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Cseresznyes Gomboc

Posted on Posted in Hungary, Traditional .

Cseresznyes Gomboc (Cherry Dumplings)

Cseresznyes Gomboc (Cherry Dumplings) recipe

Cseresznyes Gomboc (aka Cherry Dumplings) are a Hungarian traditional dessert dumplings that is a mix between potato gnocchi and a sweet version of English steamed dumplings (you know the ones that are usually eaten with stews).

As like gnocchi these dumplings are cooked in boiling salted water and are the same texture – fluffy and light.

Occasionally made with plums the traditional recipe calls for cherries (hence the ‘Cseresznyes’ which means cherry in Hungary).

Such a unique treat, think cinnamon doughnut outside and sweet gnocci filling.

Cseresznyes Gomboc (Cherry Dumplings) recipe

Ingredients:

Dumpling:

  • 500g sebago potatoes
  • 150g butter, softened
  • 1 tsn salt
  • 1 egg
  • 210g plain flour
  • 330g pitted Morello cherries
  • 70 g stale breadcrumbs
  • 3 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 40g caster sugar

Extra:

  • 100 thickened cream
  • 20g icing sugar

 

Method:

  1. Place whole potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water on medium heat.
  2. Allow potatoes to boil for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted into a potato slides in seamlessly, place potatoes aside to cool.
  3. Peel the potatoes and press through a sieve into a bowl.
  4. Add 40g of the butter, the salt and egg to the potato. Using a hand whisk beat until combine.
  5. Add the flour to the potato mix, stir to combine and knead until the mix resembles a dough.
  6. Divide the dough into 40g pieces and roll the dough into balls in your palms.
  7. Working with one ball at a time, make a hole in the centre. Place 2 cherries inside, fold dough over to enclose the filling, press tightly to seal and re-roll into a ball.
  8. Place dumpling on a floured tray and repeat with remaining dough until all dumplings are done.
  9. Cook the dumplings in 3 lots, dropping 1/3rd into a saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for 4 minutes or until they rise to the surface.
  10. Using a slotted spoon remove the dumplings from the water and place on a large tray. Repeat 2 more times with remaining dumplings.
  11. Place the sugar and cinnamon into a bowl, stir to combine.
  12. Place the remaining 110g of butter in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat.
  13. Cook the dumplings in the butter for 3 minutes or until slightly golden.
  14. Add the breadcrumbs to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until golden, moving the dumplings around in the pan with a spoon as well as shaking the pan.
  15. One by one place a dumpling into the sugar mix, shaking the bowl to completely cover the dumplings.
  16. Whisk the cream and icing sugar until combined.
  17. Serve dumplings on a platter with a side of the cream, enjoy.

 

Cseresznyes Gomboc (Cherry Dumplings) recipe

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Cseresznyes Gomboc (Cherry Dumplings) recipe

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Cseresznyes Gomboc (Cherry Dumplings) recipe

 

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Thiples

Posted on Posted in Greece, Traditional .

Thiples

Thiples

Thiples are a Greek traditional thin-sheet pastry (also known as Diples), usually made for special festive occasions. Similar to Cannoli’s shell texture and crunch Thiples are fried pastry that is soaked in a honey lemon syrup and sprinkled with a sesame and nut cinnamon mix for the extra crunch and flavour.

Think Baklava syrup and Frappe (aka Cioffe…aka Italian deep fried bow-tie cookies).

This is not the easiest of desserts to make, the pastry needs to be super super thin, but the outcome is addictively moreish – I can see why these are a Greek dessert treasure!

