Layali Lebnan (Nights of Lebanon)



Layali Lebnan (Nights of Lebanon)

This is provably the second Arabic/Lebanese dessert that I ever tried to make :) (Being d custard lover that I am) I fell in love with this rose/orange blossom scented semolina (eggless) custard!

Ah d joys of living in d Middle East! :)

My aunt-in-law (d in-law part eventually one day..) gave me d recipe, both including eggs, and d eggless version. (I personally like this eggless so nothing takes away from d Arabic scents :) ).

As with any Arabic dessert, this is not for d faint-hearted (will likely put you on sugar-coma)! but is it Oh so delicious! and custardy-like :)

Ingredients for d custard:

- 7 glass Milk

- 5 Tbsp Sugar

- 8 Tbsp Semolina

- 1.5 Tbsp Vanilla extract

- 3 Tbsp Rose water

- 3 Tbsp Orange blossom water

Additional ingredients/toppings:

- Bananas (ripe; sliced)

- Almonds (slivered)

- Pistachio (slivered)

- Walnuts (whole halves)

- Aatar (Arabic sugar syrup) **recipe below**

Place all custard ingredients over medium heat (4/6) and stirr constantly (I use a coated whisk) until it starts boiling (bubbling). Then lower the heat (3/6) and keep stirring for 4 minutes until the consistency is more thick/firm.

Remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl/tefal/containers. Let cool down.

(If you cooked it long enough the surface should not crack when cold).

In the meantime, you can prepare some Aatar (sugar syrup). Note that Aatar keeps for weeks up to a month in the fridge easily :)

Aatar:
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 1/4 cups Water
- 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Rose water
- 1 Tbsp Orange blossom water

Place sugar & water on a pan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar disolves, then let come to a boil.

Once boiling do not stirr!!, add the lemon juice, and lower the heat to let it simmer for 12 minutes.
Then add the rose & orange blossom water and let boil for additional 30 seconds.

Remove from the heat, and let cool down completly. Then place into a container, and keep in the fridge until use.

So, you have your custard, you have your sugar syrup; now let's put it together.

Serve your custard on the individual plates, and then you can place some whipped cream (if you want) and then sliced bananas, slivered pistachios, almonds, and walnuts... aaand drizle some Aatar syrup on top :) (I told you, this is not for the faint hearted!!)

Voila! a beautifuly scented, custard-like dessert with Arabic touch :) Enjoy!

PS: if you are keeping the custard in the fridge, make sure you cover the top with transparent film, or place a hermetic lid if you have over it, so it wont crack & dry out on the top.

Strawberry condensed milk mousse




Strawberry condensed milk mousse

Ah d joys of homesickness! :)

I actually almost forgot that my mum does this delicious, fresh mousse so well (if you have been on this blog before, you are provably aware that she's a pretty terrible cook.. except for crepes & flans.. and this mousse Lol).

She actually got the recipe off a Nestle condensed milk wrapping some years ago, and does it her way (without gelatin) slightly changing the proportions. I am not a fan of gelatin (or cuajada) textures, so I prefer the mousse this way, even if its a little runny.

*If you actually want something more 'composed' I would suggest you soak-up 2 gelatin sheets in cold water, drain them, and add them to the mix (prior to blending d whole thing).



This mousse is very light/flowy & kind of feels like a digestive dessert :) It is ridiculously easy to make with only 4 ingredients! (you can see the minimal-cooking family gene here..! Lol)

  


Ingredient steps - then blend

Ingredients:

- 500 gr Strawberries (fresh; chopped)

- 125 gr Yogurt (natural)

- 1 can Condensed milk (396 gr)

- 200 mL Whipping cream (cold)



Wash & dice the strawberries, and place in a large bowl.



Add the yogurt, condensed milk & whipping cream. With a blender wand blend everything together (you should let bubbles/air come into the mix to help it 'mousse-up' a bit).

Pour into little yogurt glasses & refridgerate at least 2-3 hours. Serve cold!

