After Oum Ali, this is another great  dessert from Egypt and Eastern Libya.  A  version of this dessert is explained with step-by-step photos  in an excellent  site for anybody interested in Libyan food and traditions. Another version I found in Lebanese chef Marlene Mattar‘s cookbook, Maedat Marlene.

This is a simple dessert: Cook the pumpkin and sweeten it. Make a white sauce and sweeten it; layer the two, bake in the oven and serve warm or at room temperature.

I made this dessert with pumpkin and with butternut and I prefer it with the butternut. My version cuts down on the sugar.

INGREDIENTS: 6 servings

• 1 pound (500 g) of butternut (already peeled and cut into chunks)
• 1 cup of water
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar
• dash of cinnamon
• 2 tbsp of golden raisins
• Béchamel sauce: 1.4 oz (40 g.) of AP flour
• 3 tbsp of unsalted butter
• 2 cups of whole milk (or 1 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of cream)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp of orange blossom water (can substitute vanilla extract)

METHOD:

1. Peel and cut the butternut into chunks, removing all fibrous material and seeds. Place the butternut chunks with the water, brown sugar, raisins and spice into a saucepan and bring to a boil; simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until the water has evaporated, mashing the butternut mixture with a meat mallet to purée it.
2. Make the béchamel: Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir to cook the flour a bit; gradually add the milk stirring nonstop. Add the eggs and sugar and whisk until the mixture is thickened and smooth. Add the flavoring.
3. Cool the milk mixture a bit then layer the milk mixture in a ramequin with the butternut mixture in the middle. Bake in a 375F oven for about 10 minutes until bubbly and a bit puffed up. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is a simple milk “cream” that is prepared over the stove in  5 minutes with milk, starch and flavoring. It is similar to the muhallabieh, except here rose water is used (and starch instead of rice flour). It was traditionally consumed for breakfast according to Fayez Aoun, author of 280 recettes de cuisine familiale libanaise with dry cookies or toasted bread. The arabic name of this cream, hariré, means silky and is very fitting.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1/3 cup of cornstarch less one tablespoon
• 2 teaspoons of rose water
• 3 tbsp of sugar

METHOD:

1. Place the milk less 1/2 cup and the sugar  in a pan over the stovetop and heat it; add the cornstarch to the remaining milk and stir to dissolve. Stir the milk a little to dissolve the sugar and when it starts steaming pour the cornstarch mixture in it. Stir continuously until the milk mixture thickens. Add the rose water and stir to mix.
2. Transfer the cream to a large platter or several small bowls and cool. Refrigerate until serving time.

NOTE: You can use wheat starch instead of cornstarch or even rice flour to thicken the milk.

These crêpes are from  an ancient recipe  still being made in rural areas in Lebanon, according to Chef Ramzi’s Culinary Heritage of Lebanon (in Rashaya, Rmeish, Akkar and West Bekaa).

I have adapted the recipe due to the fact that Chef Ramzi’s recipes are usually for a huge quantity and very succinct; he collected recipes from hundreds of folks and transcribed them as is. In addition, these crêpes are traditionally cooked in a saj oven, another hurdle here.

I  used a French crêpe  recipe instead of the yeasted eggless pancake used in these areas. If you wish to do the traditional one all the way, I am including the original recipe at the bottom of the post.

If you are a halva fan, you will love these crêpes.

INGREDIENTS:

Crêpe batter: 24 crêpes

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g.)
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 2 tbsp of oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of milk
• 3 tbsp of sugar

Halva sauce: Recipe can be doubled or tripled (recipe will make 1 1/4 cup of sauce)

• 4 ounces of milk
• 2 ounces of whipping cream
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 1/4 tsp. of ground cardamom
• 4 ounces of halva
• 2 tbsp of sugar
• Garnish: chopped nuts (optional)

1. To make the crêpes: Place the flour, sugar  and salt in a bowl, mix to combine and add half of the liquid (milk and water); when the mixture is smooth, add the rest of the liquid, the beaten eggs and combine; add the oil and mix. Let it rest for 30 minutes then heat a small skillet and using 1/3 cup of batter, make the crêpes, flipping them after a few seconds to cook on both sides. Set aside or cover and refrigerate or freeze.
2. Prepare the sauce: Heat the milk with the butter,  sugar and cardamom until it boils. Remove from heat and add the halva, stirring to combine it with the milk mixture until the halva is completely dissolved.
3. Place the crêpe in a serving platter, spoon a bit of the sauce on top of the first one, add the next crêpe and spoon some more sauce and keep stacking the crêpes with the sauce until a cake is formed. Serve and cut in wedges.