 

Dough:

  • 4 eggs
  • 30g ouzo
  • 1 tbsn sugar
  • 20ml lemon juice
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 470g ‘oo’ flour

Syrup:

  • 170g honey
  • 110g sugar
  • 30ml lemon juice
  • 1 tsn ground cinnamon

Extra:

  • 50g walnuts
  • 35g sesame seeds
  • ¼ tsn ground cinnamon
  • Oil to fry

Method:

  1. Place the eggs, ouzo, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice into a bowl and stir until combine.
  2. Add the flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough is stiff (disregard any unused flour).
  3. Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
  4. Place the dough in an oiled bowl with plastic wrap over the top and leave for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  5. For the syrup place all the syrup ingredients as well as 60ml of water into a saucepan on high heat and stir until well combine and sugar is melted.
  6. Once the mix boils reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, take off heat.
  7. Toast the sesame seeds until golden on a medium heat in a saucepan.
  8. Finely chop up the walnuts and place them in a bowl with the cinnamon and seeds, stir until well combined.
  9. Roll the dough through a pasta machine until you reach 2mm in thickness.
  10. Cut the dough into 10cm x 10xm squares.
  11. Roll the dough up into tube shapes.
  12. Place the frying oil into a saucepan and add a little dough, place heat on high.
  13. Once the dough starts to sizzle remove and turn the heat to medium/low.
  14. Add in the tubes (triples) and fry until golden brown.
  15. Remove the thiples and place onto paper towel.
  16. Pour the syrup into a bowl and add in the thiples, turning them for a robust syrup coating.
  17. Place the thiples onto a serving plate and top with any remaining syrup as well as the nut mix sprinkled on the top.
  18. Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Vanilla and Cinnamon Scrolls recipe
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NOTE:
  • Rolling the pastry prior to adding to the oil is not the traditional method. Technically you are to add the pastry as a sheet and roll with tongs, this however clearly takes a lot of practice. As this recipe rolls prior to the oil make sure your oil is not too hot or the outside will brown before the pastry in the middle has had time to cook.

 

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M’Hanncha

Posted on Posted in Morocco, Traditional .

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M’Hanncha

I can’t remember where I saw this dessert but a flavour pairing of almonds, rosewater and chocolate sounded quite interesting indeed. As I am always up for trying another cultures traditional sweet treats this gem had my name written all over it to at least trial with the hope it would be super delicious and worth the effort.

M’hanncha is a traditional Moroccan sweet treat that gets its weird name from its interesting looking shape. In Arabic, unsurprisingly, ‘m’hanncha’ means snake. Thus the dessert’s structure and make holds true to its name as it resembles a coiled snake.

For me this recipe is not as sweet as I would have liked, however the 20 people that taste tested deemed it thoroughly enjoyable (I do have a very sweet tooth also..).

Outcome – an appealing and very interesting textured dessert thanks to the almond meal.

M'hanncha

Ingredients:

  • 90g butter, melted
  • 200g ground almonds
  • ½ tsn almond essence
  • 90g icing sugar
  • 1 + 1/2 tsn rosewater
  • 65g grated dark chocolate
  • 6 filo pastry sheets
  • 75g butter, melted, extra
  • 1 lightly beaten egg
  • ½ tsn ground cinnamon

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160c and line a 20cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Combine the butter, almond meal, essence, sugar, rosewater and chocolate in a bowl, stir.
  3. Divide the mix into 3 long logs to the length of 5cm less than the longer size of the filo sheet.
  4. Brush 1 sheet of pasty with the extra butter and place a 2nd sheet on top, brush 2nd sheet with butter.
  5. Place a log ontop of the pastry, long end ways, 5cm from end (2.5cm per side) thus a leaving 2.5cm boarder on the short end.
  6. Roll the pastry tight to enclose the log,
  7. Repeat with the remaining pastry, butter and logs for 2 more pastry rolls.
  8. Pinch one end of one pastry log to seal it. This will be the centre of the coil. On the base of the lined spring form cake tin start the coiling into the spiral shape, from centre outwards.
  9. Once you have rolled the pastry log into a tight spiral brush with the egg to join the next log.
  10. Continue adding the logs end to end in the spiral pattern and using the egg to seal.
  11. Brush the whole dessert with the egg and top with the cinnamon.
  12. Clip the cake tin sides to the cake tin base to ensure the spring form pan is secure.
  13. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden on colour.
  14. Once cooled dust with icing sugar and serve.

