Learn how to make best oriental Baklawa recipe filled with Pistachio.
Ingredients
For the syrup:
2 cups sugar or 400 g
1 cup water or 250 ml
1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the baklawa:
15 sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen
¾ cup butter or 150 g, melted
¼ cup caster sugar or 50 g
1 cup ground almonds or 100 g, mixed with the caster sugar
For the filling:
2½ cups pistachio nuts or 375 g
1 tablespoon blossom water
2 tablespoons rose water
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
3 slices toast bread, crust removed
Preparation
To prepare the syrup:
In a small pot, dissolve sugar in water and bring to boil then simmer until it becomes a syrup. Stir in lemon juice and set aside to cool.
To prepare the filling:
Combine all ingredients for the filling in a blender; beat until well combined and set aside.
To prepare the baklawa:
Grease a 40cm x 30cm oven tray, place 1 sheet of filo pastry, brush with butter and repeat the same with 5 more sheets.
Carefully spoon the filling all over the pastry.
Place 1 sheet of filo pastry to cover the filling, brush with butter and sprinkle with a little of almond mixture.
Top with another sheet. Sprinkle with little almond mixture and repeat method with the remaining sheets.
Brush the surface with melted butter, then cut parallel lines through pastry and filling to get diamond shaped pieces.
Bake in a 185°C preheated hot oven for 25-30 minutes or until it becomes golden color.
Pour the cool syrup over the baklawa as soon as it comes out of the oven.
The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Baklava with honey syrup Recipe. Enjoy Middle Eastern Desserts and learn how to make Baklava with honey syrup.
Ingredients (serves 8)
3/4 cup sesame seeds
4 cups (400g) walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
8 sheets filo pastry
100g butter, melted
Honey syrup
1 small lemon
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a shallow baking tray.
2. Place sesame seeds in a small, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook, shaking pan gently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden and toasted. Transfer to a bowl. Add walnuts and cinnamon. Mix well.
3. Brush 1 pastry sheet with butter. Fold in half crossways to form a rectangle.
4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup walnut mixture evenly over pastry. Starting from one long end, roll up into a log. Brush with butter. Place on baking tray. Repeat with remaining pastry, butter and walnut mixture. Bake baklava for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on baking tray.
5. Make honey syrup: Peel 1 large strip rind from lemon. Remove the pith. Juice half the lemon. Place lemon rind, lemon juice, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves and 2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until honey syrup thickens slightly.
6. Pour hot honey syrup over cold baklava. Stand for 30 minutes or until baklava has absorbed syrup. Cut each baklava diagonally into 3 pieces. Serve.
Source
Super Food Ideas - November 2005, Page 46
Recipe by Yianni Sourris
The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Pistachio Dates Truffles Recipe. Enjoy Arabic Desserts and learn how to make Pistachio Dates Truffles.
Ingredients
1½ cups date paste or 300 g
2½ cups ground almonds or 250 g
1 tin NESTLÉ® Cream or 170 g
1 cup ground pistachio nuts or 100 g
Preparation
In a large bowl, add and combine dates paste, ground almond and NESTLÉ® Cream .
Mix all ingredients well until a soft dough forms. Cover and place the mixture in the fridge for 1 hour or to set. Roll the mixture into small balls.
Roll the balls in the ground pistachio and serve.
The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Umm Ali Recipe. Enjoy Egyptian Desserts and learn how to make Umm Ali. It's Cheep, easy!
Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves: 10 persons
Ingredients
8 pieces croissant or 600 g, medium size, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons raisins
3 tablespoons desiccated coconut
3 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons pistachio nuts, cracked
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 cups water or 1 liter
1 cup liquid cream or 250 ml, whipped
Preparation
Combine croissant pieces, raisins, coconut, almonds and pistachio in a baking dish.
Place NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk , vanilla and water in a large saucepan and bring to boil then remove from heat and pour immediately over the croissant mixture in the baking dish and set them aside for 5 minutes or until croissants absorb the maximum of the liquid.
Place whipped cream in a piping bag and pipe the cream over the prepared mixture in the baking dish.
Place the baking dish in a preheated oven at 200°C using the grill part of the oven and grill for 5 minutes or until the cream topping is golden color. Serve it immediately.
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Easy Baklava Recipe. Enjoy Tasty Middle Eastern Desserts and learn how to make Easy Baklava.
This is simple and easy. Serve it in cupcake papers. It freezes well, too.
