Ingredients
Base
- 600 mlthick cream, or kaimak
- or 600 ml clotted cream loosened with milk
- 200 ghoney
- 60 gplain flour
- a pinch of salt
Sometimes added
- 50 gbutter
- 2 tablespoonssugar
- chopped walnuts or almonds
To serve
- flatbread or baursak
- black tea with milk
- small bowls
Directions
- Flour is stirred in to thicken it into a pourable sweet. It is served warm in small bowls to guests. Use a good honey with real character. Put the cream into a heavy pan. Set the pan over a low steady heat.
- Warm it slowly until it is steaming. Never let it come to a rolling boil. Stir it occasionally as it warms. Stir the honey into the warm cream. Keep the heat low as you do it.
- Stir until it has completely dissolved. The mixture turns a pale golden colour. Let it warm together for five minutes. The flour must never go in dry.
- Take a ladleful of the warm cream into a bowl. Whisk the flour into it a little at a time. Work it into a completely smooth paste. There must be no lumps at all. Whisk it hard as the paste goes in. Cooking it out takes about twenty-five minutes. Keep the heat low the whole time.
- Stir it continuously with a wooden spoon. It also darkens to a deeper golden colour. Taste it after twenty minutes to check. Any chalkiness means it needs longer. Add a splash of warm milk if it is too stiff. Cook it a few minutes longer if it is too thin.
- Add sugar if the honey alone is not sweet enough. Stir in chopped nuts if you want texture. Add a pinch of salt, which lifts the honey. Serving it is always done warm. Pour it into small bowls while it is still warm. It is very rich, so portions should be small.
- Serve flatbread or baursak alongside. Tear the bread and dip it into the balkaimak. It keeps two days refrigerated and sets firm. Warm it gently with a little milk to loosen it again.
Technique
- Kaimak is a thick clotted cream made across Central Asia, Turkey and the Balkans by slowly heating milk and skimming the surface.
- Balkaimak belongs to the Kazakh dairy tradition, which is built on milk from horses, camels, cattle and sheep.
Substitutions
- Clotted cream loosened with milk is the closest substitute for kaimak.
- Double cream works and gives a lighter, thinner result.
Variations
- Some households add chopped walnuts or almonds at the end.
- A version made with more flour is stiff enough to cut.
- Zhent and talkan are the other traditional Kazakh sweets served to guests.
History
An old Kazakh honey and cream dish served warm to guests and to new mothers.
Frequently asked questions
What is Balkaimak?
Balkaimak is a dessert from Kazakhstan: cream cooked down with honey and flour into a rich pourable sweet. An old Kazakh honey and cream dish served warm to guests and to new mothers.
How long does Balkaimak take to make?
Balkaimak takes 10 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Balkaimak?
Yes, within limits. Clotted cream loosened with milk is the closest substitute for kaimak. Double cream works and gives a lighter, thinner result.
What is the most important thing to get right in Balkaimak?
Warm it slowly until it is steaming. Never let it come to a rolling boil. Stir it occasionally as it warms. Stir the honey into the warm cream. Keep the heat low as you do it.