 

Notes:

  • You can use oil spray if you don’t want to use the extra melted butter on the filo pastry.
  • If you don’t have a spring form cake pan that is fine you will just have to be careful picking up the coiled pastry and ensuring it’s tightly coiled then placing it into a cake tray on baking paper.
  • Be gentle when coiling the pastry as you don’t want to have too much of a heavy hand and tear. If this occurs you can just remove the pastry and start with 2 new fresh filo pieces.

 

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Pepparkakor

Posted on Posted in Biscuits, Swedish, Traditional .

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

The Pepparkakor cookie is a traditional Swedish Christmas cookie, commonly referred to as “ginger thins” or “gingernuts“ (however should not be mistaken for the US gingersnap biscuits in which are very different).

Swedish custom states you place a Pepparkakor cookie in the palm of your hand, then you make a wish while you use your index finger of your other hand to tap the cookie in the middle. If the Pepparkakor breaks into three pieces tradition states your wish will come true. As per most traditional treats there are many slightly varying recipes to these cookies. This was my favorite after trialing half a dozen.

To be honest I thought my gingerbread man recipe was the ultimate spiced treat, however this cookie has trumped my never fail absolutely amazing gingerbread recipe its that good.

 

Ingredients:

  • 225g plain flour
  • 1 tsn ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsn ground cloves
  • 1 tsn ground ginger
  • ¼ tsn ground cardamom
  • ½ tsn baking powder
  • ¼ tsn salt
  • 100g butter
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 75g golden syrup

 

Method:

  1. In a bowl sieve the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, baking soda, and salt. Stir.
  2. Place the butter, sugar and syrup into a saucepan on a medium heat and stir until melted and well combined.
  3. Take off the heat and leave aside to cool.
  4. Sieve the flour mix over the cooled butter mix and stir until well combined.
  5. Form the dough into a ball shape, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 175c degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
  7. Using a lightly floured rolling pin roll out the dough to a 2cm thickness on a lightly floured surface.
  8. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes and place cookies onto the prepared baking tray.
  9. Place the trays in the oven for 7 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden brown.
  10. Leave the cookies on the trays for 5 minutes before placing on to a wire rack to cool completely, durst with icing sugar.

 

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

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Irish Coffee Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Traditional .

Irish Coffee Cake 

Irish Coffee Cake recipe

For Christmas recently I was given a book on cakes from all over the world. Of course the first thing I did when the Christmas catch-ups were over was start to make the traditional recipes from the book.

12 recipes in and I found 1 that I had to blog about. Now I’m not really sure how ‘traditional’ this recipe actually is but the key ingredients I know at least are. This Irish Coffee Cake is to die for, and that’s coming from someone who has recently been turned off drinking coffee and opts for tea every time.

The key ingredients in this cake that make it special is the incorporation of Irish coffee as well as Irish whiskey.

A super easy and fluffy cake to make and a super tasty treat even to a non-coffee, non-whiskey drinker.

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 180g butter
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 180g sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 180g self-rising flour
  • ½ tsn salt
  • 5 tsn espresso coffee

Syrup:

  • 150 espresso coffee
  • 120g sugar
  • 3 tbsn Irish whiskey

Filling:

  • 300ml cream
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 50 icing sugar
  • 2 tbsn Irish whiskey

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and spray a 25cm bundt cake tin with a generous amount of oil spray.
  2. Place the butter, vanilla and sugar into a bowl and beat with electric beaters for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time beating in between each addition.
  4. Sift the flour and salt into the mix and pour in the cold coffee.
  5. Carefully mix the batter until just combine.
  6. Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Leave the cake aside to cool on a cooling rack.
  8. Meanwhile make the syrup by placing all the ingredients into a saucepan on high and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mix just starts to get syrupy.
  9. Cut the cake in half horizontally.
  10. Using a pastry brush, brush the syrup onto the 2 cut sides of the cake layers.
  11. Make the filling by beating the cream with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Add the remaining filling ingredients and beat on low until peaks form.
  12. Place the bottom layer of the cake on a plate, cut side up.
  13. Spread the cream on the cake layer.
  14. Top with the second cake layer cut side down.
  15. Sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy!