Prep Time: 30 Min | Cook Time: 50 Min | Ready In: 1 Hr 20 Min
Ingredients
1 pound chopped mixed nuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Toss together cinnamon and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
3. Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava (all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
4. Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.
5. While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
6. Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 194 | Total Fat: 12.4g | Cholesterol: 14mg
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Pistachio Hazelnut Baklava Recipe. Enjoy Tasty Middle Eastern Desserts and learn how to make Pistachio Hazelnut Baklava.
Making Baklava is a long process, but hopefully you will find the results of your labors rich and rewarding with this wonderful recipe.
Prep Time: 1 Hr | Cook Time: 1 Hr 25 Min | Ready In: 2 Hrs 25 Min
Ingredients
8 ounces finely chopped pistachio nuts
8 ounces finely chopped hazelnuts
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 (16 ounce) packages frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
1/4 cup whole cloves
3 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions
1. In a large bowl, toss together the pistachio nuts, hazelnuts, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/2 cup sugar.
2. Unroll thawed phyllo pastry, and cover with a damp towel to prevent drying and cracking. Brush a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with melted butter using a pastry brush. Lay one sheet of pastry onto the buttered pan, and brush with more butter. Repeat until there are 8 buttered sheets of dough stacked. Sprinkle some of the nut mixture over this layer, then cover with 3 more layers of pastry, each brushed with butter. Sprinkle more of the nut mixture, then 3 layers of buttered pastry. Repeat this pattern until the nut mixture is gone, reserving 8 layers of pastry for the top. Each time a layer of pastry is placed, it must be brushed with the melted butter.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut the pastry into strips, then into diamonds. Pieces should be somewhat small because they are so sweet. At this point each piece may be studded with a whole clove. Heat the remaining melted butter until boiling, and drizzle it evenly over the whole pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly golden.
5. While the pastry is baking, combine the remaining 3 cups sugar, water, honey, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
6. When the pastry comes out of the oven, immediately pour the syrup evenly over the entire pan. Be careful when pouring; the hot syrup may cause the butter in the pastry to boil up and splatter. Allow baklava to cool to room temperature before serving. Remove whole cloves from pieces before eating.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 182 | Total Fat: 10.9g | Cholesterol: 16mg
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Simple Baklava Recipe. Enjoy Tasty Middle Eastern Desserts and learn how to make Simple Baklava.
Cook Time: 25 min | Level: Intermediate | Yield: 24 baklava pieces
Ingredients
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 stick butter, melted, divided
3 tablespoons honey
12 sheets phyllo dough
Directions
Special equipment: 2 mini-muffin tins
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the almonds, walnuts, apricots, bread crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt in a food processor. Run the machine until the mixture is very finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and the honey and stir to combine.
On a dry work surface place 1 sheet of phyllo. Using a pastry brush and the remaining melted butter, lightly cover the entire sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Cover the first sheet with a second sheet of phyllo and brush with melted butter. Continue until there is a stack of 6 sheets of phyllo. Cut the stacked phyllo rectangle into 12 equal pieces (Cut lengthwise into 4 pieces and widthwise into 3 pieces.)
Gently press each cut piece of phyllo into the mini-muffin tin cups. Press 1 tablespoon of the nut mixture into each of the phyllo cups. Gather the ends of each of the phyllo squares and twist to make a sachet shape. Continue shaping the remaining sachets in the other mini-muffin tin. Bake until the edges of the phyllo are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the baklava sachets and transfer to a serving plate.
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian - Episode: Greek Fusion
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Baklava Cups Recipe. Enjoy Tasty Middle Eastern Desserts and learn how to make Baklava Cups.
Cook Time: 20 min | Level: Easy | Yield: 30 pieces
Ingredients
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
1 lemon, zested
1/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 boxes mini filo shells, 15 shells each
1/2 cup water 1/4 cup honey
Special equipment: 2 (12-cup) mini cupcake pans, food processor
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange the pistachios, walnuts, and almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Let nuts cool slightly and add to a food processor along with the lemon zest, 3 tablespoons of sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla and pulse to combine.
Place mini fillo shells in wells of 2 mini cupcake pans. Add 1 teaspoon of the nut mixture into each shell. Bake until filling is hot, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat add the water, 1/4 cup sugar and honey and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until reduced and slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour 1 teaspoon syrup into each cup and allow it to soak in, then repeat with another teaspoon. Refrigerate at least 5 hours, or overnight.
Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2009
Show: Cooking for Real - Episode: Opa!
