Orange Blossom Water

In Aleppo, Nisf Sha’aban is celebrated by making Ma’arouk Nisf Sha’aban (it is also called “Bariosh Nisf Sha’aban”) and Sambousek Lahmeh (meat pies). The recipe of Ma’arouk Nisf Sha’aban is the same to Ma’arouk Ramadan, but what makes it special is that it has to be formed into the shape shown in the photo above.

Let’s make Ma’arouk Nisf Sha’aban:

Starter

1, 2, 3, 4. In a bowl, put 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 cup all purpose flour.

5, 6, 7, 8. Add 1/4 cup lukewarm milk, and mix ingredients with your hands until combined.

9, 10. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and with a cloth.

11, 12. Keep the starter in a warm place for two hours to rise until double in size and bubbles appear on surface. These photos show the starter after two hours.

Dough

13, 14, 15, 16. In a bowl, put 1 cup + 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 14 g softened unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons corn oil.

17, 18. Mix ingredients with your hand until sand like mixture forms.

19. To the mixture, add 1/3 cup minus 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 cup powdered milk, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

20. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground mahlab, 1/4 teaspoon ground anise , 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel, 1/4 teaspoon salt.

21, 22. Transfer the mixture of dry ingredients to the bowl of the mixer.

23, 24. Add the starter to the dry ingredients.

25, 26, 27. Set the bowl in place and attach the dough hook to the mixer head, and turn the mixer on low speed to stir the dry ingredients and the starter.

28, 29, 30, 31, 32. With the motor running, add 1/2 cup lukewarm milk and run the mixer, kneading until a mass of dough is formed.

33, 34, 35, 36. Continue kneading on medium-high speed until a smooth dough is formed

37, 38. Turn out the dough to a surface and shape it into a ball.

39. Place the dough in a bowl.

40. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and with a cloth.

41. Keep the dough in a warm place for two hours to rise and double in size.

42, 43. Line a 10 x 8 inch (25 x 20 cm) baking pan with a parchment paper. Use any square / rectangle baking pan with a size near to this one.

44. Weight of dough after doubled in size is 629 g.

45, 46. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces.

47. Form each piece into a ball.

48. Place evenly spaced in prepared pan.

49, 50. Cover with a cloth and let it rise for 40 minutes or until double in size.

Coating

51. In a bowl, put 2 tablespoons grape molasses.

52. Add 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and 1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds to molasses, and mix.

 

53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58. Once ma’arouk is doubled in size, so brush with mixture of molasses and seeds.

Baking

59, 60. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160 °C). Place the baking pan in the oven (rack position the second from bottom), and bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown in color on bottom, at this point I turned off the bottom burner and turned on the upper burner and bake for 4 minutes so the top turned to golden brown

Sugar Syrup

Prepare sugar syrup at same time of baking.

61, 62. In a pot put 1/8 cup sugar and 1/8 cup water, turn on heat and stir to dissolve, and keep stirring every once in a while.

63, 64. Once the mixture boils, add less than 1/8 tsp lemon juice. Let the mixture boil for 5 – 7 minutes, then turn off heat, and set aside.

65, 66, 67, 68. Once you take the baking pan out of the oven, immediately brush Ma’arouk with hot sugar syrup.

Serving

69. Allow Ma’arouk to cool, then serve. It can be served warm or at room temperature. Serve it with tea. It can be eaten plain or stuffed with (cheese, chocolate, Nutella…). Store Ma’arouk wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

Ma’arouk Nisf Sha’aban

From: l2ma.com / Servings:
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

Starter 3/4 tsp active dry yeast 1 tbsp sugar 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1/4 cup lukewarm milk Dough 1 cup + 3/4 cup all purpose flour 14 g unsalted butter, softened 2 tbsp corn oil 1/3 cup minus 1 tbsp sugar 1/4 cup powdered milk 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp ground mahlab 1/4 tsp ground anise 1/4 tsp ground fennel 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup lukewarm milk Coating 2 tbsp grape molasses 1 tsp sesame seeds 1/2 tsp nigella seeds Sugar Syrup 1/8 cup sugar 1/8 cup water Less than 1/8 tsp lemon juice

Starter In a bowl, put 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 cup all purpose flour. Add 1/4 cup lukewarm milk, and mix ingredients with your hands until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and with a cloth. Keep the starter in a warm place for two hours to rise until double in size and bubbles appear on surface. Dough In a bowl, put 1 cup + 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 15 g softened unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons corn oil. Mix ingredients with your hand until sand like mixture forms. To the mixture, add 1/3 cup minus 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 cup powdered milk, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground mahlab, 1/4 teaspoon ground anise , 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer the mixture of dry ingredients to the bowl of the mixer. Add the starter to the dry ingredients. Set the bowl in place and attach the dough hook to the mixer head, and turn the mixer on low speed to stir the dry ingredients and the starter. With the motor running, add 1/2 cup lukewarm milk and run the mixer, kneading until a mass of dough is formed. Continue kneading on medium-high speed until a smooth dough is formed Turn out the dough to a surface and shape it into a ball. Place the dough in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and with a cloth. Keep the dough in a warm place for two hours to rise and double in size. Weight of dough after doubled in size is 629 g. Line a 10 x 8 inch (25 x 20 cm) baking pan with a parchment paper. Use any square / rectangle baking pan with a size near to this one. Weight of dough after doubled in size is 629 g. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Place evenly spaced in prepared pan. Cover with a cloth and let it rise for 40 minutes or until double in size. Coating In a bowl, put 2 tablespoons grape molasses. Add 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and 1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds to molasses, and mix. Once ma’arouk is doubled in size, so brush with mixture of molasses and seeds. Baking Preheat the oven to 320°F (160 °C). Place the baking pan in the oven (rack position the second from bottom), and bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown in color on bottom, at this point I turned off the bottom burner and turned on the upper burner and bake for 4 minutes so the top turned to golden brown Sugar Syrup Prepare sugar syrup at same time of baking. In a pot put 1/8 cup sugar and 1/8 cup water, turn on heat and stir to dissolve, and keep stirring every once in a while. Once the mixture boils, add less than 1/8 tsp lemon juice. Let the mixture boil for 5 – 7 minutes, then turn off heat, and set aside. Serving Allow Ma’arouk to cool, then serve. It can be served warm or at room temperature. Serve it with tea. It can be eaten plain or stuffed with (cheese, chocolate, Nutella…). Store Ma’arouk wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

Notes and Tips

Ma’arouk in general can be prepared in different shapes, check the post Ma’arouk Ramadan, but Ma’arouk Nisf Sha’aban should be shaped as described in the recipe.

When you measure sugar for the dough, make sure to measure (1/3 cup minus 1 tablespoon).

Read about Mahlab here.

Here are two photos show grape molasses I used “different brands”. Click here and here.

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 Thursday, May 11th, 2017 at 12:15 PM and is filed under Syrian Baking and Desserts, To Aleppo With Love. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.