 

Irish Coffee Cake recipe

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Irish Coffee Cake recipe

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Irish Coffee Cake recipe

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Spiced Caramel Apple Pie Cake recipe

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Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Jamaican, Traditional .

Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake

Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake
It’s not so much the cake that is the traditional element here (though ginger cake is a common cake to eat in Jamaica where many brand specialize in this treat).It’s the Jamaica Ginger extract, known in the US by the slang name “Jake,” that makes this traditional. This ginger is world renown for more reasons than one.

Most interestingly is the background of the ginger extract, in the 1900th century the US Treasury Dept. had prohibition laws on the ginger as it is so high (excuse the pun) in ethanol. When chemists attempted to counteract the high ethanol it actually resulted in a type of paralysis causing worldwide illnesses.

Of course the Jamaican ginger is 100% safe to eat now and needless to say the culprits were dealt with.

Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 235g butter
  • 90ml water
  • 220g black treacle
  • 140g golden syrup
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 385g self raising flour
  • ½ tsn salt
  • 4 tsn group ginger
  • 1 tsn ground all spice
  • 2 tsn ground cinnamon
  • 3 eggs
  • 20g grated ginger
  • 140g milk full fat

Syrup:

  • 100g brown sugar
  • 300ml ginger beer / ginger ale

Cream:

  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 40g icing sugar
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • ½ tsn coconut essence
  • Decoration:
  • 50g shaved coconut
  • Treacle, extra

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the butter, water, treacle, golden syrup and the sugar in a saucepan on a medium heat.
  3. Stir continuously until the mix is well combine, butter is melted and sugar dissolved.
  4. Take the pan off the stove and leave to cool.
  5. Sieve the flour, salt and spices into a bowl.
  6. Stir the dry mix until well combined.
  7. Add the eggs to the butter mix, one at a time beating with electric beaters in each addition.
  8. Add the milk and grated ginger and beat until combine.
  9. Add the dry mix to the egg mix and fold with a spatula until just combine.
  10. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  11. Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack until cool.
  12. Meanwhile make the syrup by placing the ingredients into a saucepan and stir on a high heat for 5 minutes or until the mix becomes syrupy in texture.
  13. Remove off the heat and leave aside to cool.
  14. To make the cream beat all the ingredients together with electric beaters until firm peaks form. Place the cream in the fridge until ready to use.
  15. Then the cake is cooled cut horizontally into 3 layers.
  16. Place the layers on the bench and brush each on the cut side up with the ginger syrup.
  17. Place the bottom layer cut side up on a plate, top with ¼ of the cream.
  18. Place the 2nd layer syrup side up on top of the cream and top with another ¼ of the cream.
  19. Place the remaining cake layer cut side down onto the cream.
  20. With the remaining cream spread on the top and sides of the cake generously.
  21. Sprinkle the coconut flakes on the top and sides of the cake to decorate.
  22.  To finish you can decorate with a drizzle of extra treacle and serve.

 

Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake
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Black Russian Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Russia, Traditional .

Black Russian Cake (aka Vodka Kahlua Cake)

Black Russian Cake recipe

So this cake technically is not a traditional Russian cake, however is a cake that is popular in Russia and has many many many versions of it. The 4 things all versions have in common being; lots of vodka, Kahlua and chocolate.

My understanding is if cream is included in the recipe it is usually piped in the center of the cake where the hole is, however I felt that icing the cake with the cream in the center horizontally was a great way to break up the intense chocolate richness (instead of just use it as a decorative feature).

