It all began in the 1870s with a sweets vendor in Hama Syria. The patriarch of the Salloura family figured out a way to make sweet cheese pancakes rolled around sweet cream, called Halawet El Jibn, which in Arabic means “sweetness of the cheese.” The cheese rolls were scented with rose or orange blossom, then doused…… Continue reading Halawet El Jibn: An Iconic Syrian Dessert for My Baba’s Bday!
Tag: lebanese dessert
MY FAVORITE DESSERT of ALL TIME- KNAFEH!
Ask anyone from Arab countries what their favorite dessert is, and without hesitation they will most likely respond: Kanafeh. This iconic dessert, spelled a myriad of ways, from kanafeh to knafe to kanafeh, is undoubtedly the most popular dessert among Arabs the world over. This layered confection consists of shredded phyllo dough called “kataife” doused…… Continue reading MY FAVORITE DESSERT of ALL TIME- KNAFEH!
The Cream Filled Pastry of My Dreams: “Warbat”
For those of you that have been following my blog, you know that one of my goals on my channel was to showcase small business owners, as restaurants and other food service place have been hit particularly hard by Covid restrictions. Here in California, political restrictions have destroyed 1 in 3 businesses! If you saw…… Continue reading The Cream Filled Pastry of My Dreams: “Warbat”
Mahalabia: Orange Blossom and Cardamom Milk Pudding
I though I would end the year with the taste and scent of one of my favorite Arab comfort foods-Mahalabia. This popular and ancient Middle Eastern milk pudding has appealed to people in the Middle East for millennia, The recipe actually has Persian origins, dating back to 224 BC. By the 7th century, a Persian…… Continue reading Mahalabia: Orange Blossom and Cardamom Milk Pudding
30 Minute Baklava Recipe!
Hello My Feasting Friends! Ask people from any Middle Eastern country where Baklava originated, and they will all claim to have invented this popular dessert. It is widely believed however, that the Assyrians at around 8th century B.C. were the first people who put together the concept of chopped nuts between layers of thin bread…… Continue reading 30 Minute Baklava Recipe!
Namoura, Basbousa, and Harisseh, the Arabic Dessert with Three Names!
Imagine a moist dense cake with the tang of yogurt, the sweetness of honey and a hint of rose. This cake is so popular it goes by three different names all over the Levant. The Lebanese call this cake Namoura, the Palestinians call it Harisseh, and the Egyptians call it Basbousa. No matter what you…… Continue reading Namoura, Basbousa, and Harisseh, the Arabic Dessert with Three Names!
Ma’Moul and Ka’ak Bi Ajwa- Semolina Cookies for Easter
There is a special cookie that has been around since the Egyptian Pharoahs, a cookie that carries religious significance for Christians and Muslims, a cookie that is so meaningful it is only made once a year in most Arab households. That cookie is….Ma’moul, and the date ring cookie cousin called Ka’ak bu Ajwa (also known…… Continue reading Ma’Moul and Ka’ak Bi Ajwa- Semolina Cookies for Easter