Chocolate Baklava

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups butter, melted

1 package (16 ounce) phyllo dough, thawed

4 cups pecans, finely chopped

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted   

¾ cup sugar

1 ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon lemon peel, grated

Glaze:

1 ¼ tablespoon butter

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Directions

1.  Butter a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.  In a bowl, combine chocolate chips, cinnamon, pecans, lemon peel, and ¼ cup sugar.

2.  Take eight sheets of phyllo dough and layer them in the pan, spreading each sheet with melted butter. Spread about half of the chocolate chip mixture over the phyllo dough and cover with a buttered sheet of phyllo dough.

3.  Layer five more sheets of phyllo dough, buttering each sheet. Add remaining chocolate chip mixture and layer with remaining sheets of phyllo dough, buttering each sheet.

4.  Using a knife, cut the baklava into 1 ½” diamonds.  Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes or until golden brown.  About twenty minutes before Baklava is finished, combine ingredients for glaze in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Allow the mixture to simmer for twenty minutes.

5.  When Baklava is finished cooking, drizzle syrup over top and let cool.

Harissa ( Arabic Semolina Cake)

Harissa

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 cups semolina
• 3/4 cup unsweetened butter, melted                                            
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup whole blanched almond or ground pistachio nut (to garnish)

Syrup

• 4 cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 small lemon, juice of (or equivalent citric acid)

Directions

1. Mix the semolina, the sugar and the butter in a large bowl. Use your hands to corporate the butter with the other ingredients until mixed well.
2. Mix the yogurt and the baking soda in a separate bowl.
3. Wait a few minutes until the yogurt doubles in size.
4. When the yogurt has doubled (or almost)pour the yogurt mix on top of the semolina mix.
5. Use your hands again to mix.
6. After you combined the two mixes, press the mix down on a small jellyroll pan or a 9x13 pyrex baking dish.
7. (The cake mix should not be more then 1 inch thick. If it is bake the cake in a bigger pan or take out the extra and bake it in a separte pan.).
8. Cut a diamond or square design in the cake witha butter knife.
9. If using almond place one in each piece.
10. Bake at 400 degrees for 30min to 45 mins until its a bronze brown color.
11. Pour cold syrup on top while its hot so it can absorb all through.
12. If using ground pistashios sprinkle a little on top of each square.
13. FOR THE SYRUP:.
14. Mix all the ingredients for the syrup and place in saucepan on high until it boils. If using citric acid use only the the tip of a teaspoon.
15. Then reduce the heat to medium for 45 min to 1 hour until it coats a metal spoon.

Maamoul with Kishta

Maamoul with Kishta

Ingredients                                               

For the dough:

2 cups semolina

1 cup fine semolina                                                   

1 cup ghee 

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground mahlab

1 teaspoon yeast

3 tablespoons rose water

3 tablespoons blossom water

For the filling:

3 cups water or 750 ml

1 tin NESTLÉ Sweetened Condensed Milk

¾ cup corn flour

2 tablespoons blossom water

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine grain semolina, fine semolina, ghee, sugar, mahlab, yeast, rose water and blossom water. Mix the ingredients well then cover and set aside for at least 1 hour.                        
2. Press ½ quantity of the maamoul dough over 28cm round non-stick oven tray to flatten evenly all over the tray.                        
3. Combine water, NESTLÉ Sweetened Condensed Milk and corn flour in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and thicken with constant stirring. Add blossom water and stir.                        
4. Pour the hot cream mixture over the maamoul dough in the tray with equally level and set aside to cool into a room temperature.                        
5. place the remaining ½ of the maamoul dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper, then gently roll it between the papers using a rolling pin to reach the size of the tray. Remove the top paper and turn the dough carefully over the cream mixture and press gently. (Remove exceeding dough from the sides).                        
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 392 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown color, remove and set aside to cool.                        
7. Cut into squares and serve.                         

Maamoul with walnuts

Maamoul with walnuts

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)

Directions

1. 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.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, ground nuts, and rose water so that the mixture is uniform. Set aside.

3. 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.               

4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Dust with confectioners sugar while still warm if desired.

Katayef

Katayef

Ingredients

• 2 cups of plain flour                                          
• 1/2 teasp of yeast
•  2 cups of milk                                                        
• 1 cups of minced walnut
• 1/2 cup of caster sugar
• 1 tablesp of rose water
• 1 tablesp of orange-flower water
• 3 cups of frying oil
• 2 cups of Syrup 

Directions

1. Mix the flour, yeast and milk until you get a soft and combined dough.
2. Keep it aside until it gets double in size.
3. Fill a pouring bad with part of the dough. Pouring small circles on a hot frying pan.
4. After 1 minute of pouring the circles turn the Katayef to the other side for 2 seconds then take them of the frying pan.
5. Mix the walnuts with the sugar, rose water and orange-flower water. Take 1 heaped teaspoon of the mixture and fill the middle of the Katayef.
6. Fold over and Close the Katayef by pinching the edges of the dough.
7. Deep fry the Kateyef in very hot oil until a golden color.
8. Remove the Kateyef form the oil and put onto a paper towel to let excess oil drain for a few second then put them put into Syrup for few minutes.
9. Take out of syrup and serve.

Baklava

Baklava

Ingredients

2 Cups Med. Chopped walnuts or pistachio nuts

1/3 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Rose water                                             

1lb Filo dough

1lb Drawn butter or sweet butter

Basic Syrup

• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1 Cup water
• Few drops of Lemon Juice
• 1 Teaspoon Rose water

Directions

1. Combine nuts, sugar and rose water.
2. Filo dough may be spread in a buttered 10×14 inch pan, brushing each layer with butter. Half way through the layering, place nut mixture in ½ to ¾ inch layer. Then continue layering buttered filo on top.
3. Cut in diamond shaped pieces. Bake at 300 degrees F. for 1 hour or until golden brown.
4. Combine sugar, water and lemon juice in saucepan. Boil over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly viscous (225 degrees). Before removing from heat, add rose water and let come to a boil. Remove from fire and cool.
5. Pour syrup over baklava making sure the dough is well saturated.