More Dessert Recipes:
Simple Baklava
Pistachio Hazelnut Baklava
Easy Baklava
Greek Baklava
Pistachio Baklawa
How to make best Algerian baklava
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Caramel Date Fingers Recipe. Enjoy preparing tasty Arabic food desserts and learn how to make Caramel Date Fingers.
Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 25 minutes
Serves: 16 persons
Ingredients
1 cup plain flour or 125 g
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup brown sugar or 200 g, firmly packed
1 cup desiccated coconut or 75 g
125 g butter, melted
For the topping:
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
30 g butter, softened
1 cup date, dried or 150 g, chopped
2 tablespoons golden syrup or 50 g
1/3 cup pistachio nut or 50 g, chopped
Preparation
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and coconut in a large bowl. Stir in melted butter and mix well. Press into the base of a greased and lined 20cm × 30cm baking tin. Cook in a preheated 180 °C oven for 15 minutes or until firm.
To prepare the topping, place the NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk , butter, dates and golden syrup in a small heavy based saucepan. Cook gently, stirring constantly until mixture turns golden brown.
Spread topping over base, sprinkle over pistachio nuts and return the baking tin to the oven for a further 10 minutes, until golden. Cool in the tin before cutting into fingers.
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Arabic fried macroons Recipe. Enjoy preparing tasty Arabic food desserts and learn how to make Arabic fried macroons.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup semolina
1/3 cup clarified butter
1 tablespoon yeast
¾ cup water
1 ½ table spoon sugar
Oil for frying
Sugar syrup (cold)
Method
- Mix flour and semolina in a deep pot.
- Add butter (hot) and mix it well together.
- Place yeast in a warm water with sugar till dissolve .Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture.
- Add the water and mix it well until you got firm dough, leave to rest for 10 minutes, roll out and cut into a small finger’s shape. Press on each finger on a grater to take the curved shape with the groves of the grater.
- Fry in a hot oil.
- Remove from fryer and place on a kitchen towel, dip in the syrup. Remove to get rid of excess syrup and serve.
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Kunafa Bil-Jibn Recipe. Enjoy preparing traditional middle eastern desserts and learn how to make Kunafa Bil-Jibn.
Preparation time : 4 hours
Cooking time : 35 minutes
Ingredients
1½ kg akawi cheese, cut into thin slices
1½ cups plain flour or 210 g
1½ cups fine semolina or 240 g
1 cup ghee or 210 g, softened
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
1 tablespoon blossom water
3 cups sugar syrup
Preparation
Soak cheese in room temperature water for 4 hours to remove the salt (change water every 1 hour). Drain and wrap the cheese in kitchen towel for 1hour to absorb any remaining water.
In a bowl, mix plain flour, fine semolina and ghee (reserve 2 tablespoons of ghee) then add NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk and blossom water.
Pour this dough in an oven tray until it is 4 cm thick and put in a 150°C preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the dough is dry (stir the dough with a spoon every 5-6 minutes to be crumble).
Remove the dough from the oven and set aside to cool to a room temperature.
Blend the dough in a blender until its smooth then sift using a rough sieve.
Grease with the remaining ghee a 30cm round oven non-stick shallow tray. Sprinkle the mixture over and press well to flatten evenly all over the tray. Bake in a 200°C preheated oven (downside heat) for 12-15 minutes with turning the tray from time to time to all sides until all sides become golden brown in color. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile place the cheese in a bowl over boiling water until cheese is melted (discard any extra water as it appears using kitchen tissues paper).
Pour the melted cheese to flatten evenly all over the cooked kunafa dough.
Keep it to rest for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the kunafa using a knife before turning it over into a suitable dish.
Pour 1 cup syrup over the kunafa. Slice and serve it hot with the remaining sugar syrup aside.
Serving tips : Garnish with pistachio and serve with kunafa kaak.
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Low Fat Basbousa with Yogurt Recipe. Enjoy preparing traditional Arabic desserts and learn how to make Low Fat Basbousa with Yogurt.
Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 35 minutes
Serves: 20 persons
Ingredients
1 tablespoon tahina
¼ cup ghee or 50 g, softened
1 tin nestlé fat free sweetened condensed milk or 405 g
1 teaspoon baking powder
2½ cups fine semolina or 400 g
½ cup low fat yoghurt or 125 ml
1 cup water or 250 ml
For the syrup:
½ cup sugar or 100 g
1 cup water or 250 ml
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch or 15 g, (to thicken the syrup)
½ cup water, cold, to mix with cornstarch
1 tablespoon rose water
Preparation
Grease a 28x24cm baking tin with the tahina.