I actually like to top it with a little crunch from a Lotus/Speculoos cookie :)

Pumpkin cheesecake (swirled)




Pumpkin cheesecake

 I am on a baking spree! Maybe its the uncertainty of 2015, or being away from home this Xmass.. (Can you believe? the ONE year I don't fly 7'500 km to be home they have a 10 year highschool reunion!! How unfair Lol ..no 'nerd outcast rebirth' for me xD oh well, maybe in d 15 year reunion then Lol)

This cheesecake was so sunctuous and delicious that it barely survived 5 minutes in d office!!

It ranked top #1 (along with d carrot cake)!! so it is definitely a winner!

*Disclaimer: my cheesecake cracked a bit, so I have included some detailed steps to avoid craking :) 

Preparing base ingredients

Ingredients: 

Crust:

- 225 gr Speculoos cookies (powdered)

- 75 gr Pecan (powdered)

- 60 gr Butter (melted)

Cheesecake filling:

- 680 gr Philadelphia cheese (room temperature)

- 200 gr White sugar (caster)

- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch (or AP flour)

- 2 tsp Vanilla extract

- 4 Eggs (large; whole)

- 215 gr Pumpkin puree

- 2 tsp Cinammon (powder)

- 1 tsp Nutmeg (powder)

Butter a 9 or 10 inch round pan (all inside).

Pre-heat oven to 170 C (top & bottom), place a rack in the middle.


Making the cookie/pecan base

 To make the crust, in a blender powder the cookies & pecan together. 

Melt the butter in the microwave.



Then mix butter & cookie powder well together, and introduce into the greased baking pan. Press onto the bottom (and a little on d sides), and place into the oven to bake fo 6 minutes.



Once the 6 minutes are over remove from the oven and let cool down to room temperature (or place in the fridge to cool - of course over a heat-proof surface).

In the meantime, you can prepare the cheesecake filling:



Making d plain cheesecake



In a large bowl, place the Philadelphia cheese (room temperature!), white sugar, cornstarch and vanilla extract. Beat together until well creamed (2-3 min).

NOW, add the eggs and incorporate well with the lowest amount of beating/mixing possible.

The more you beat it, the more chances that your cheesecake will crack!!

Once it is well mixed, place 200-220 gr of the mix into a smaller bowl. To the small bowl, add the cinnamon, nutmeg and 215 gr of Pumpkin puree. AGAIN, incorporate with minimal amount of beating/mixing.



Split cheesecake, prepare pumpkin cheesecake mix



Remove the cold cookie crust from the fridge, and place half of the pumpkin mix onto the mold. Then, place the entire (plain) cheesecake mix on top. With a knife, swirl around a bit (without cutting into your cookie base).



Then, add the remaining pumpkin mix in spoonfuls over the top; and swirl with a knife. (See the picture for the swirling outcome).

Now you are ready to bake!

*So about craking:



A cheesecake cracks when the center reaches 65 Celsius.

The best way to bake the cheesecake is to do it "Bain Marie" (a.k.a. in a water bath). Unfortunately as you see I do not have a large enough pan to contain my 9 inch cake-pan.. Also if you line the tin with foil it will aid the no-cracking.




Filling pan by layering, and swirling

 

While baking do NOT open the oven.

So, after all that disclaimer :) ,, place the cake in the center of your middle oven rack, and bake for 55-60 min.

Once done, remove from the oven, wait a couple of minutes & pass a thin knife along the borders of the pan (to make sure it doesn't stick & crack while cooling down). Then, cover (not too tightly) with foil to let it cool down to room temperature.

Once at room temperature, place into the fridge and let refridgerate for a couple of hours.



After it refridgerated you can remove from the pan and serve as desired :)

.. a nice way would be with some Dulce de Leche drizzle & whipped cream :D


Pumpkin cheesecake - longside cut

 

Pumpkin cheesecake (slightly craked..)



Batata harra (Lebanese potatoes with garlic and coriander)

Batata harra - Lebanese

Can you feel the Holidays approaching?! I guess this year theres no way for me to contain my excitement :) 17 days to be on vacation, in Lebanon.

