Christmas Gatmer

Christmas Gatmer. The recipe for my sweet, spiced fusion dessert of a Christmas mincemeat-filled Cypriot-style nutty, rolled pastry is finally here. SOOOOOO good. I often get asked if I have a sweet tooth as I mostly post savoury recipes. The truth is, I will always pick a starter over a dessert, and I can honestly leave or take a bar of chocolate (a family bag of Kettle chips however, is another story). Having said that, I am an absolute sucker for Turkish, Cypriot and Middle Eastern desserts. The combination of pastry, syrup and sweet spices like cinnamon is one I can rarely resist, and so things like Gatmer have always made me go weak at the knees. Combine with another favourite of mine, the beautifully, buttery rich Christmas mince pie, and I’m done. Traditional Cypriot Gatmer should be soft and surupy, a little soggy inside if you will, as that’s what makes it so humble and luscious at the same time. I have to say, I am definitely a little addicted to my Christmas Gatmer, and it will definitely feature more than once on our kitchen table over the festive period from now on. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. 

INGREDIENTS

For the Mincemeat

300g mixed dried fruit

1 small apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

50g butter cut into cubes

25g soft brown sugar

1 level tsp cinnamon

1 level tsp mixed spice

1 tsp orange blossom

The juice and rind of 1/2 orange

100ml water

For the Syrup

500ml water

300g caster sugar

1tsp orange blossom water OR rose water

1/4tsp ground cinnamon or a couple of cinnamon sticks 

For the Gatmer

12 sheets good filo pastry

150g almonds

150g walnuts

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170C (fan) / 190 C conventional.

For the mincemeat, add all the ingredients to a pan on a medium heat and cook for around ten minutes or so. Allow to cool down. 

Add all the syrup ingredients to a separate pan on a medium heat. Stir occasionally and take off heat once mixture has reduced down by about a 1/4. Has to fully cool.

In a small separate pan melt the butter. 

Blitz the nuts in a food processor so that they’re finely chopped (not to a crumb). Mix in the ground cinnamon and leave to one side. 

Place 6 layers of filo in a long line on a long, clean surface, so they slightly overlap each other, liberally brush eat sheet with butter then lay the remaining 6 sheets on top and brush with more butter so that the sheets are covered. 

Evenly sprinkle the mincemeat across the length of the filo, spreading the fruit out a little over the sheets. Sprinkle over the nuts, keeping back around a heaped tbsp to sprinkle on top of the Gatmer. 

Now start slowly rolling up the filo into a long sausage shape (horizontally), doing a little at a time (watch my stories and highlights on Instagram). Don’t roll it too tightly otherwise it could burst and split open. 

Once all the filo has been rolled into one long sausage, turn the very long piece of pastry into a spiral cupping your hands around to try and prevent any breakage (don’t worry if you get a couple of little splits). 

Carefully lift the Gatmer into a round baking dish (I slowly slide the Gatmer off the worktop with one hand holding the side and another underneath). 

Brush the top of the Gatmer with the remaining butter (I pour the last bit over) then sprinkle over the remaining nuts. 

Place in the oven on the bottom shelf (on a baking tray) for 35-40 mins or so until crispy/golden brown. 

Take out of the oven, then immediately pour over the cooled syrup so it sizzles vigorously. Allow to cool, sprinkle over a little icing sugar and serve. Even better the next day.