Combine ghee, NESTLÉ Fat-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk and baking powder and stir well. Add semolina, yogurt and water and stir until well combined.
Pour and level mixture into the prepared baking tin. Bake in a 190°C preheated oven for 35 minutes or until top is golden.
Remove from oven and pour all over the cooled syrup. Set aside to cool into a room temperature, cut into square shape and serve.
To prepare the syrup: Add sugar and 1 cup of water to a saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Dissolve the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in the remaining ½ cup of cold water and add to the simmering sugar and water, stir constantly on heat for 2 min until syrup thickens. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and rosewater.
Cooking tips : The texture of the basbousa mixture should be slightly loose and not firm to get best results.
Serving tips : Garnish with crushed pistachio and desiccated coconut.
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Basbousa with Pistachio Recipe. Enjoy preparing traditional middle eastern desserts and learn how to make Basbousa with Pistachio.
Preparation time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 35 minutes
Serves: 10 persons
Ingredients
1 cup butter or 200 g, melted
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups semolina or 320 g
1½ cups pistachio nuts or 210 g, finely chopped
For the syrup:
2 cups sugar or 400 g
1½ cups water or 375 ml
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon rose water
Preparation
In a bowl, combine butter, NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk and baking powder and stir well. Add semolina and mix until well-combined.
Sprinkle chopped pistachio evenly in a 28cm x 24cm baking tin. Pour semolina mixture over the pistachio and level it.
Bake in a 190°C preheated oven for 35 minutes or until top is golden.
Remove from oven and pour cooled syrup on top. Place in fridge to completely cool then cut into diamond shapes and serve.
To prepare the syrup:
Place sugar and water in a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer for 6-8 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and rosewater.
Cooking tips : To peel the pistachio, bring water to boil in a saucepan, add the pistachio and boil for only 10 seconds. Drain and then rub the pistachio in a kitchen cloth to remove the skin.
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Almond and Chocolate Pie Recipe. Enjoy preparing traditional middle eastern desserts and learn how to make Almond and Chocolate Pie.
Ingredients
½ cup butter
1¼ cups flour
4 Tbsps water
½ cup grounded nuts
The filling
¼ cup almond slices
½ cup dried fruits
½ cup butter
½ cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
½ cup almond flour
¼ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp baking powder
For
garnishing
pineapple slices
dried plums
cherries
chopped pistachios
Method
• Preheat oven to180 °C.
• In a large bowl rub butter with flour with finger tips, until well combined and crumby.
• Add water and nuts; continue kneading until soft homogenous dough is obtained.
• Roll out dough in a 26 cm round tart pan, make sure the dough covers the bottom and the sides (prick the bottom of the dough with the tines of a fork to avoid puffing up while baking).
• Cover crust completely with the almond slices and fruits.
• Using an electric mixer beat the butter with sugar in a large bowl on a medium speed until creamy.
• Add the eggs with constant beating until well combined.
• Add flour, vanilla and baking powder; continue beating until thick homogenous batter.
• Pour the batter over the crust.
• Garnish with pineapples, dried plums , cherries and pistachios
• Bake for 35 minutes or until completely cooked.
• Cool, cut and serve.
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Honey Cookies with Walnuts Recipe. Enjoy preparing traditional middle eastern desserts and learn how to make Honey Cookies with Walnuts.
Ingredients
3 ½ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp salt
¼ cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
½ tsp bicarbonate soda
⅔ cup olive oil
6 tablespoon sugar
1 cup crushed walnuts
Honey syrup*
*Recipe for Honey Syrup
1 cup honey
½ cup sugar
⅔ cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
- Put all ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat until boiling.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, keep warm.
Method
- Preheat oven to 180˚C.
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Blend juice, zest, oil and sugar well.
- Add flour mixture gradually to orange mixture, stir until combined.
- Roll dough into small balls.
- Transfer to greased baking sheet, press with the tines of a fork that was dipped in flour on the cookies.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Dip cookies into hot syrup, transfer to baking sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon and walnuts.
- Cool cookies completely before serving.
Maamoul: Stuffed Date-Orange Cookies - Best Maamoul Recipe
The
Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try
Maamoul: Stuffed Date-Orange Cookies Recipe. Enjoy our easy Eid Iftar desserts and learn how to make Maamoul: Stuffed Date-Orange Cookies.