So in d spirit of Lebanese food, here is a simple mezze, crowd pleaser, apt for vegetarians & potato lovers :) (like the man of the house!)

Ingredients:

- 500 gr Potato* (diced medium)

- 1 handful Coriander (fresh; largely chopped)

- 6 Garlic cloves (diced small)

*First of all, let us talk potatoes. You want to get potatoes to use for "French fries" (yes, there are different potato kinds). You want your potatoes crispy outside (not soggy..). In Doha I have learnt to get the young/hard frying potatoes, light yellow color, smooth skin (they should be hard to the touch).*

So, once that is out of the way :)



Fried potato dices



Peel and dice your potatoes; rinse them with water and drain them.



Olive oil & chopped garlic



Set a platter with kitchen napkin (to soak off the excess oil - after frying).

Heat generous vegetable oil on a pan (at highest heat) and once hot, deep fry until golden. Remove from pan and place into platter to soak off some oil. Salt them.

On the same pan, heat some Olive oil (2-3 Tbsp), add the chopped garlic, and fry until it starts turning slightly yellow/golden. Then add the coarsely chopped coriander and fry until soft (just a minute or two).

If you fry it for too long it will turn brownish (you don't want that).

Once soft, add in the fried potato dices and toss/incorporate well.

Serve hot :)

For those that like spicy/hot food, you can add some chopped chilly peppers, or 1/4 tsp of Cayenne pepper (I would suggest, since you're going the Middle Eastern route, to add some Harissa paste to give it some hotness :) (just make sure you are aware how spicy Harissa paste really is.. )

Macarroni n cheese



Macarroni and cheese

One of the first American things that I taught myself to cook (on a "cold" 25 C Doha winter evening :P ) was mac&cheese. I think we all crave hearty comfort food (with a bit of a crunch/texture!) when the weather gets colder.. and knowing that 'cream-based sauces' are preferred at home, I gave this winner a try! It has evensince become a staple in my house :)

This is a really fast recipe is nice and creamy/moist (but not overwhelmingly heavy).

You can prepare this in provably 15-20 min if you don't intend to gratinate cheese & breadcrumbs on top.. (Gratinating takes about 15 min on its own,, but it is well worth the texture!!)

So here we go!

Ingredients:

- 75 gr Butter

- 75 gr Flour

- 1/3 tsp Salt

- 1/3 tsp Black pepper

- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

- 1/4 tsp Garlic granules

- 0.75 cube Chicken stock (Maggi cubes)

- 600 gr Heavy cream (or light cream - depending how dense & heavy you want the sauce)

- 350 gr Very sharp Cheddar cheese (grated)

**Before you start I must say the "very sharp" for the cheddat cheese is what I suggest if you want to avoid the taste of boxed/artifical mac & cheese. The sharpness gives it a nice geniune flavour. (You will find sharp is a more dry looking cheese.)**

Place the macarroni to cook in a large pot. Once done, strain them and run through them cold water to stop cooking (to mushy).

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat (4/6). Once melted, add the flour and mix together; keep stirring until butter looks golden color.

Add in all spices, and the heavy cream gradually; mix well (still over the medium heat) with a silicone-coated whisk (so you dont scratch your pan! :) ). Keep stirring constantly, making sure there are no lumps, until the mixture has thickened (~10 min).

Then remove from the heat, and whisk/mix in all the grated cheese, until well melted & combined.

(If you are having trouble with the cheese not melting, stirr it for 10 seconds over the heat until it does completly melt).

Mixed mac n cheese

In the large pan mix the macarroni and sauce together (straight after you finish preparing the sauce; so still warm). Then place into the desired pans.

**At this stage, the mac and cheese can refridgerate for a couple of days; or freeze for later use.**

- If you want to gratinate the top:

Sprinkle the top with cheddar/emmental cheese (or even parmesan), as well as some breadcrumb powder (this will be making it crunchy!).

Pre-heat the oven (top heat) at 240 C, then place the pan on the highest/er rack and let gratinate.

Keep an eye on it!