Now I have make Chocolate, Nutella and Kahlua cake before (see my Kahlua Nutella Chocolate Cake recipe), where this cake was absolutely delightfully decadent.

This Russian cake however, has the significant addition of the vodka that really breaks up the sweetness and somehow makes the Kahlua and chocolate event more scrumptious in flavour.

The texture of the cake (I’m not sure if this is thanks to the vodka) is amazing. Think choc and coffee brownie cake with a layer of Nutella.

This cake will melt in your mouth and leave you wondering why you have been wasting kjs on plain chocolate cake in the past.

 

Ingredients:

Batter:

  • 190g flour
  • 50g corn flour
  • 30ml milk powder
  • 1 tsn baking powder
  • 1 tsn salt
  • 100g cocoa powder
  • 430g sugar
  • 70g butter
  • 200g vegetable oil
  • 170ml milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 60ml vodka
  • 30ml Kahlua

Syrup:

  • 50g butter
  • 2 tbsn water
  • 90g sugar
  • 100ml vodka
  • 100ml Kahlua

Cream:

  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 20g icing sugar
  • 100g Nutella

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and spray a non-stick Bundt cake tin with oil spray.
  2. In a bowl double sieve the flours, milk powder, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and sugar.
  3. In another bowl heat the butter until just melted.
  4. Add the oil and milk to the butter mix and using electric beaters whisk for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the eggs to the butter mix and beat for a further 3 minutes.
  6. Add the vodka and Kahlua to the egg mmix and beat for 1 more minute.
  7. Add the wet mix to the flour mix and whisk until just combine.
  8. Pour the batter into the tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Place the cake on a cooling rack until cold.
  10. Meanwhile to make the syrup place the butter, water and sugar into a pan and heat on high stirring continuously until the mix is bubbling.
  11. Add the Vodka and Kahlua and stir until well combine and the mix slightly thickens.
  12. Take the syrup off the heat for later use.
  13. Make the cream by combining all ingredients into a bowl and beating with an electric whisk until peaks form, set aside.
  14. Using a pastry brush brush the top of the cake with half the syrup mix.
  15. To put the cake together, cut the cake into 2 layers horizontally.
  16. Place the bottom layer on a plate and using a pastry brush brush the remaining syrup onto the cake cut side up.
  17. Add the cream mix and top with the second cake layer, syrup side up.

 

Note: I dusted the cake with icing sugar to decorate.

Black Russian Cake recipe

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Black Russian Cake recipe

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Black Russian Cake recipe

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Spiced Caramel Apple Pie Cake recipe

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 Black Russian Cake recipe

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Croatian Honey Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Croatian, Traditional .

Croatian Honey Cake

Croatian Honey Cake recipe
Croatian Honey cake is a very popular traditional desserts in Croatia, where it is most popularly eaten at Christmas time (though is also commonly eaten as a special treat anytime of the year).
Much like many traditional treats this cake has many versions. After experimenting with a few recipe versions below is my altered favorite where I have toned down the sweetness just a bit as the honey can be very overpowering. This cake will melt in your mouth and is absolutely delicious. It may take a few steps to make but it is well worth the effort and wait!
Croatian Honey Cake recipe

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 400g plain flour
  • 1tbsn bicarbonate of soda
  • 45ml milk
  • 45ml oil
  • 15g honey
  • 140g sugar
  • 1 Egg

Filling:

  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 500ml milk
  • 70g honey
  • 60 g sugar
  • 6 tbsn semolina
  • 150g butter
  • 130g dark chocolate

Syrup:

  • 70g sugar
  • 80g water
  • 50ml rum

 

Method:

  1. Put the milk, oil, honey and sugar into a saucepan on a high heat and stir until the sugar has melted.
  2. Pour the honey mix into a bowl and leave aside to cool.
  3. Sift the flour and bicarb into the honey bowl.
  4. Add the egg to the mix and using your hands kneed all ingredients until well combine and soft.
  5. Wrap the cake batter in plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
  6. Meanwhile make the filling by placing the vanilla essence, milk, honey and sugar into a saucepan and heat on high until boiling.
  7. Take the mix off the heat add the semolina and place back on the heat until the semolina is thick and the liquid is all absorbed.
  8. Divide the semolina mix into 2 bowls, 1 with 1/3 of the mix and 1 with 2/3 of the mix.
  9. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute on medium or until melted.
  10. Add the chocolate into the smaller bowl of semolina and beat with a hand whisk until combine.
  11. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap.
  12. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees.
  13. Make the cake by lining 2 40cm x 30cm baking trays with baking paper.
  14. Cut the mix in half and roll each piece onto the baking paper precut to the tins in size until they both fit in the tins snug.
  15. Bake both cakes for 5 minutes until pale but firm to touch.
  16. Cut both layers in half and leave aside to cool.
  17. Meanwhile make the syrup by placing all the ingredients into a saucepan on high heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
  18. To put the cake together line a 15cm x 15cm cake tin with baking paper.
  19. Cut the 4 cake layers to size to fit the tin perfectly.
  20. Place one cake layer in the lined tin and brush ¼ of the syrup on the cake layer.
  21. Add half the honey filling and spoon onto the cake layer in the tin, flatten.
  22. Add the 2nd cake layer and brush with ¼ of the syrup.
  23. Add the chocolate filling and flatten out.
  24. Top with the next cake layer and brush with ¼ syrup.
  25. Add the remaining honey filling and top with the last cake layer.
  26. Brush the top cake layer with the remaining syrup.
  27. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to set.
  28. Turn the cake onto a plate and trim the sides to ensure even layers are visible.
  29. Cut the cake into long slices and dust with icing sugar, enjoy.

 

Croatian Honey Cake recipe

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Croatian Honey Cake recipe

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Aish El Saraya

Posted on Posted in Lebanese, Traditional .

Aish El Saraya

Aish El Saraya recipe

My father is a big Bread and Butter Pudding fan. As his birthday was coming up I wanted to find some special and different pudding recipes to make for him.

After doing a bit of research and some baking of other countries versions of this dessert I came across Aish El Saraya.

”Aish el Saraya” is a famous Lebanese dessert that is traditionally cooked for Ramadan, holydays and fete days (etc ‘Eid ul-Fitr). This puddings title means ”the bread of royal palace” hence the baking taking place for special occassions.

The dessert is and light, eggless, bread & custard based rose pistachio treat.

Think bread and butter pudding texture with a Turkish delight flavour.

 

Ingredients:

Pudding:

  • 6 slices bread
  • 310ml milk
  • 60g sugar
  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 50g corn flour
  • 1 + ¼ tsn rosewater essence
  • 1 + ¼ tsn lemon juice
  • 50g shelled pistachios
  • ¼ tsn lemon zest

Syrup:

  • 85g sugar
  • 70g water
  • 2 + ½ tsn lemon juice
  • 2 tsn rosewater essence

Method:

  1. Toast the bread and cut off the crusts.
  2. Line a 20cm x 25cm slice tin with baking paper.
  3. Lay the bread into the base of the tray and cut to ensure a snug fit and no overlap.
  4. To make the syrup place the sugar, water and lemon juice into a saucepan and stir on a high heat until boiling.
  5. Turn the temperature to medium and stir for 5 minutes until the syrup has slightly thickened.
  6. Take off the heat, stir in the rosewater essence and leave aside for 10 minutes.
  7. Pour the syrup over the bread and evenly coat each slice.
  8. To make the custard place the milk, sugar, cream, flour and lemon juice into a saucepan on a medium heat.
  9. Whisk with a hand whisk for 5 minutes or until the custard thickens and is silky smooth.
  10. Add the rosewater essence and whisk.
  11. Pass the custard through a sieve and pour over the bread.
  12. Tap the tin on the bench 5 times to remove any air bubbles and place in the fridge overnight.
  13. Before serving finely dice the pistachios and scatter over the top on the pudding.
  14. Scatter the lemon zest over the top.
  15. Remove out of the tin and slice evenly, serve.