Total Time: 2 hr 15 min
Prep 45 min
Inactive 1 hr 0 min
Cook 30 min
Yield: 20 cookies
Level: Intermediate
Ingredients
Filling:
1/2 pound pitted soft Medjool dates
2 tablespoons water
Pinch fine salt
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, plus about 1/2 to 2 cups more for dusting
Pinch fine salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), plus 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil, such as canola
1/4 cup milk
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
To make the filling: Puree the filling ingredients in a food processor until evenly combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Clean the processor bowl.
Put the flour, baking powder, the 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, and salt in the bowl of food processor and pulse 3 to 4 times to mix. Add the butter, oil, and milk pulsing until the dough just comes together. Take care not to overwork the dough; it will be slightly wet.
Remove dough from the processor, and roll into 20 equally sized balls. In the palm of your hand, press and pat each ball of dough into a 2 3/4-inch round. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of each round and draw the edges up and around the filling. Pinch the dough together to make a sealed ball, and then carefully roll the cookie between your palms to make a smooth round ball. Press gently to flatten the cookie slightly, then place them seamed side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Gently prick the cookies with a fork or a wooden skewer in a decorative pattern taking care not to pierce the dough to the filling.
Bake the cookies until firm and slightly puffed, and the tops are pale but the bottoms are just beginning to turn slightly golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Dust generously with confectioners' sugar, cool and dust again.
Other fillings we love:
Apricot Golden Raisin Nut Filling:
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped (other nuts can be substituted)
1/3 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons apricot jam
Pinch fine salt
Puree in a food processor until evenly combined.
Quince-Walnut Filling:
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup quince jam
Pinch fine salt
Puree in a food processor until evenly combined.
Ingredients
1 cup ghee (clarified butter)
½ cup warm milk
½ teaspoon rose water
2 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sesame
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ kg Turkish delight (lokum, malban)
Powdered sugar
Method
- shake ghee, milk and rose water until well combined.
- Sift flour and baking powder in a bowl, add sesame and salt.
- Add flour mixture to ghee mixture, knead until smooth.
- Preheat oven to (180 – 350) degrees.
- Form dough into walnut sized balls
- Shape Turkish delight into tiny balls.
- Make a hole in the center of the dough using your finger.
- Place the Turkish delight balls in the center of each ball.
- Seal the dough up over it and press edges together.
- Flatten each ball a little and make a design using a fork or (monkash) or a cookie mold.
- Place cookies at least 1 inch apart onto cookie sheets.
- Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Dust with confectioners (powder) sugar.
Serves: 12
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk
2 sticks butter at room temperature
1 tsp orange blossom water
Filling:
1 cup ground walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp orange blossom water
8 medjool dates, pitted
1 tsp orange blossom water
vegetable oil
powdered sugar
Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, combine flour, semolina and baking powder, mix well. Next, add butter, milk and orange blossom water to dry ingredients and combine until dough is formed.
In a food processor, blend walnuts until fine and crumbly, pour walnuts into bowl and add sugar, cinnamon and orange blossom water. Next, put the dates into the food processor and blend until it is formed into a fine ball, remove and add orange blossom water, set aside.
To form maamoul cookies, roll dough into balls, smaller than golf balls, poke an indent into the ball and place some of the filling inside, close the opening until all of the filling is concealed. Next, wipe down the maamoul mold with some vegetable oil so that dough does not stick, press ball into the maamoul mold and then tap our the cookie by hitting the mold on the side. Place the cookies on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until bottom of the cookie is light brown. Remove cookies and let cool completely, dust cookies completely with powdered sugar and store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.
Pistachio Maamoul Recipe
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 9 cups semolina or 1500 g
- 1½ cups butter or 300 g, melted
- 1½ cups ghee or 300 g, melted
- 1 cup caster sugar or 200 g
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground mahlab
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- ¾ cup rose water or 190 ml
- ¼ cup blossom water or 60 ml
For the filling:
- 3½ cups pistachio nuts or 500 g
- 1 tablespoon blossom water
- 2 tablespoons rose water
- 1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
- ½ cup caster sugar or 100 g
Preparation
- In a bowl, combine semolina, butter, ghee, sugar, nutmeg, mahlab, and yeast. Mix the ingredients well then cover and set aside for at least 4 hours.
- Pin an electric mixer, blend the pistachio until they are completely crushed. Remove and place in a bowl.
- Mix blossom water, rose water and NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk until all ingredients are well combined. Cover and place in fridge for 1 hour.
