Pishmaniye (Pishmak): a classic step-by-step recipe with photos on how to make it

Writing (Pismaniye) Cotton halva is a very unusual Eastern dessert, a special type of halva that resembles fine sugar threads. Today, we'll take a detailed look at what "cotton halva" is and what it's made from, and also offer a classic Pishmaniye dessert recipe with step-by-step photos and helpful tips from experienced halva masters.

Nutritional value per serving

450 kcal

Proteins: 6 g
Fats: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 77 g

*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients

Total time: 1 hour
Time in the kitchen: 59 min
Complexity:

This is a complex recipe. Only try it if baking cakes is your usual go-to.
Number of servings: 20

Turkish halva Pishmaniye, also known as "sweet hair," "hairy halva," "cotton halva," or "oriental cotton candy," is known for its unique texture that resembles fine cotton threads.

It's unclear exactly where the sweet halva "Pautinka" was invented. The first recipe for Turkish Pishmaniye dates back to 1430, but similar dishes, both in composition and preparation, also appeared in other countries around the 15th century:

"pashmak" in Iran (consists of caramelized sugar threads made from wheat flour with pistachios sprinkled in);
dragon's beard in China (made from rice flour and corn syrup with the addition of peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds);
talkysh kaleve in Tatarstan (made from wheat flour, honey and butter);

Interesting fact! The Iranian (Persian) cotton candy "pashmak" gets its name from the Eastern word "pashm" (translated as "sheep's wool").

Long ago, Turkish and Iranian housewives made pashmane at home, but the recipe is considered one of the most complex among the many dishes known as "halva." To ensure this oriental sweet has the right texture and doesn't stick to your teeth like caramel candies, it's important to strictly follow the preparation method.

You can buy airy, stringy halva these days not only in Turkey but also in Moscow or any other European capital. But it's even more exciting to try making this traditional delicacy yourself. We'll explain in detail how to make Pismaniye, explaining some of the complex processes in simple terms, and what to pay attention to to ensure your homemade halva is light, airy, and melts in your mouth.

In this recipe, we'll use the "butter" method, so called because of the butter-based paste used. There's also a "dry" method, which is a bit more complicated.

Turkish Halva Pishmaniye – A Homemade Recipe

Pashmak fibrous halva – a detailed step-by-step recipe with photos

Ingredients

Servings

Sugar

150 G
Water

50 ml
Honey

50 G
Flour

50 G
Butter

40 G
Citric acid

0.25 G

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1 – Preparing the butter paste

We begin preparing fibrous halva by making a butter paste. First, melt 40 grams of butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Use low heat to ensure the butter melts but doesn't burn.

Step 2

Add 50 grams of pre-sifted flour to the hot melted butter in one go.

Step 3

Mix the mixture thoroughly, breaking up any lumps, and fry over low heat. At first, the paste will resemble wet sand in consistency (as in the photo), but will gradually become more crumbly.

Step 4

The finished butter paste has a texture similar to peanut butter, acquires a light golden hue and a pleasant nutty-creamy aroma.

If the mixture does not acquire the desired texture and remains dry, you can add a small piece of butter.

Step 5

Step 2 – Making the caramel

In a saucepan, combine 50 grams of honey (or glucose syrup), 50 ml of water and 150 grams of sugar.

Step 6

Place the pan on the stove and add a quarter teaspoon of citric acid (this ingredient will prevent the sugar from crystallizing during the caramelization process).

Step 7

Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil.

At this stage, you can add food coloring to the caramel if you want a pink, blue, or green treat (the classic version is white Pishmania). You can also add essence to make the airy halva flavored with raspberry, strawberry, or pistachio.

Step 8

Next, boil the syrup until it reaches a temperature of 135-140℃.

Step 9

Once the syrup reaches the desired temperature, pour it onto a silicone mat and let it cool slightly. The ideal temperature is when the caramel begins to separate easily from the mat.

Step 10

Mix the caramel, folding the edges of the silicone mat in at different corners. Continue kneading until the mixture is thick and smooth enough to handle.

Caution! The caramel mixture is very hot at this stage!

Step 11

As a result, we get a large caramel candy, which is best handled by first putting on warm gloves and then silicone gloves on top of them.

Step 12

Step 3 – Pulling out the threads

We alternately stretch and fold the caramel mass in half. This process allows the mass to be oxygenated. Its structure and color gradually change, acquiring a beautiful pearlescent hue.

Knead until the mixture no longer sticks to the countertop. The caramel should still be fairly pliable.

Step 13

Next, continue rolling out the caramel, applying the butter paste. To do this, place the butter paste on the table and form a ring from the mixture, as shown in the photo.

Important! The caramel and butter paste must be at the same temperature!

Step 14

Apply the paste evenly onto the caramel ring.

Step 15

Next comes the lengthy and rather arduous stage of stretching the caramel. The mass is pulled out and then again arranged in rings, forming a ring of small diameter. The oil mass is distributed so that it prevents the resulting strands from sticking together. It's important to work quickly so that the caramel doesn't cool significantly before the desired texture is formed.

Proper caramel stretches with difficulty! If the threads stretch easily, you've done something wrong in the previous steps, and you'll likely fail to achieve the perfect pishmaiye structure with fluffy fibers.

Step 16

If the caramel suddenly becomes too dense, you can restore its elasticity by gently warming it with a regular hair dryer. However, it's important not to overheat it, as overheated strands will begin to stick together, ruining the texture of the dish.

Step 17

At a certain point, the threads will become quite thin, and the characteristic "hairiness" will begin to appear, as in the photo. This means you're doing everything correctly, but you still need to continue pulling the threads. Keep in mind that pulling the caramel will become even more difficult as you continue.

Step 18

At the final stage, we apply force and break the ring of threads on one side.

Step 19

Now you know how real Pishmaniye is made, what it is, and what perfectly stretched sugar threads should look like.

Next, the fibers must be fluffed to prevent sticking and the halva must be allowed to cool completely.

Step 20

The finished fibrous mass is then used to make lumps of the desired size.

Step 21

Pishmaniye can be served sprinkled with nuts (most often, the taste of halva is enhanced with crushed roasted peanuts or pistachios).

Cottonseed halva (without nuts) can be stored for up to 12 months in an airtight container. Any changes in temperature and humidity can adversely affect the texture of the dish.

We also suggest watching how to prepare Turkish halva Pishmaniye using the "dry" method: