Lebanese Recipe

In the Lebanon the famous pastry called Baqlawa is made of many layers of paper-thin dough with a filling of crushed nuts and sugar between layers. The best samneh (ghee) is used for this dough. Sugar syrup is poured over the pastry when it comes hot from the oven to give it a translucency and a rich honey flavor. The pastry is difficult to make at home for it must be rolled very thin. Sheets of it can be bought at pastry shops selling oriental sweets. Squares of baqlawa are sold at the shops where made, from large trays. They may be eaten there, or taken home. Shops specializing in Arabic sweets box them for shipment around the world. Among the different kinds of baqlawa are Kul wa Ishkur (eat and praise), Zind es Sit (the lady's wrist) or Znood es Sit (the lady's wrists)

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This is an Authentic Lebanese Recipe
8 cups pastry flour
1 qt. laban
1/2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 cups olive oil
Qater or Sugar Syrup (see recipe above)

These syrupy doughnuts are a famous treat in the Middle East. In Lebanon they are part of the traditional celebration of Ghtas, Christ's baptismal night. The belief of the people is that upon this night the trees kneel down to pray for the Christ Child. To celebrate the feast children dress in costume and dance in the streets begging coins and sweets.

Sift flour and mix with laban and soda. Knead well together. Heat olive oil until almost smoking. Drop dough by the teaspoon-ful into hot oil. Fry only a few at a time. They quickly rise to the surface, brown, and are ready to be skimmed out of the fat. Drain on absorbent paper. When all the 'awwamaat are fried, dip a few at a time in thin sugar syrup (qater, see recipe above). Serve the doughnuts hot or cold.

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Dates in Syrup
MURABBA EL BALAH

This is an Authentic Lebanese Recipe
2 Ibs. fresh dates
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups water
Several whole cloves
Few drops lemon juice
Blanched almonds

Peel the fresh dates carefully and then boil in water until tender. Drain and let dry until they no longer feel moist to the touch. Push out the pits with a knitting needle. Save the water in which the dates have been boiled. Put layers of fine sugar and dates in saucepan, starting with a layer of sugar. Let stand overnight. In the morning, remove the dates from the pan, shaking off the sugar. Add the water in which the dates were cooked to the sugar and boil until the syrup is thick. While syrup is boiling, stuff each date with a blanched almond. Add the stuffed dates to the thick syrup and boil gently for 10 minutes. Store in covered glass jars.

These dates may be served as confection after a meal, or offered at teatime. In Lebanon they could be offered to visitors at any time.

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Fig Jam
TEEN BI SUCCAR

This is an Authentic Lebanese Recipe
2 Ibs. dried figs
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. powdered anise seed
1 1/2 Tbsp. roasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp. powdered mustikah (gum arable)
1/4 cup pine kernels
1/2 to 1 cup walnuts

This delicious and nourishing jam will keep for several months, unsealed, in a cool place. The figs are preserved in the fall when the fruit is in its prime and the jam is relished by Lebanese villagers as a spread for bread, as a pudding or just as a sweet.

Cut the dried figs in small pieces. Dissolve sugar in water and bring to a full boil. Skim off the foam. Add lemon juice. Place figs in the syrup and boil together on a medium flame. Gradually increase the flame, stirring mixture constantly to avoid burning. Add walnuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds and anise seeds and cook on low fire for five minutes stirring constantly. Remove from fire. Stir in mustikah. Pour into jars. Decorate tops with walnut halves which have been lightly toasted.

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Dried Figs
TEEN MUTABBA'

This is an Authentic Lebanese Recipe

Figs are preserved in this manner in Lebanon to be served in the winter as part of nokl, the light refreshments at an informal family party. Figs are preserved in all of the principal fig growing areas of the Middle East for they are highly nutri¬tious. Anise seed is the preservative used to ward off worms and other insects. The figs are usually packed in tins with tight fitting lids or in heavy cloth bags. Children often take handfuls of dried figs to school.

Figs are gathered from the trees as they ripen in the fall. Each one is pressed lightly in the middle with the fingers and placed on a large straw tray to dry. When well dried each fig is individually dipped into boiling water to which a spoonful of anise seed has been added. Again the figs are spread out to dry and when they are thoroughly dry they are packed away for winter eating.

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Bitter Orange Peel in Syrup
MURABBA QISHR EL ABOU SFAYR

This is an Authentic Lebanese Recipe

This recipe calls for bitter oranges. They have a tang which is not duplicated in ordinary oranges, although they can be successfully candied according to the following rule. Chop the preserved peel and use it in fruit cakes or puddings, or serve it as you would candy.

Rub the skin of bitter oranges lightly with a fine grater to remove some of the oil and its bitterness. Section the skin carefully into six parts and remove it from the orange with a sharp knife. Thread the peel sections with a needle onto a heavy thread so that they may be handled easily during the candying process. Boil the peel gently in water until soft. Drain. Soak in cold water for five days, changing the water morning and evening.

Boil the orange peel in a thick syrup made of equal parts of sugar and water for half an hour. Add several drops of lemon juice. Some of the peel may be removed from the syrup at this point and rolled in granulated sugar to be served as candy. The rest may be preserved in its syrup in sealed glass jars.

If you use these recipes, please link to this website and help us share the Lebanese heritage with the world. Thank you

Pounded Rice Pudding
MUHALLABIEH