- Add rose water and blossom water to the dried mixture, knead by hands until the dough starts to hold together or forms a paste. If necessary, add a small amount of rose water.
- Remove a small piece of dough and flatten it with your hands and place a teaspoonful of the filling. Close carefully to form a ball.
- Press the stuffed dough into a wooden maamoul mold to form a pattern on the upper side of the dough.
- Tap out onto an cookie sheet that is not greased and bake in a 185c for 15-20 minutes or until lightly colored but not browned
Kahk with Dates Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups samn balady
- 1 cup milk
- 4 1/2 cups flour, all purpose
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon instant yeas
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tea spoon ground ginger
- sesame seeds
Preparation:
- Heat the samn balady (Gee) until almost boiling.
- Add the baking powder and the spices to the flour.
- Carefully add the flour to the hot samn balady (Gee) and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Keep stirring and stirring and stirring.
- When the mixture cools down a little, but is still warm, (ie you can knead it with your hands without causing permanent damage), add the instant yeast to the milk with a teaspoon of sugar, then stir gently into the dough.
- Knead it for a short while, cover and let it rest. (Officially you should shape the kahk now and let it rest later).
- After an hour or so you can start shaping the dough with your hands into little balls and then flatten them.
- You can add nuts, agwa (date spread), or other filling when you are making it into balls.
- Put them in a cookie tray and let them rest for a little.
- Then put them in a preheated oven (345 F), and watch them. Usually 15 minutes is enough.
- Take them out, wait until they cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar just before eating.
Mamool Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cups ground walnuts
1 teaspoon rose water
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)
Preparation:
- Place the semolina flour into a medium bowl, and cut in shortening using a pastry blender or a fork. Pour in boiling water, and mix to form a solid dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for a minute or two to be sure the dough is well blended. Cover dough and let stand for at least one hour, or as long as overnight.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, ground nuts, and rose water so that the mixture is uniform. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Knead dough again briefly, and form into walnut sized balls. Make a hole in the center using your finger. Fill the hole with the nut mixture, and seal the dough up over it. Gently form into balls or crescents, or make designs into the dough using a fork. Place cookies at least 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Dust with confectioners sugar while still warm if desired.
Tips:
- Almonds or unsalted pistachios may be used for filling also. If rose water is not available in your area, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon for flavoring.
- There are many variations for shaping these cookies including rectangles rolled into mini jelly rolls, or shape 3 inch rounds from balls, place filling in the center, and fold the sides over to cover, and
Maamool with Dates
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 # semolina
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 # pound butter
- boiling water
- 2 # fresh dates, pitted and pureed
Preparation:
- Combine the semolina and the sugar in a large bowl, mix thoroughly. Melt 1# pound of the butter and let it come to a boil . Gradually add the butter to the semolina mixture. Knead well. Set aside in a sealed airtight container at least one hour before using.
- When you are ready to use the dough add small amounts of boiling water to make the dough soft and pliable. Wear rubber gloves to protect hands from the boiling water. Combine the dates with the 1/4 # pound of butter (it is better to let this soften first). Knead together until they are well blended. Mold the pastry in small ball about 2 inches in diameter. Hollow out the center of the ball using your finger. Form a shell about 1/4 inch thick.
- Fill the hollow with the date mixture. Seal the top by pressing the dough together. Flatten lightly between your palms to form a pie shape. Use the tines of a fork to make a design around the top.
- Place on a baking sheet. Cook in a pre heated oven 450 degrees F or 230 degrees C for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store in sealed airtight containers.
Maamool with Walnuts
Ingredients:
- 2 cups smeed (semolina)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 1/2 cups samneh (or other shortening)
- 1 tsp. ma'ez zahr (orange blossom essence)
- 1 tsp. rose water
- 3/4 cup fine sugar
- 1 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
Preparation:
- Make dough of smeed, samneh and boiling water. Knead well together. Cover tightly and leave overnight.
- On the second day knead again thoroughly and form into small balls. Hollow out their centers. Fill the hollow with mixture of sugar, nuts and flavorings.
- Press the dough back over the filling. Press each cookie onto a buttered baking pan and flatten and decorate with the tines of a fork. Or, shape the dough in the carved molds made in Lebanon especially for this purpose. Bake in moderate oven until lightly browned. Dust liberally with powdered sugar while hot.
Ingredients (serves 6)
Ingredients:
Lentils may be prepared in many ways by combining them with beans, rice, and a variety of vegetables such as carrots, and of course, as lentil soup - Shourabat Adas.