NOTE: Here is the original recipe:

• 1 pound of white flour and 1 pound of whole-wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. of anise seeds and 1 tbsp. of turmeric
• 5 tsp. of ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. of dry yeast
• 1 1/2 quarts milk
• 1 1/2 cup of butter
• 1/2 cup of clarified butter
• 2/3 pound of halva

I got the idea of shaping a crêpe like lace from Chef Elise Labide; she calls it crêpe dentelle. Hers was a regular crêpe batter, I got mine in a chocolate version.

The idea is very simple: Your pour the batter in a plastic container with a spout, similar to the ones used to pour ketchup and mustard at any deli; heat the frying pan, dab  some melted butter or oil; when sufficiently hot, let your inner Jackson Pollock free and use the bottle to swirl wild designs onto the skillet. The crêpe cooks on one side only; slide it into a pan when ready.

Great project to do with older kids.

INGREDIENTS: Makes at least 16 crêpes (8 inch)

(Feel free to use your favorite crêpe batter; if it is too runny, add some flour or cornstarch to the batter to make it hold better).

• 2 Large eggs
• 1  1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (175 g.)
• Dash of salt
• 1/2  Chocolate bar (dark preferably, but no more than 60%) or 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate (50 g.)
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar (125 g.)
• Oil or melted butter (3 Tablespoons or 45 g.)
• 2 cups of milk (250 ml)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 Tablespoon of cocoa powder

METHOD:

1. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Mix the flour, cocoa, salt and powdered sugar in another bowl. Transfer to the eggs and mix the two with a spoon; melt the chocolate with the butter in the microwave and add to the batter; add the milk and vanilla gradually, stirring constantly until the batter is smooth and has no lumps. Set aside for thirty minutes.
2. Heat the skillet and brush it with a little butter or oil so that it has a film of grease on the surface, no more. Pour the batter in the bottle or a decorating bag with a very small tip and pour the batter onto the skillet making circles, loops and other designs.
3. When the crêpe appears cooked (two or three minutes should suffice on medium-high heat), slide it into a platter or on a piece of wax paper, to cool a bit.
4. Serve with some powdered sugar.

Diet desserts?  I always figured if one feels like eating a slice of cake, great, eat it, enjoy every morsel, and cut back on portions of food at the next meal.

But what if you want to cut down on your food intake? Agar-agar is an appetite suppressant: Making these desserts and having one slice as a snack will ensure that one does not eat too much at the next meal.

Agar-agar is so full of fiber, that it helps digestion as well.

Today, the dessert is based on fresh citrus juice with citrus segments and a vanilla-flavored milk jello.

Sweetened a tad, simple to prepare and thanks to agar-agar (which has nine times the gelling power of regular gelatin), speedy as well.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of fresh orange juice (16 ounces or 500ml)
• 2 cups of low-fat milk (or half-and-half or cream)
• 1/2 cup of sugar, divided (100 g.)
• 4 oranges
• 2 grapefruits
• 1/2 cup of blueberries (optional) (100 g)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or rose water or orange blossom
• 2 teaspoons of agar-agar (4 g.)

METHOD:

1. Peel the oranges and grapefruits into segments and set aside; press the remaining flesh into a juicer to extract as much juice as possible. Juice some oranges to obtain two cups of juice.
2. Spray a loaf pan (one-quart in volume or 4 cups) and insert a long sheet of glad wrap. Place the orange and grapefruit segments on the entire base of the pan, overlapping if necessary. Sprinkle with blueberries.
3. Transfer the fresh orange juice into a saucepan and add 1/4 cup of the sugar. Stir with a whisk while heating the mixture to dissolve the sugar. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the agar-agar on top and stir continuously the mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. boil for two minutes and remove from the heat. Pour gently into the loaf pan taking care not to disturb the orange and grapefruit segments if possible.
4. Let the mixture cool for 30 minutes or so and place in the fridge to gel for two hours.
5. After two hours, pour two cups of milk into a saucepan with 1/4 cup of sugar and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle the agar-agar and bring to a boil; boil for two minutes, cool a bit (add the vanilla extract and stir) and pour over the orange jelly.
6. Let the milk mixture cool on the counter and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
7. When ready to serve, unmold, remove the plastic wrap and cut in slices.

NOTE: You can replace the agar-agar with gelatin or cornstarch.

Do you like to end your main meal with a touch of sweetness?

I don’t really want a thick slice of cheesecake; just a little something sweet, not too sweet, just right.

Ashtalieh is a cream pudding; it comes from ashta, which is the Arabic word for cream; here, I simply added a handful of pistachios and instead of serving it in a bowl as is the custom, I used a cookie dough scoop to make little balls of ashtalieh, to savor individually, for a touch of creamy sweetness at the end of a good dinner.

Not a smidgeon more.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup of whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
• 3 Tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of rose water or orange blossom water or a bit of each
• 1/3 cup of cornstarch
• 1/3 cup of ground pistachios
• 1/2 cup of whole pistachios, chopped coarsely

METHOD:

1. Place the cream and milk in a measuring jug; pour 1 1/2 cups of this mixture into a saucepan. Add the sugar and stir over low to medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add to the remaining mixture the cornstarch and mix well to dissolve. As soon as the milk and cream in the saucepan starts to steam, pour the cornstarch mixture over it, stirring with a rubber whisk constantly. It will thicken in a matter of minutes. Add the flavoring of your choice and stir. Add the pistachios and set aside or pour into small bowls.
3. If using the ball idea, grind some pistachios in a coffee grinder. Dip the cookie dough scooper into the ground pistachios first and then into the ashtalieh, and form little balls. Sprinkle with additional ground pistachios or leave as is. Keep in the fridge until serving time. Serve cold.

NOTE: If you are so inclined, you can stir into the ashtalieh in the last few minutes of cooking a dash of mastic pebbles ground with a dash of sugar.

The beauty of some Lebanese home-style desserts is that they are lighter than the average dessert with eggs or butter; take this chocolate muhallabieh for instance; cream is added sparingly to the milk and the dessert is thickened with cornstarch. It is super creamy and chocolaty, but very light.

The pink meringue hearts are for fun and crunch-crunch.

OK. So how do we proceed?

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cup of whole milk
• 1/2 cup of cream
• 1/3 cup of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of cocoa, Dutch processed (I like Droste)
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar

METHOD:

1. Place the milk and the cream in measuring jug to get a total of two cups. Pour 1 1/2 cups of that mixture into a saucepan and add the cocoa and sugar. Pour the cornstarch on the remaining mixture in the jug and mix with a fork to dissolve the cornstarch.
2. Start heating the milk and cocoa mixture while stirring it slowly to dissolve the cocoa and sugar. When the mixture starts steaming, add the cornstarch mixture and keep stirring for several minutes (about 4 minutes total) until the mixture is very thick.
3. Pour into a sieve placed over a large bowl with a spout. Use a spoon or the whisk to press the pudding mixture through the sieve; this step is to ensure no lumps remain and the pudding is as creamy and smooth as can be. Pour into 2 or 4 ramequins or verrine or goblets. Cover with a plastic sheet and keep in the fridge until serving time. You can serve as is in the ramequins or flip over into a pretty plate. To help dislodge the pudding, surround the ramequin with a hot and wet towel. Serve with meringues or a crumble of caramelized nuts or marshmallows.

Assembly with the cream and meringue:

Pink cream: Whip 1/2 cup of cream with two teaspoons of powdered sugar and a few drops of rose water; add a couple of drops of red food color to the cream. Whip for several minutes until soft peaks form.

Meringue: Place 4 egg whites in a mixing bowl; beat at high speed for a few minutes till frothy; add a pinch of cream of tartar. As soon as the meringue is stiff, start adding one cup of powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time as well as a few drops of red food color. Beat till stiff and still shiny. Place in a plastic decorating bag with a round tip (small size) and pipe on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 225F oven for one hour or longer until the meringue is stiff and dry.

OK. This is no masterpiece. It is a plain, simple, speedy chocolate pudding that takes 10 minutes from concept to execution.

It takes less time and effort to make than getting in the car to buy the ready-made ones at the supermarket.

