Orange Blossom Water

Makbouseh is one of the sweets prepared for Nisf Sha’aban.

Makbouseh is a specialty of Hama (you can’t find it in other cities), and available only during Nisf Sha’aban, it has another name which is “Mehshiyeh”. The dough is prepared from flour, sugar and ghee, and the filling is prepared from semolina, sugar, water, orange blossom water and food coloring, it is formed as two layers of dough and the filling between them, and cut into diamonds then baked in the oven.

Let’s make Makbouseh:

Dough

1, 2, 3, 4. In a bowl, measure 120 g powdered sugar .

5 to 10. Add 250 g ghee to powdered sugar. Good quality ghee is required, I used 125 g Lurpak and 125 g Aseel.

11, 12, 13, 14. Mix powdered sugar and ghee with your hand until creamy and the color of the mixture turns to pale off-white as in picture 14.

15 to 24. Gradually add 500 g flour to the mixture of powdered sugar and ghee, mix the ingredients with your hand between each addition.

25, 26, 27. Knead with your hand until a dough comes together and homogeneous.

28. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set the dough aside in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Filling

29, 30, 31, 32. Pour 240 ml water to a saucepan.

33, 34. Put water over high heat and bring to boil.

35, 36, 37, 38. Add 280 g caster to boiling water and stir with wooden spoon.

39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44. Add 280 g medium semolina to the mixture of water and sugar and stir with wooden spoon.

45, 46, 47, 48. Keep on high heat and allow to boil with stirring, reduce heat and keep stirring until the mixture thicken.

49. Remove the mixture from heat.

50 to 56. Add 20 drops rose pink color and stir.

58, 59, 60, 61. Add 120 ml orange blossom water and stir.

57 to 64. Transfer the filling to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set the filling aside in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

65. After 24 hours, take the dough out of the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for 1 hour. Touch the dough, it should be pliable but not too soft.

66, 67, 68. Weigh the dough and divide into two equal pieces and form each one into ball.

69. The dough and the filling.

70. Prepare baking pan with 12 inch (30 m) diameter and 0.7 inch (2 cm) height .

71. Put a large sheet of plastic wrap on working surface.

72 Put first ball of dough on the sheet of plastic wrap.

73, 74, 75. Flatten the ball with your hand into disc .

76. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap.

77 to 81. Use a rolling pin and roll the dough into disc with (12 inch) 30 cm diameter.

82, 83, 84. Use the baking pan and press the disc to smooth it.

85, 86, 87, 88. Smooth the edges with your fingers.

89. Bring a cookie baking sheet.

90, 91, 92. Carefully slide the disc of dough into it.

93. Remove the plastic wrap.

94, 95, 96. Put the round baking pan over the disc of dough.

97, 98, 99, 100. Invert the disc of dough to the round baking pan, and remove the plastic wrap.

101, 102, 103, 104. Press the edges and smooth them. Put the baking pan in the refrigerator.

Repeat the steps (71 to 94) with the other ball of dough. Stop at step 94 and keep the second disc of dough on the baking sheet. Also when done put it in the refrigerator.

105, 106. Put a large sheet of plastic wrap on working surface, and grease it with corn oil.

107. Put the filling on the sheet of plastic wrap.

108. Flatten the filling with your hand.

109, 110. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap.

111, 112, 113. Flatten the filling into a disc with 11 inch (28 cm) diameter.

114. Bring a cookie baking sheet.

115, 116, 117. Carefully slide the disc of filling into it.

118, 119. Remove the plastic wrap.

120. Put the round baking pan which has the disc of dough over the disc of filling.

121, 122, 123, 124. Invert the disc of filling  to the round baking pan so it will top the disc of dough, and remove the plastic wrap. The disc of filling is slightly smaller than the dough, this is in order to seal the edges of the top layer of dough with the edges of the bottom layer.

125. The second disc of dough is prepared on the cookie baking sheet baking sheet and the baking pan has one disc of dough topped with the disc of filling.

126, 127. Put the round baking pan which has the disc of dough and filling over the disc of dough.

128. Invert the disc of dough to the round baking pan so it will top the disc of filling. The baking pan consists of 3 layers: dough, filling, dough.

129, 130, 131,132. Press to seal the edges of the top layer of dough with the bottom layer of the dough very well.

133. This is a template to help in cutting Makbouseh to desired shape. The template is punctured on the centre and on each point lines meeting to get diamond shape.

134. Put the template on the surface of the disc of dough in the baking pan. Use a toothpick to mark the centre and the desired lines.

137 to 147. Cut Makbouseh following the marks.

148. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour before baking.

149, 150, 151, 152. Heat the oven at 300°F (150 °C) (I’ve done this step of heating oven 15 minutes before placing the baking pan in oven to bake). Place the baking pan in the oven (rack position the second from bottom), and bake for 35 minutes. Turn off the bottom burner “bake function”, then turn on the upper burner on low and bake for 5 minutes. The color of Makbouseh should stay white on bottom and top. To check if Makbouseh is done, touch with your finger and it should be clear and no crumbs stick on it. When done, turn off oven, keep Makbouseh in oven with door open for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep baking pan at room temperature to completely cool. Then put the baking pan in refrigerator for 24 hours.

