Mini Qatayef With A Twist.

Hello everybody.

Ramadan Kareem.

Tried these cute mini qatayef today, they’re similar to the ones served with cream or Nutella but in a different way.

You’ll need mini sized qatayef , fresh cream, crushed pistachios and sugar syrup or honey.

Spray a mini cupcake pan with vegetable oil then put qatayef in it , bake for 15-20 minutes or till edges are golden.

Cool then fill with fresh cream or ricotta with a one tablespoon rosewater and few crushed mistika

Decorate with pistachios, add honey upon serving.

Simple,easy and delicious

Pistachio Cranberry Cookies.

Hello everybody.

As I was watching my aunt making pistachio Eid cookies I thought why not make something similar with less effort and mess so came back home and kept searching for a recipe that have same ingredients and taste but in a different way.

Most ones I found were from the Persian cuisine, mainly containing rose water and saffron,so I decided to make a combination of many in one.

Result was a big success, soft aromatic with nutty flavor cookies, I used tweezers to make them similar to the usual ka3ek we make.

Ingredients and method :
*3/4 cup butter.
* 3/4 cup sugar.
* 1 cup crushed pistachio.
* 1/2 cup crushed almonds.
* 1/2 cup dried cranberries.
* 1 egg.
*1 tsp vanilla.
* 1/4 cup rose water.
* 1 tsp saffron (optional)
*1 tsp baking powder.
*pinch of salt.
* 2 1/2 cups flour.

*Beat butter and sugar till creamy.
* add egg and vanilla.
* add pistachios,almonds, cranberries.
* add flour, salt and baking powder.
* add saffron and rose water.
*knead well till you have a soft dough.
*refrigerate for half an hour.
*form into balls and decorate the shape you like or you can use usual cookie molds.
*bake in a medium heated oven for 10-13 minutes.
*cool then add icing sugar before serving.

Ramadan Kareem.

Hello everybody.

Two days passed, I can say they were easy and smooth.
First day ritual dish was stuffed vine leaves and courgettes, mushroom soup and fatoush. Typically dessert was qatayef filled with cheese and walnuts.

Second day’s dish was okra in the oven and Iranian rice, as for dessert I tried a new recipe that I sorted out by mixing many similar ones of the same ingredients.

Pistachio rose water dessert, base was crumbled biscuits and butter,topping was a mix of whipping cream, heavy cream, yogurt, pistachios, rose water, pinch of saffron. All beaten till creamy then onto biscuits, cooled then garnished with pistachios.
Simple elegant dessert with Ramadan spirit in it.

Muhalabieh with Caramel.

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Hello everybody.

Had this recipe in my book since Ramadan,a friend of mine made it and I took it right away in order to make it then but I didn’t have any chance,so today when the milkman came it crossed my mind and I bought some fresh milk and did it at last.

Very easy cooling recipe and the caramel adds a lot to the taste for sure.

Ingredients and method:

Note :this quantity yields 12 small jars or pots.

* 6 cups milk.

* 6 big tablespoons starch.

* 1 tsp mistaka finely crushed with 1/4 cup sugar so as not to stick to the grinder.

* 1 tsp rose water (optional)

* more sugar also optional cause the caramel sauce is sweet.

* leave one or two cups of milk aside and mix starch in them very well.

* add to other quantity,mix all very well then boil till it thickens.

* add mistaka and sugar and the rose water.

* pour in one big bowl or small glass bowls or jars.

* cool in the fridge for at 2-3 hours .

Caramel:

* 1/2 cup sugar melted till caramelized and golden.

* 1/2 cup water added very carefully to the browned sugar.

* stir very well and leave to simmer a bit till it’s thick.

* Before serving flip the muhalabieh in a slightly deep dish then garnish with crushed pistachios and drizzle with the caramel sauce.

Knafeh Cheesecake.

Hello everybody.

Invited to my sister in-law’s for Iftar today, promised her to make something sweet so I kept searching for something new and suitable for Ramadan as well.

