Asabea Zainab (Zainab’s fingers) recipe

Asabea Zainab is a middle eastern dessert that is crunchy on the outside and soft from inside. It is commonly served during the holy month of Ramadan.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 30 fingers

Ingredients

• 1 cup semolina
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon anise powder
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 - 2 cups sugar syrup (sugar syrup recipe here)
• oil to be used in deep frying

Cooking Directions

1. Combine the flour, semolina, sugar, anise powder, instant yeast and salt in a bowl 
   
2. Add the oil, water and knead the dough well 
   
3. Cut a small part of the dough about 2 inches in size, press and roll it on a shredder to create its shape as demonstrated in the video
4. Deep fry them in hot oil on low heat until they become golden in color
   
   
   
   
5. Drain them from the oil and dip them in the sugar syrup
   
6. Drain them from the syrup and put them on the serving plate
7. Decorate and chill until served
   
8. Serve it cold

Mahalabiya (Milk Pudding, blancmange)

Serves: 3-4 servings

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Chilling time: 1-3 hours

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

2 tbs granulated sugar

3 ½ tbs corn flour 

3 tbs water

½ tsp orange blossom water

Crushed pistachios and almonds to decorate

Steps:

Pour the milk in a sauce pan

Dissolve the sugar in the milk

Add the water to the corn flour in a separate small bowl and mix them well

Add the corn flour-water mixture to the milk and mix them well

Add the orange blossom water

Put the sauce pan on medium high heat and keep on stirring the milk for 7 minutes or until it starts to boil

Stir the milk for 1-3 more minutes

Turn off the heat and let the milk cool down for 3 minutes

Pour the milk pudding in a heat proof serving glass

Smoothen the surface with the back of a tea spoon

Put it in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours (you can cover it with a cling film to prevent the surface from crusting; however I sometimes leave it uncover because I like that crust!)

Take it out of the refrigerator right before serving

Decorate it with crushed pistachios and almonds

Serve it cold 

Qatayef, Atayef (Arabic dessert)

Qatayef is a middle eastern dessert made of a dough similar to pancakes, filled with cheese or nuts and soaked in sugar syrup. It is commonly served during Ramadan.

Ingredients:

The dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbs corn flour

½ cup semolina

2 tbs sugar

1 tsp instant yeast

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbs orange blossom water

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ cup warm water

Cheese filling:

200g cream cheese

6 tbs thick cream (qashta, gaimar)

2 tbs icing sugar

Walnuts filling:

1 cup crushed walnuts

1 tbs icing sugar

1 tsp cinnamon powder 

Sugar syrup: A link to the sugar syrup recipe

Steps: 

watch the steps demonstrated in the video above

Basbousa, harissa (Arabic dessert)

Makes 6 medium pieces
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes on bottom heat, 5 minutes on top heat (180 C) total baking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup course semolina
½ cup shredded coconut
2 tbs granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup yogurt
½ cup unsalted butter (melted)
1 tbs tahini
Whole and half peeled almonds to decorate
 1/2 cup sugar syrup (see: A link to the sugar syrup recipe)


Steps:

watch the steps demonstrated in the video above

Baked apples with cinnamon and ice cream



A delicious Hot&Cold dessert made with simple ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 tbs honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs cinnamon powder
2 red apples
Vanilla ice cream
Crushed walnuts

Steps: 

watch the steps demonstrated in the video above

Eid Cookies, Maamoul (Arabic dessert)

The smell of freshly baked Maamoul spreading through out the place is an Eid ritual.. This is my version of these delicious cookies.. hope you like them

Recipe makes: 60 cookies

Dough ingredients:
0.5 kg coarse semolina
0.5 kg fine semolina
2 tbs granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon mahlab powder
½ cup gee
250g unsalted butter
¼ cup orange blossom water
¼ cup rose water
1 tsp instant yeast
¼ cup warm water


Fillings ingredients:
Dates Mamoul:
0.5 kg dates paste
1 tbs vegetable oil

Pistachios Mamoul or
walnuts Mamoul:
150g crushed pistachios/ or
crushed walnuts
4 tbs powder sugar
2 tbs orange blossom water
1 tsp cinnamon powder (for walnuts)

Steps: 

watch the steps demonstrated in the video above

Apple Cinnamon Pie

Apple Cinnamon Pie

makes: 6 medium pies,
Preparation and baking time: preparation: 20 min.

                                                  Chilling the dough: 45 min.

                                                   Baking: 30-40 min

Ingredients:

200g (two sticks) unsalted butter
4 tablespoon brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoon flour
4 red apples
3 tablespoon cinnamon powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

Steps:

The dough:

Beat the butter and 2 tablespoon of brown sugar well

Add one whole egg, vanilla extract, one egg yolk and beat it well

Add the flour to the batter and combine well 

Roll into a dough and chill it for 45 minutes

The filling:

Peel, core and cut the apples into cubes

combine the cinnamon, one tablespoon of flour and two tablespoon of brown sugar well

Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the chopped apples and toss the apples to coat them well with good amount of cinnamon mixture.

Baking:

Heat the oven to 190 C

Cut the dough into two halves

Line the baking trays with the dough by pressing your fingers against the base until you create a smooth surface. Leave an edge of the dough to roll it over the straps later.

Fill the dough with the filling

With the other half make different length straps and line them nicely above the filling

Roll the edges over the straps

Brush with an egg white or milk

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden

Serve hot or cold

Layali Lubnan, Lebanese nights (Arabic dessert)

Layali Lubnan (Lebanese nights) recipe

Layali Lubnan (Lebanese nights) is a well-known Arabic dessert made of milk, semolina and thick cream. It is a dessert of two layers, the bottom is thick and the top layer is smooth and creamy. The cream topping is sweet enough with the addition of the icing sugar; however you can also add some sugar syrup for more sweetness if preferred.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes on stove + 1-3 hours cooling in the refrigerator
Total time: 1-3 hours
Yield: 12 medium size pieces, or 24 small ones (as in picture)

Ingredients:

• 3 cup milk
• 1 cup semolina
• 1 tbs granulated sugar
• 1 tbs orange blossom water
• 160 g cream
• 2 tbs icing sugar (powder sugar)
• 1/4 cup crushed pistachios
• 1 cup whole almonds and walnuts

Cooking Directions:

1. Mix the milk, semolina, granulated sugar and orange blossom water all together in a large saucepan.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Heat the mixture over high heat and keep stirring it with a whisk for about 10 minutes or until it get thickened (like custard)
   
   
   
   
3. Pour the thick mixture, spread it in a tray and tap on its surface with a wet spatula to have a smooth surface. Put it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes
   
   
   
   
4. Prepare the cream topping by mixing the cream with the powder sugar very well
   
   
   
   
5. Take it out of the refrigerator and spread the thick cream evenly. Put it in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours.
   
6. Cut it into squares, decorate them with the crushed pistachios, pour the sugar syrup (if added) and serve them cold.