Middle Eastern Desserts/Sweets

[M. Lucia]

I was going through some files, and found this picture I thought you all might appreciate.

I think this was in Saida, and the subject is senioura: a special sweet biscuit they make there.

I found the pastries I sampled in Saida to be exceedingly sweet- certainly the sweetest I'd ever had, which is apparently what they are known for.

[rajsuman]

I own a book called Patisserie of the Eastern Mediterranean by Arto Der Hariutunian. which has great photos in it of most all of the recipes.  Might answer many of your questions.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/007...4/egulletcom-20

I think I've built an eGullet friendly link here. 

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Thanks for the link Katie! I want that book! Are the recipes any good? Arabic sweets are my absolute favourite and now I'm drooling all over my keyboard. What are you people doing to me? It's nearly 1 am and I feel like having some baklava right now! I guess I'll go downstairs and open a can of condensed milk.

I always thought that jalebis were a totally Indian sweet until I browsed Nigella Lawson's Feast at a bookstore recently. She gives a recipe for it, but calls it the mid-eastern zallobie or some such thing. Would any of you know alternative spellings for the same?

Great pics, BTW! Makes me want to go to Dubai this instant and set up camp inside one of those cafes cum sweetshops.

[FoodMan]

I always thought that jalebis were a totally Indian sweet until I browsed Nigella Lawson's Feast at a bookstore recently. She gives a recipe for it, but calls it the mid-eastern zallobie or some such thing. Would any of you know alternative spellings for the same?

You might find it under various names including "Zalabiya", "lokmat El Kadi", "aawaymat". All of these are pieces of fried sweet dough soaked in syrup.

Elie

[Nicolai]

That was my late breakfast today.

Halawet el Jebn with Ashta and sprinkling of crushed Pistachios.

Edited July 16, 2013 by Nicolai (log)

[SylviaLovegren]

But what is it?

[Nicolai]

It is a Levant sweet originated in Hama - Syria.

It is a dough of 2 basic ingredients namely Semolina and White fresh cheese and of course sugar syrup.

The best part is the stretching....

You can see it here:

[heidih]

Wow - and I thought I was "all that" when I pulled and stretched my own strudel dough. It is lovely to watch masters of a specific art at work. My French is a bit rusty but I assume the clear liquid being ladled over the top (as when the giant dome was created) is the sugar syrup. I enjoy the taste of pistachios but you also have to admit that the color just makes the pastries even more swoon worthy.

[Nicolai]

You definitely have to try it at least once in your life.

Yes, the liquid is Sugar Syrup.

The video is from the Hallab Sweets in Tripoli.

I was with one of the Hallab brothers this evening (not in Tripoli) and I showed him the pic on egullet which got him thrilled.

Hallab are one of the Levant Sweets masters with a long history behind the brand.

Their sweets are to die for.

Maybe I do a photoshoot with the prep of few recipes.

The better Halawet el Jebn can be found in Hama - Syria and the best of the best in Aleppo - Syria.

The Aleppo version is viciously delectable as they incorporate split Pistachios in the mix and hang the sheets out to dry and of course they use Lamb ghee instead of butter.

But Hallab did up the ante and are now producing another version which is Halawet el Rez by replacing Semolina with Rice powder which makes the whole paste lighter and exremely tasty.

[Hassouni]

Of ya yaba Hallaaaab!

Best sweet shop in the world. And one of the best desserts in the world! I never knew how they made the wrapping - and I've never seen the layered style, only the wrapped, across Lebanon and even at Hallab in Trablus.

So did you make it from scratch Nicolai?

[IAte]

OMG I've never seen how it's made. Amazing. So true, it's so nice to watch master at work.

Thanks for sharing!

[Snadra]

The Aleppo version is viciously delectable as they incorporate split Pistachios in the mix and hang the sheets out to dry and of course they use Lamb ghee instead of butter.

This looks incredible.

And the words 'viciously delectable' are so perfectly descriptive!

[shawarma_prince]

Anybody every tried gosht e fil?

[shawarma_prince]

It seems like a lot of sweets use filo. if the theories are that it is not ancient what were deserts in this area like before? Pudding ish?