Ready for the oven (large or individual portions)



Serve hot! :)

Chocolate rice krispy treats

Chocolate rice krispy treats (packaged)

So this is d same as d "dragon glitter poo" recipe, but with regular Chocolate rice krispies :) and adjusted quantities to make it easier.

Took pictures along d way for you! (u can imagine d mess between stirring & photographing...

Ingredients:

50 gr Butter

30 gr Marshmallows

310 gr Choco krispies (full pack)

Grease spray a square pan (browney tin), set aside.

Melt butter at low-medium heat. Once fully melted, add d marshmallows, and stirr while melting them fully.

Melt butter, add marshmallows; melt completly (low heat)

Remove from hear and mix-in d choco-krispies until well combined.

Place into tin, and use a greased spatula to press the krispie mix into d tin. (If d spatula is not greased it will stick and u will struggle to press it down).

Add rice krispies, mix well; transfer to GREASED pan, press with GREASED spoon.

Let cool, then demold and cut into serving pieces.



Demolded chocolate rice krispies



Chocolate rice krispy treats







Doubletree cookie

Ingredients:

- 450 gr Butter

- 340 gr Castor Sugar

- 280 gr Brown sugar light

- 4 Eggs

- 2.5 tsp Vanilla essence

- 0.5 tsp Lemon juice

- 266 gr Flour

- 10 gr Baking soda

- 2.5 gr Cinnamon powder

- 75 gr Oats

- 2 tsp Salt

- 177.5 gr Walnuts (broken pieces)

- 900 gr Chocolate chips

Preheat oven at 170C (top & bottom).

Cream d butter and sugars together at medium speed (2 min).

Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice; blend at low speed for 30 sec, then at medium speed until light and fluffy (2 min).

Add all dry ingredients, mix at low speed until just incorporated (45 sec).

Add chocolate chips and walnuts, blend at low speed until well incorporated (45 sec).

(Should make 48 cookies - each cookie ~52 gr).

Line each sheet with baking paper, and arrange cookies (they will expand greatly!). Place them in d freezer for 10-15 min to harden up a bit before baking.

Bake for 15-16 minutes (they should start being a big golden brown on d edges, and not crazy moist in the center).

(When baking more than one tray at a time, allow 9 cm space between oven shelves).

Let cookies cool down on the tray for at least 20 minutes (if not completely 1 ) before handling.

Red velvet cake w cream cheese frosting

Red velvet cake & cream cheese frosting

Ingredients:

- 312 gr Flour

- 250 gr Sugar

- 22.5 gr Cocoa

- 5 gr Salt

- 5 gr Baking soda

- 2 Eggs

- 350 gr Oil

- 240 gr Buttermilk (1cup milk + 1 tsp lemon juice)

- 15 gr White vinegar

- 6.25 gr Vanilla extract

- Red food coloring

Cream cheese frosting:

- 226 gr Cream cheese (softened)

- 100 gr Butter (softened)

- 10 gr Vanilla extact

- 1 kg Powder sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and flour your baking pan (I used a 23 cm round; twice).

Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, vinegar and food coloring. Add in dey ingredients.

Divide in two, and bake for 25 min each.

Brigadeiros

Brigadeiros

So the man of the house recently went on a business trip to Brazil (what can I say.. World Cup year means business) and brought me back a DELICIOUS box of Brazilian sweets called "Brigadeiros". They are creamy truffle-like cute melt-in-your-mouth kind of things so I just HAD to learn how to do them.. it couldn't be that hard (??)

It wasn't!! This is the most simple basic fast (and really good looking) dessert that you will ever make! and it is a crowd pleaser! :)

So if you have 20-30 min in your hands, this is a dessert to impress!

Ingredients:

- 1 can Condensed milk

- 2-4 Tbsp Cocoa powder

- 60 gr Butter

Put 30 gr in a pan and melt over medium-low heat. Add-in the cocoa powder (to taste). Add entire can of condensed milk, stirr in until well combined.

Keep stirring the mix for about 20-40 min (to prevent it from burning). It will be ready when you divide it in half it stays parted for a few seconds; or when you scoop some it holds for an instant to d spoon beforefalling down.

