Ravneet Gill’s recipe for Izmir bomba, or Turkish-style chocolate-filled biscuits – The sweet spot

These crumbly little biscuits are stuffed with praline and are less doughy than the traditional Turkish treat
Ravneet GillFri 11 Oct 2024 10.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 11 Oct 2024 10.21 EDTShareI first tried these biscuits at Selin Kiazim’s bakery in Fitzrovia, which has unfortunately since closed. Her baked goods were truly one of a kind, and these biscuits – slightly flat, crisp and filled with silky chocolate – became quite popular. This version is quite different to traditional izmir bomba; I wanted a dough that was easy to work with, quick to put together, and with a homemade filling. You need to be quick when wrapping the chocolate inside the pastry, though, but if a little seeps out, that’s OK; they’re meant to be rustic.
Izmir bombaPrep 10 min Rest 1 hrFreeze 2 hr 30 minCook 1 hr Makes 9150g plain flour A pinch of fine salt 30g caster sugar 65g unsalted butter, cold and cubed30ml olive oil
For the chocolate and hazelnut filling30g caster sugar 10g unsalted butter 70ml double cream 30g milk chocolate, chopped 10g cocoa powder A pinch of flaky sea salt 10g roasted hazelnuts, roughly choppedIcing sugar, for dusting
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and sugar, then rub in the butter until you have a breadcrumb texture and the butter disappears. Pour in the oil and one tablespoon of water, then mix quickly to make a dough. Knead until smooth, then cover with a damp cloth and put in the fridge to rest for about an hour, or until firm. Divide the dough into nine equal balls.
To make the filling, heat the sugar in a dry pan until it caramelises, then add the butter and cream. Once it’s bubbling, add the chocolate, then take the pan off the heat and stir until melted. Whisk in the cocoa powder, salt and chopped nuts, then leave to cool.
Scoop out nine small balls of the cooled chocolate spread (about one tablespoon each), arrange these on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and freeze for about 30 minutes – this will make it easier to wrap the dough around them later. Make sure they aren’t rock solid, though, so you can still shape the biscuits.
Try this recipe and many more on the new Feast app: scan or click here for your free trial.Take one dough ball and press it flat in the palm of your hand. Put a frozen chocolate ball in the middle and quickly bring the edges up and over to seal. Carefully fold the dough around the chocolate balls, sealing them well and making sure there are no holes or gaps. Once sealed, use your palms gently to press the dough into a thick disc. Repeat with the remaining dough and chocolate balls.
Arrange the bombas seam side down on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, then freeze for at least two hours or overnight.
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and bake the bompas from frozen for 18-20 minutes, until they are lightly golden brown. Leave to cool for half an hour, then dust with icing sugar and serve. Leftovers will keep in an airtight tin for up to three days.