Then it hit me,remembered this awesome dessert we always eat at Haneen Cafe which is knafeh cheesecake, stylish eastern western kind of dessert and luckily it turned out to be easy and light.

Looks good and yummy but we’ll have to wait till after we eat to decide.

Ingredients and method :
For the crust :
# 1 pack digestive biscuits.
# 1/2 cup butter.
# 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

For the filling :
# 2 packs yogurt ( 1 big cup)
# 6 pieces Kiri or pack cream cheese.
# 1 cup powdered milk.
# 1/2 cup sugar.

#3 tablespoons labaneh

#2 eggs

#3 tablespoons flour
# 1 tsp vanilla.

Topping :
# 1 1/2 cups knafeh dough( عجينه كنافه)
# 1/2 cup melted butter.
# orange food coloring.
# some pistachios.
# syrup when served.

# mix crust ingredients well, crushed biscuits, butter and cinnamon
# press in a spring pan then freeze for 30 minutes
# mix filling ingredients well alternatively.

#pour over crust then bake in a medium heated oven

#wrap baking tin with foil and bake in

a water bath

# meanwhile mix knafeh dough, butter and orange color well with your hands.
# spread over filling and roast again till crispy a bit (5-10 minutes)

# keep in fridge 4-5 hours.
# garnish with pistachios and syrup when you serve.

looks yummy !

can’t wait !

amazing result.

highly recommended.

Milk Pudding with Almonds ( مهلبيه باللوز).

Hello everybody.

My mother in -law invited some of her friends for an early dinner today, main dish will be Eggplant Maqloubeh as requested and I made roasted chicken which will be posted tomorrow.

My part is to make a kind of dessert , was a bit in a dilemma of what to do then the idea just came right to me when my best friend asked me to do a rice or milk pudding for her dear father’s birthday today so I made a big quantity for her and us.

After searching for a new different recipe I decided to do this one from Nestle website,really good and almonds gave it a lovely crunchy taste.

Ingredients and method:

* 1 can sweetened condensed milk.

* 1 liter water.

* 2 big spoons rice flour.( رز مطحون)

* 2 big spoons corn flour.

* 3/4 cup finely crushed almonds.

* 1 tsp cardamon.

* 1 tablespoon rose water.

* 1 tsp crushed gum mastic ( mistika مستكه)

* 4 tablespoons powdered milk.

* some crushed pistachios and cherries for decoration.

* Mix all ingredients except rose water and gum very well with a hand mixer till all are combined.

* Over a high heat keep mixing till it’s bubbly and thick.

* add gum and rose water.

* pour in serving dish or small cups.

* when cooled decorate with pistachios.

* cool in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

NOTE: if mixture wasn’t thick enough when boiled you can dissolve another tablespoon of corn flour and add it to ensure good consistency.

Happy Birthday 3ammo Abu Tareq 🙂

Puff Pastry Cream Triangles (وربات بالقشطه)

Hello everybody.

Eventful Friday ,started with boiled eggs for breakfast then followed by a nice coffee at a lovely aunt’s house.Of course coffee wasn’t alone,she made some pastries and a delicious lemon cake.I made her a nice Cherry Cake as a gift :).

Afternoon my dear uncles came by for a cup of tea, such a short notice visit,couldn’t think of anything to serve,After looking through my fridge and pantry for something quick to do, best thing I could manage was some cheese rolls and olives, nuts,chocolate and marshmallows plus I found a pack of puff pastry in the freezer so I thought these would do as dessert, stuffed in cream and topped with syrup and pistachios.

Visit was really pleasant and joyful as always <3

Ingredients and method:

* 1 pack squared puff pastry.

* Cream filling:

* 1 cup powdered milk.

* 1 cup water.

* 1 tsp butter.

* 2 big tablespoons flour.

* 2 tablespoons cream.

* Mix all ingredients except cream very well then boil till sauce is thick.

* add cream and whisk well till all is homogeneous.leave to cool.

* spread each square of pastry a bit,add one tsp of filling then fold to make a triangle.