Let cool down for 10-30 min (until it is firm enough to roll balls; it is easier to handle when it is not entirely cold).

Colling down. Ready to roll Brigadeiros.

Butter your hands, then roll the mix into 1 teaspoon balls, and directly roll them into sprinkles. Set on little paper holders & refridgerate for15-20 min so the sprinkles and the whole thing really sets.

You can keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and then take out 20 min prior to being eaten (or taken to your friends' house :) ).

Brigadeiro center

Bon apetit!

Magdalenas

My mum is a cake lover.. Any flour cake, or thick flan/custard is high on her list! (Im more of a mousse, ice cream, light custard person :) ).. So when she came to me boasting about her Madeleines (last Xmass) i sort of refused to try them..

Magdalenas - Spanish madeleines

Im not one for dry cakes..

I gotta gove it to her for being so persistent, to d extent that she insisted to get me a jacket i was eyeing if i tried her cupcakes.. So i did.. (And the batch of 8 cupcakes misteriously vanished in a matter of hours!!). Obviously she was super-thrilled that i had actually liked them! And did a second batch.. (Which i had to restrain myself from...)

The ultimate trial is that this is the almost only recipe that d man of d house will eat!   And he is a picky eatter (he'd rather have salty food),, so it's REALLY that good.

I cut in half d butter content, because its just really very fatty.. And it doesnt compromise the taste :) 

They are soft, moist, buttery, and airy; having that crunch element from d baked sugar top! Deliciousness! 

Ingredients:

- 70 gr Butter (room temperature)

- 200 gr Sugar

- 3 Eggs

- 16 gr Baking powder

- 200 mL Whipping cream

- 125 gr Flour

Preheat oven at 180C (top & bottom).

Beat together butter and sugar. Add the eggs, then the dey ingredients and beat together until well combined.

Place in cupcake molds (fill 3/4), then sprinkle sugar over the top (im just dust-cover the surface, so it crunches up).

Bake for about 16 min or until toothpick comes out clean :)

Enjoy!!

**If you use just paper cupcake liners fill a bit less, as this tends to expand n spill..**

Chocolate mousse

The credit of this recipe goes to my ex-boss (and Nestle France) :) We first had this creamy dense (yet airy) chocolate mousse on a team gathering in her house, and it was just sunctuous deliciousness!!

 

This recipe is featured int he inside of Nestle France pastry melting chocolate bars. It only requires 2 simple ingredients :)

Chocolate mousse

 

Ingredients:

250gr Chocolate (for dessert making)

6 Eggs (large)

1 pinch Salt

Separate the egg whites & egg yolks, place them into separate large bowls. 

Make sure that the bowl for the egg whites is squeaky-clean! If there is any grease at all they will not come to hard peaks.

(I actually used only 5 yolks vs 6 whites the second time i did this recipe because d mousse is really dense.. Im sure you cud add some cream to further lighten it up).

Melt all the chocolate over low-medium heat in a pan (u shud be doing this bain-marie.. But i cant be bothered.. 😎).

Once fully melted, let cool down on d side (or in a small bowl).

Once it cools down significantly, place into egg yolk bowl and mix/combine thoroughly. 

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to hard peaks.

Place a quarter of the beaten whites in the yolk-chocolate bowl and combine well (d mixture will become more fluid). Then gradually gently fold-in the remaining whites into the chocolate mix.

Place into little containers and refridgerate for a couple of hours.

Since this is a deep chocolate mousse, i would suggest to serve it with some whipped cream 😊

Fruity pebbles rice krispies (Unicorn treats)

When i saw this online... It was love at first sight! i HAD HAD HAD to make these!! And after raiding 2 malls I found pink & violet fruity pebbles!! Ohh it was just SO meant to be 😂😂😂 ... I felt tempted to dust edible glitter all over them 😱



Fruity pebbles rice krispies

Ingredients:

45 gr Butter

280 gr Marshmallows

6 cups Fruity pebbles (almost d whole pack)

Grease spray a square pan (browney tin), set aside.

Melt butter at low-medium heat. Once fully melted, add d marshmallows, and stirr while melting them fully.

