Nazook (Armenian Pastry)

Nazook are wonderful Armenian (some would argue Assyrian) pastries with a crispy, flaky crust, wrapped around a buttery, sweet roux-based filling. Traditionally, Nazook (or Nazookeh in Assyrian) are served for the holidays and when company arrives, and always accompanied by a hot cup of thé.

What Is Nazook?

Nazook is a crisp (but soft), buttery, and sweet (but not too sweet) pastry that’s a traditional favorite among Armenians (maybe not so much among dieters—see the nutritional information at the end). It goes well with coffee or tea, or even hot chocolate. And, if you want to have a go at making it, you’ll get nods of approval from little old Armenian ladies everywhere.

Since there are virtually no good recipes for nazook (also spelled nazouk or nazuk) online, I turned to the master pastry baker in my family, my Aunt Aida, who’s been baking nazook for decades. Her nazook is absolutely perfect, much better than the best stuff you can buy in Glendale grocery stores. She graciously offered to show me how to make it, and she sent me home with 40 pieces of this pastry (yes, that sound you hear is the death knell of my weight loss efforts).