I’ve been playing around with this recipe for quite some time now and made several versions of it with different winter fruits. The addition of the semolina and high-quality olive oil in the batter makes a tender and light cake that’s complex in flavor. It’s studded with quince, that’s slightly roasted in orange blossom water
Arabic Sweets
Karabij (Semolina Rosewater Pistachio Cookies)
I’ve always been curious about the science of baking. Understanding how ingredients work together to create specific baked goods is so fascinating and that’s what keeps me driven to try out new recipes and techniques. For example, when I think of a simple pie crust recipe, so many questions rush through my mind: Should I
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Cakes
Pomegranate Cake with Tangerine Rosewater Syrup
Semolina flour is one of those incredibly versatile ingredients that’s always worth having on hand. I’ve used it in desserts like Halawet el Jibn, Bohsalino, and even Sfouf cake (which is the most viewed recipe on my blog!) In today’s post, I baked a simple semolina lemon butter cake and paired it with two seasonal fruits:
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Desserts
Halawet El-Jibn (Sweet Cheese Rolls)
Making Lebanese desserts may seem impossible – especially if you live in an Arab country where the best sweets are readily available. But it’s not as hard as you think, and all the ingredients used for this Halawet El-Jibn recipe are not hard to find. I bet you’ll be surprised to know how easy it
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Arabic Sweets
Bohsalino (Pistachio Paste filled with Kashta Cheese)
Bohsalino reminds me of my grandmother’s kitchen and how dedicated she is as a cook and baker. I always watch her prepare this Lebanese dessert when she visits Lebanon. It used to look so complex to me: grinding the pistachios, magically turning them into a sweet paste, and sandwiching it with creamy kashta (fresh Lebanese
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Arabic Sweets
Sfouf (Semolina Anise Tea Cake)
Sfouf is by far one of my favorite Lebanese desserts. It’s a moist cake characterized by its intense yellow color from the turmeric spice. It is made from semolina, flour, oil, sugar, and aniseed which gives it a distinctively awesome taste. Some people say it has a “magical” taste – and hey, I don’t disagree.