153 to 160. After 24 hours, remove Makbouseh from pan.

161. Left piece shows the color of the bottom, right piece shows the color of the top. Both are white in color.

162, 163, 164. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator, should be consumed in one week.

165. Should be consumed in one week.

Makbouseh

From: Family Recipe/ Servings:
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

Dough 120 g powdered Sugar 250 g ghee 500 g all purpose flour Filling 240 ml water 280 g caster sugar 280 g medium semolina 20 drops rose pink color 120 ml orange blossom water

Dough In a bowl, measure 120 g powdered sugar. Add 250 g ghee to powdered sugar. Good quality ghee is required, I used 125 g Lurpak and 125 g Aseel. Mix powdered sugar and ghee with your hand until creamy and the color of the mixture turns to pale off-white as in picture 14. Gradually add 500 g flour to the mixture of powdered sugar and ghee, mix the ingredients with your hand between each addition. Knead with your hand until a dough comes together and homogeneous. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set the dough aside in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Filling Pour 240 ml water to a saucepan. Put water over high heat and bring to boil. Add 280 g caster to boiling water and stir with Add 280 g medium semolina to the mixture of water and sugar and stir with wooden spoon. Keep on high heat and allow to boil with stirring, reduce heat and keep stirring until the mixture thicken. Remove the mixture from heat. Add 20 drops rose pink color and stir. Add 120 ml orange blossom water and stir. Transfer the filling to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set the filling aside in the refrigerator for 24 hours. After 24 hours, take the dough out of the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for 1 hour. Touch the dough, it should be pliable but not too soft. Weigh the dough and divide into two equal pieces and form each one into ball.The dough and the filling. Prepare baking pan with 12 inch (30 m) diameter and 0.7 inch (2 cm) height . Put a large sheet of plastic wrap on working surface. Put first ball of dough on the sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the ball with your hand into disc . Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin and roll the dough into disc with (12 inch) 30 cm diameter. Use the baking pan and press the disc to smooth it. Smooth the edges with your fingers. Bring a cookie baking sheet. Carefully slide the disc of dough into it. Remove the plastic wrap. Put the round baking pan over the disc of dough. Invert the disc of dough to the round baking pan, and remove the plastic wrap. Press the edges and smooth them. Put the baking pan in the refrigerator. Repeat the steps (71 to 94) with the other ball of dough. Stop at step 94 and keep the second disc of dough on the baking sheet. Also when done put it in the refrigerator. Put a large sheet of plastic wrap on working surface, and grease it with corn oil. Put the filling on the sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the filling with your hand. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the filling into a disc with 11 inch (28 cm) diameter. Bring a cookie baking sheet. Carefully slide the disc of dough into it. Remove the plastic wrap. Put the round baking pan which has the disc of dough over the disc of filling. Invert the disc of filling to the round baking pan so it will top the disc of dough, and remove the plastic wrap. The disc of filling is slightly smaller than the dough, this is in order to seal the edges of the top layer of dough with the edges of the bottom layer. The second disc of dough is prepared on the cookie baking sheet baking sheet and the baking pan has one disc of dough topped with the disc of filling. Put the round baking pan which has the disc of dough and filling over the disc of dough. Invert the disc of dough to the round baking pan so it will top the disc of filling. The baking pan consists of 3 layers: dough, filling, dough. Press to seal the edges of the top layer of dough with the bottom layer of the dough very well. This is a template to help in cutting Makbouseh to desired shape. The template is punctured on the centre and on each point lines meeting to get diamond shape. Put the template on the surface of the disc of dough in the baking pan. Use a toothpick to mark the centre and the desired lines. Cut Makbouseh following the marks. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour before baking. Heat the oven at 300°F (150 °C) (I’ve done this step of heating oven 15 minutes before placing the baking pan in oven to bake). Place the baking pan in the oven (rack position the second from bottom), and bake for 35 minutes. Turn off the bottom burner “bake function”, then turn on the upper burner on low and bake for 5 minutes. The color of Makbouseh should stay white on bottom and top. To check if Makbouseh is done, touch with your finger and it should be clear and no crumbs stick on it. When done, turn off oven, keep Makbouseh in oven with door open for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep baking pan at room temperature to completely cool. Then put the baking pan in refrigerator for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove Makbouseh from pan. Left piece shows the color of the bottom, right piece shows the color of the top. Both are white in color. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator, should be consumed in one week.

Notes and Tips

Work in a cool place.

It is really important to use good quality ghee, I used a mixture of two brands, and here is the photo of the brands Ghee Brands.

Medium semolina is known in Arabic as (smid wasat).

Click here and here to see the liquid food coloring I used.

Be careful when baking makbouseh because it might burn easily.

My oven is gas oven and it has two functions:
The oven upper burner “broiler”.
The oven bottom burner “bake function”.
I can turn on both of them together, and I can turn off one of them and keep the other on.

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 at 5:50 PM and is filed under Syrian Baking and Desserts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.