Remove from hear and mix-in d fruit pebbles until well mixed.

Place into tin, and use a greased spatula to press the krispie mix into d tin. Let cool, then demold and cut.

Cooling down (in greased pan)

Voilaaaa, food that wud make Choupette Lagerfeld poop glittery fairy dust! 💖

Cut & ready fruity pebbles

Carrot cake

Super moist carrot cake

I stumbled upon this recipe on food.com while searching for a moist (not overly complicated) carrot cale and cream cheese frosting (DC cupcake style). It had raaaaging reviews! you will STOP buying carrot cake for d rest of your life. Guaranteed! 

**Before u start, as a petite chef suggestion, get d man of d house to help and grate d carrots :). Alternatively, wear some gloves to prevent getting cuts.. (I always end up all bandanged after grating anything)**

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour all-purpose 145gr

2 tsp Baking soda 5gr

1 tsp Baking powder 4gr

1 tsp Salt 3gr

2 tsp Cinammon powder 5gr

1 cup Sugar (white)97gr

1/2 cup Vegetable oil55 gr

1/2 cup Apple sauce (75 grif u dont have, u can replace w 1/2 cup vegetable oil)

3 Eggs 

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract 

2 cup Carrots (shredded)

1/2 cup Coconut powder

1 cup Walnuts (chopped)

1 small can = 226 gr Pineapple (drained & crushed) 

Cream cheese frosting:

1 pack = 226 gr Philadelphia cream cheese

1/4 cup Butter (softened) 60gr

2 cup Icing sugar 200gr

Pre-heat oven at 175 C (top & bottom).

Grate the carrots, and set aside. Butter & flour a 20-23 cm round pan (tall one, this cake rises quite a bit).

Mix (I use a whisk) flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinammon, sugar, oil, apple sauce, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in carrot, coconut, walnuts and pineapple. 

Ready for baking!

Pour in d pan & bake for 45 min.

Once done let cool a little before demolding. The cake must be at room temperature when you frost it, give yourself time.

For d frosting, cream the butter & cream cheese until smooth. Add d sugar, and beat until creamy.

You can frost outside only, or cut the cake in half and frost also in through d middle prior. Serve, or refridgerate in an air-tight container (holds for 1-2 days).

Lemon mousse cheesecake with speculoos cookie base



Lemon mousse cheesecake w speculoos base

9 days to go on vacation!! I cant contain my excitement 😂 (after this lovely budget season)

Guess this cake was influenced by an Amalfi coast cooking special on d Food Network (everything cooked w lemons!) so i went online and found this easy recipe, simple ingredients & it turned out great! (Just changed waffers for speculoos cookies 😊). Here we go:

Ingredients:

120 gr cookies (crushed/powdered)

16 gr butter (melted)

1 pack Philadelphia cheese (226 gr)

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Sour cream

1 Tbsp Flour all-purpose

1 Egg (lightly beaten)

3 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp lemon rind/zest

1 Tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven (top & bottom) at 170 C.

Crumb/powder cookies in a blender.

Melt butter in a microwave, once liquid mix with cookie crumbs. 

Spray/butter a springform mold (I used a 20 cm round). Introduce cookie mix in d bottom and press evenly.

Place in the oven (middle rack) for 10 min. Then take out and let cool down (before you fill cheesecake mix).

While it cools down, place Philadelphia cheese and sugar in a large bowl. Beat until soft & sugar dissolved.

Add sour cream & flour, beat well.

Add lightly beaten egg, combine on slow.

Add lemon juice, rind & vanilla, fold in with spatula.

Place in d mold over d cookie base, and introduce in d oven. Bake for 40-45 min (until center is almost set). Then remove & let cool. Pass a thin knife around d edge of d pan to loosen; refridgerate in mold over night.

I would think (like with other baked cheesecakes) that it can be frozen if needed for a week or so.. 

The cake is actually tangy, so if you want to sweeten things up id suggest maybe a Dulce de leche, or some lavander candy topping 😎 Enjoy!

Lemon mousse cheesecake slice