Aish El Saraya recipe

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Aish El Saraya recipe

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Aish El Saraya recipe

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Aish El Saraya recipe

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Aish El Saraya recipe

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Aish El Saraya recipe

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Aish El Saraya recipe

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Maamool

Posted on Posted in Arabic, Traditional .

 Maamool

Maamool recipe

In my constant exploring and investigating for amazing worldly sweet treats I came across the Maamool biscuit (or Ma’amoul). These biscuits are Arabic traditional small shortbread pastries filled with dates or nuts.

As they are popular in so many courtiers (etc Lebanon, the Middle East and North Arica) you can imagine there are many varying recipes, particularly when it comes to the actually biscuit (cookie) dough. So I started comparing and researching recipes until I identified a few that seems to be quite consistent in ingredients and methods.

These biscuits are not my usual sweet treat fix as they are not very sweet but the fact they are predominately used for religious festivals was very interesting to me. Muslims eat these treats during holidays, and Arabic-speaking Christians eat them at Easter. So to have this much importance to cultures made me really keen to make them myself.

In my option below is the easiest and tastiest biscuit recipe (which I’ve adapted) and 2 filling options (also adapted), though the date one is by far the tastier.

Maamool recipe

Ingredients:

Biscuit dough:

  • 4.5 cups fine semolina
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 cups butter, melted
  •  4 tsp orange blossom water
  •  4 tsp rose water
  • 1/4 water

Date Filling:

  • 2 cup chopped pitted dates
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsn orange blossom water
  • 2 tsn rose water

Nut Filling

  • 2 cups almond (or walnuts / pistachios)
  • 100g sugar
  • 2 tsn orange blossom water
  • 2 tsn rose water

 

Method:

  1. Mix all the dough ingredients together in a bowl, massaging with slightly wet hands until the mix is combined well.
  2. Knead for 5 minutes to form a soft ball.
  3. Leave mixture in a bowl covered overnight (or at least 5 hours) to rest. This will allow the semolina to swell and soften up.
  4. After the mix has been left overnight line 2 large baking trays with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 175c.
  5. If your making the date mix:
    1. Prepare the date filling by placing all the ingredients into a saucepan and stir on low until the dates are softened and the ingredients are combining.
    2. Place in a food processor and process until the mix is smooth then form into small balls (the size or a 5 cent piece or 15g).
  6. If your making the nut mix:
    1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to semi-coarse consistency.
    2. Using your hands massage the ingredients together until well combined.
  7. Roll dough into 30g sized balls the size of golf balls.
  8. Stuff the cookies by place your finger in the middle to form a hole in the ball and place the date balls inside / or spoon 15g of the nut mixture inside.
  9. Gently close up dough ball and seal and roll to be a ball again.
    1. If you are using the traditional Maamool mold place the ball into the mold and gently pat down to mold. Tap the mold onto a bench to remove the biscuit.
  10. Place Maamool onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until just about to get a little brown.
  11. Once cooled sift icing sugar onto the Maamool.

 

Notes:

  • Maamoul’s can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week, in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 weeks or can be frozen for up to 3 months. The airtight container is important as without it they will go dry.
  • You can also use a metal cookie cutter instead of the mold.
  • You can flour the mold and tap out excess flour if you are worried about the dough sticking.
  • You can place a design on the top with a folk if you are not using a mold.
  • These biscuits don’t rise so 1cm apart if perfectly fine.
  • If the dough is crumbly you have used too much butter.
  • If you have used too little butter or you over-bake they will be crunchy and crack.

Maamool recipe

Ingredients

Maamool recipe

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Maamool recipe

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Maamool recipe

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Maamool recipe

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Maamool recipe

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Maamool recipe

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