Orange Blossom Water

This post is about sweets I prepared for Eid Al-Fitr (The Eid that comes after Ramadan, it was two months ago).

This post and the previous one (Ramadan Iftar – 2013) are only pictures with brief description and no recipes, the whole idea of blog is not only recipes, but also to let you know about our traditions, and how is the celebration. Eid Al-Adha is after ten days, Happy Eid everyone.

Read the Archive:

Eid Al-Fitr, Sweets – 2009

Eid Al-Fitr, Sweets – 2010

Eid Al-Adha, Sweets – 2009

Eid Al-Adha, Sweets – 2010

More pictures with details:

Above: Knafeh Bel-Jouz, it is prepared from Knafeh and walnuts filling.

Knafeh Bel-Jouz is a specialty of Hama, Syria –  and most people prepare it a home. Sweet shops don’t make knafeh filled with walnuts (my grandmother told me that in the past the knafeh filled with walnuts was very popular and available in the markets, but these days they replaced the walnuts with pistachios and you can’t find it with walnuts).

Here is a brief description about it:
Prepare knafeh by mixing it with melted ghee and divide knafeh into two equal parts.
Place knafeh on the bottom of the baking dish and press strongly.
Add the filling which is chopped walnuts mixed with sugar syrup and press strongly.
Lay the other part of knafeh over the filling and press strongly.
Add a weight over the knafeh to press it well, and set aside t for several hours at room temperature.
After that, bake it in the oven and you should keep the weight over the knafeh while baking it, bake until golden brown in color, then remove it from oven and pour plain cold sugar syrup.
Let it cool completely, then cut it.

Above: Nammourah

Above: Nammourah Esfanjiyeh

Above: Ma’amoul

Ma’amoul are small shortbread pastries filled with dates, pistachios, or walnuts. They are prepared using special wooden molds. See the picture of molds here.

The dough is prepared from flour, smid farkha (semolina flour), butter, powdered milk, confectioner sugar, orange blossom water, and rose water.

Above: Ma’amoul Bel-Jouz

Ma’amoul Bel-Jouz means Ma’amoul filled with walnuts, the filling is prepared from crushed walnuts, cinnamon, orange blossom water and confectioner sugar. Ma’amoul Bel-Jouz is always prepared in this shape and should be dusted with confectioner sugar when served. See the picture of the mold used to make this shape here.

Above: Ma’amoul Bel-Fustuq Al-Halabi

Ma’amoul Bel-Fustuq Al-Halabi means Ma’amoul filled with pistachios, the filling is prepared from crushed pistachios, orange blossom water and confectioner sugar. Ma’amoul Bel-Fustuq Al-Halabi is always prepared in this shape and should be dusted with confectioner sugar when served. See the picture of the mold used to make this shape here and here (the molds shown in the picture are two sizes, small and large, I used the small one which is the plastic one).

Above: Ma’amoul

Above: Ma’amoul Bet-Tamer

Ma’amoul Bet-Tamer means Ma’amoul filled with date paste, the filling is date paste mixed with some butter. Ma’amoul Bet-Tamer is always prepared in this shape and it is served without dusting with confectioner sugar. See the picture of the mold used to make this shape here (the molds shown in the picture are two sizes, small and large, I used the small one).

Above: Ma’amoul Bel-Burtuqal

Ma’amoul Bel-Burtuqal means Ma’amoul filled with orange paste, the filling is prepared at home which I’ll post it in details later. Ma’amoul Bel-Burtuqal is prepared in this shape and it is served without dusting with confectioner sugar. See the picture of the mold used to make this shape here.

Above: Sablé

Above: Cinnamon Sablé

Dough is flavored with cinnamon, and the filling is apricot jam.

Above: Plain Sablé.

Filling is raspberry jam.

Above: Cocoa Sablé.

Filling is apricot jam.

Above: Chocolate Citrus Cookies

Above: Kaa’b Al-Ghazal

Kaa’b Al-Ghazal is Moroccan cookies literally translates from Moroccan Arabic as “gazelle ankles” these crescent-shaped cookies are famously known as Gazelle Horns. They’re frequently served at special occasions.

Almond paste scented with orange blossom water and cinnamon is enclosed in a delicate pastry, molded into a crescent, and then baked until barely golden.

Above: Chocolate

It is a tradition to bring the chocolate at the end when the guests want to leave. There are other choices such as chocolate and/or nougat and/or sugar coated almonds

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 5th, 2013 at 9:22 PM and is filed under Celebrations and Occasions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.