INGREDIENTS: 4 servings

• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup of half-and-half (or whipping cream for a richer taste)
• 1/3 cup of cornstarch, plus one tablespoon
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 heaping tablespoons of cocoa (good quality if possible)
• a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne or chili powder

METHOD:

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan with the sugar, cocoa, pinch of paprika, stirring from time to time until dissolved.
2. Mix the cornstarch with the half-and-half or cream till dissolved; as soon as the milk starts steaming, pour the cornstarch mixture and stir constantly. Add a teaspoon of vanilla if you wish. The mixture should thicken within minutes. When it is very thick, pour through a sieve into a small jug. Pour into small ramequins and let the pudding cool on the countertop. Refrigerate.

What is jellab anyway?

Jellab is an extremely popular drink in Lebanon. It is sold everywhere, most notably at juice stalls and at the beach.

It is not simple to make jellab at home.

Why? It requires incense (bakhoor). Not easy to find in your local supermarket! It requires macerating raisins and grape molasses and rose water and permeating these ingredients with the incense.

This is a pudding version of jellab, my personal take on a classic and beloved drink.

Jellab syrup is sold at all Middle-Eastern grocers.

INGREDIENTS: Quantity can be doubled or tripled!

• 2/3 cups of jellab syrup
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch

For the muhallabiyeh:

• 2 cups of milk
• 2 generous tablespoons of Puck cream (or any cream cheese spread)
• 1/3 cup of cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of rose water, 1 teaspoon of orange blossom water

METHOD:

1. Pour 2/3 cups of syrup into a measuring bowl. Add 1/3 cup of water. Mix and pour into a saucepan on medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, dissolve 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 1/4 cup of water. As soon as the syrup starts steaming, add the cornstarch mixture and stir continuously till it thickens. Strain through a sieve and pour into small serving cups. Garnish with raisins, pine nuts and rock sugar if desired.

For a muhallabiyeh recipe, click here.

For a jellab drink recipe, click here.

Lebanese folks fall into two categories: the ones that like to drink their Turkish coffee with ground cardamom mixed in (hale in Arabic) and those who like it just plain. In the Middle-Eastern stores, the packages of Turkish coffee with cardamom have a green border and printed with cardamom at the bottom.

People (in the West)  also either love Turkish coffee or can’t stand it. This pudding is a spur-of-the-moment inspiration I had looking at a sealed package of Turkish coffee with cardamom. Milk in the pudding obliterates the bitterness of the coffee, while preserving  its exotic and strong  flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups of whole milk
• 5 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1  heaping teaspoon of Turkish coffee with cardamom (or without)
• 1/2 cup of cornstarch
• 1/2 cup of good quality semi-sweet chocolate (Callebaut, for instance) chopped coarsely
• a few rock sugars, for garnish

METHOD:

1. Heat 2 1/2 cups of milk in a saucepan  on low heat, adding the sugar and stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar; use the remaining 1/2 cup of milk to dissolve the cornstarch in. Set aside to add as soon as the milk starts steaming.
2. While the milk is slowly heating, boil  1/2 cup of water in a Turkish coffee pot (or small saucepan) and as soon as it boils, remove from the heat and add two heaping teaspoons of  Turkish coffee; return to the heat, and as soon as it boils, remove from the heat and stir quickly; place back on the stove and bring to a boil, remove from the heat and stir. Set it on the counter for a couple of minutes for the ground coffee to settle at the bottom; pour the coffee into the hot milk (leaving the residual grounds in the saucepan, add the vanilla, and as soon as the milk starts steaming add the cornstarch mixture.
3. Stir the milk and coffee mixture for a few minutes until it thickens, stirring constantly; pour into a bowl through a sieve to get the smoothest possible mixture.
4. Pour into small goblets, and let the pudding cool at room temperature. Sprinkle some cocoa on top and a few chopped up rock sugars. Refrigerate and eat cold, with a bit of whipped cream if you wish.

NOTE: If you find that the mixture is not thickening (it should get thick after 2 or 3 minutes of stirring once the milk is steaming), not a problem: add more cornstarch and a bit of liquid, at the rate of one heaping tablespoon and 1/4 cup of liquid (water or milk), and add to the hot mixture.

You can replace the Turkish coffee with instant coffee and half a teaspoon of cardamom powder. Mix the coffee and cardamom with boiling water. Add to the milk and proceed.

TIP: Don’t throw away the coffee sediments at the bottom of the pot; they can be mixed with some shower gel (3 Tablespoons) and used to scrub your body. Also, they can be used to drain  and deodorize the sink or drain in the tub or shower. The coffee sediments will contribute to a smooth skin.