessert – not too sweet but just darn tasty. I love the arrangement of toppings you added to this pudding.
How romantic this pudding shop rendezvous. When I finally make it to Turkey, I am going to take a seat and watch the action. This sounds like as much fun as people watching in Paris, if not more so.
Hope you are doing well, I imagine school is keeping you very busy.
Ooh, I want a handsome, Turkish stallion to profess his love for me in a pudding shop (smile)!
This sounds delicious by the way…
Merhaba Zerrin, yine mükemmel bir tatlı yapmışsın. Sunum da harika olmuş. Her türlü sütlü tatlıya bayılırım ama, keşkülün yeri bir başkadır. Sevgiler…
Merhaba Zerrin
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Kisses
Welcome back, zerrin!! we missed your tasty recipes!!
This one looks so special & is beautiful presented too!
What a lovely dessert!
I’ve never heard of Keşkül, but judjing by the ingredients and method, it looks delicious and like a lovely alternative to the heavy cakes and pies we eat so much of here in the UK.
I’ll definitely have to try this.
I tasted before in Turkey.
Really it was so delicious.
Thanks alot honey
Zerrin, what a lovely introduction and presentation of Keskul! My favorite was tavukgogsu with icecream when we went to the pudding shops with my mom, and she always, always ordered keskul!
Will follow your blog regularly now!
I am glad I found a fellow Turkish foodie!
This is my favorite thing to make when I have leftover cream. I prefer to use vanilla almond milk instead of regular milk, but because almond milk is usually sweetened, I also use just 3/4 c of sugar in order to keep it from being too sweet.
Zerrin, do you happen to know the volume of 1 kg of milk and 500 g of cream? I want a kitchen scale, but my kitchen is tiny, so I don’t have anywhere to put one! I use 4 c of milk and about 1/2 c of cream, and it’s been great every time, but I’m still not sure if those are the proper measurements.