Mediterranean Cuisine

Desserts

Butter Cookies

1 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg

2 T. orange juice

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 c. ground almonds

30 pistashio halves

powders sugar for sprinkling

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and orange juice, beat untill smoth. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing well. On a floured surface knead the dough until no longer sticky. Pinch off pieces of dough 1" in diameter. Shape into cresents. Place a pistashio half in center and place on uncreased cookie sheet. Bake 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from sheet and roll in powdered sugar.

Baklava

1 package filo pastry sheets

4 c. chopped walnuts or pistachios

1 T. cinnamon

1 t. allspice

1 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. ground cloves

1/2 c. sugar

1 lb. unsalted butter

Honey Syrup

4 c. sugar

2 c. water

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 c. honey

In a heavy saucepan combine all ingredients for honey syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Take from heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9" X 13" glass pan. Combine nuts, sugar and spices in a bowl, set aside. Melt butter. Layer half of the filo dough sheets one at time into glass pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Pour nuts mixture over dough and continue layering remaining filo sheets as before. Cut into 2" diamonds. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 225F and bake an additional 30 minutes. Pour cooled syrup over warm pastry. Let stand at least one hour before serving

Basbousa with Almonds

2 1/4 c. water

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 t. lemon juice

3/4 c almonds

1/2 c. butter

3/4 cu. semolina

whipped cream or clotted cream

Bring water, sugar and lemon juice to a boil in a pan. Simmer for a few minutes. Chop he almonds finely and fry them in hot butter together with the semolina until they are golden. Add the hot syrup slowly stirring constantly over low heat until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cover the pan. Let cool slightly. Pour into greased molds and flatten out the tops. Unmold and serve warm. Top with a dollop of cream.

Konafa

1 lb konafa pastry (found at Arabic or         Mediterranean groceries)

1/2 lb. unsalted butter, melted

syrup:

1 1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. water

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. orange blossom water

cream filling:

4 T. ground rice

2 T. sugar

2 1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. heavy cream

walnut or pistachio filling:

2 c. walnuts or pistachios, chopped

2 1/2 T. sugar

Prepare the syrup by combining all ingredients and heating over medium heat. Let simmer until thickened. Stir in orange blossom water and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Cream filling: mix ground rice and sugar to a smooth paste with 1/2 c. milk. Boil the rest of the milk and add the ground rice paste slowling stirring continuously. Simmer until thick. Let cool, add cream and mix well.

Walnut or pistachio filling: mix the chopped nuts with sugar.

Put the konafa pastry in a large bowl and pull apart to separate the strands as much as possible. Pour melted butter over them and work it in thoroughly. Put half of the pastry in a large, deep oven dish. Spread either filling over it evenly. Cover with the remaining pastry and flattening out with the palm of your hand. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Then increase temperature to 475 degrees for an aditional 10-15 minutes longer until it is golden. Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup over the hot konafa Serve hot or cold.

Luqmat el Qadi (Little Round Fritters)

Dough

3 1/2 c. flour

1 pkg. dry yeast

1 t. sugar

2 1/2 c. warm water

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Add flour mixture gradually stirring vigorously. Dough will be very soft like pancake batter. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Beat down and let rise again. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Beat down and let rise again. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Beat down and let rise again. (3 times)

Syrup

5 c. sugar

2 c. water

juice of one lemon

2 T. rose water

2 T. orange blossom water

While dough is rising, dissolve sugar in water and lemon juice and simmer until syrup thickens. Add rose and orange water and continue to simmer 2 minutes. Let cool completely and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a large saucepan heat 3 inches of corn oil. Take small spoonfulls of dough and drop into the hot oil. Fry until golden, this only takes a couple of minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels slightly then dip them into cold syrup. They absorb the syrup immediately and can be served hot or cold. You can also sprinkle powdered sugar or cinnamon on them.

Atayef

4 c. pancake mix, prepaired (eggs, milk and oil added)

oil for frying

Walnut Filling

2 c. broken walnut pieces

2 c. sugar

1 c. karo

1 t. rose water or orange blossom water

Clotted Cream Filling

2 cans Nestle clotted cream

1 c. powdered sugar

Syrup for Drizzling

3 c. sugar

2 c. kayro

1 T. rose water or orange blossom water

1/4 c. water

Prepair pancake mix, (slightly thin but not as thin as you would make for crepes). In a large skillet heat 2 t. vegetable oil. Pour 1/2 c. batter into pan making small rounds. Cook until done. (DO NOT FLIP) Remove from pan and let cool.

Walnut filling - Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat to boiling for 10 minutes. Let cool. Spoon mixture onto uncooked side of pancake rounds and fold over.

Clotted cream filling - Mix cream with powdered sugar and spoon onto uncooked side of pancake rounds, fold over.

Syrup for drizzling - Mix all ingredients and bring to a slow boil for 20 minutes. Let cool. Consistency should be that of cold maple syrup.