Seeking ideas for dessert for Middle Eastern meal

[Wendy w]

I am hosting my dinner club this month and was debating on what type of menu to plan. Seeing the wonderful recipes in the Lebanese article inspired me to plan a middle eastern themed dinner.

I plan on having: baba ganoush, the white bean hummus (from May), the chicken with yogurt sauce, fattoush, and tabbouli. If I can find ground lamb, I may throw in kibbeh.

I am stumped on dessert. I understand that they are not a dessert oriented culture. They usually have fruit and save the baklava for special occasions. Having made baklava in a cooking class, I am aware that it can be very time consuming to make. I am turning to you all for any ideas that you may have. The dessert does not need to be authentic.

Thanks!

Wendy


Thanks!

[lorilei]

When I was in Tunisia, I ate a myriad of wonderful things. For dessert, we ate a whole lot of oranges and some of the most wonderful figs and dates... and a lemon sorbet of sorts (more like a lemon granita)

One authentic dessert I remember is a sweetened couscous -- very similar to a rice pudding. Here is the closest recipe I've found to authentic:

SWEET COUSCOUS DESSERT

Follow basic directions for steaming couscous, using:

1 cup couscous
2 cups fruit juice
2 Tbs. rose water

After first steaming, rub well into grains:

3 Tbs. melted sweet butter

After second steaming combine couscous with:

4 Tbs. melted sweet butter
1/4 cup each finely ground blanched almonds and pistachio nuts

Mound on serving platter and sprinkle with mixture of:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 Tbs. cinnamon

Surround with:

1 cup kufeta (candy-coated almonds)

Sprinkle with:

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds if in season

Serves 6.

From "Middle Eastern Cookery" by Eva Zane

[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 10-02-2000).]

[venus]

Lorelei just made me remember this one. I had a rose sorbet in Cyprus that was out of this world. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. YUM. It would be so simple to make--rose water, sugar syrup, ice. mmmm

[Adriana]

I have a Lebanese cookbook with a rice pudding with rosewater or orange-blossom water which sounds good.

Boil:
3 1/2 c milk
1/2 c sugar

Add and bring back to a boil:
1/2 c rice
1/2 c water

Turn heat down to a low simmer and cook gently until the mixture becomes creamy, about 45 minutes.

Add 1 tsp rosewater or orange blossom water and stir until bubbles appear on the surface. Remove from heat, cool slightly then pour into a serving dish and refrigerate.

[Gail]

Thought I'd jump on the bandwagon with a few from a book I just purchased :

DATES WITH BANANAS

Palestine and Jordan

1cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup whole dates, pitted and thinly sliced lengthwise
3 large bananas, slice inhalf lengthwise, then slided into 1/2 inch thick pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mixthe cream and sugar and whip until stiff; then place in a bowl and add the dates and bananas. Toss gently; then place in 6 to 8 serving dishes. Sprinkle with the cinnamon; then chill for 30 minutes before serving.

DATE COOKIES

Iraq

Makes about 45 pieces

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt; then set aside.
Mix thoroughly the butter, sugar and eggs; then gradually add the dry ingredients until a soft dough is formed. Stir in the dates and walnuts; then place heaping teaspoons of the dough an inch apart on an ungreased cookie tray. Place in a preheated 350ºoven and bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies turn golden brown. Remove and allow to cool before serving.

DATE AND NUT PIE
Hilwat Tamer

Iraq

1/2 cup coarsely chopped blanched almonds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup half and half
1 pound dates, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange blossom water (mazahar)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Mix the almonds, walnuts and sugar; then set aside.
In a heavy frying pan, melt the butter; then stir in the cream, dates, cinnamon, and mazahar. Sauté over a low heat untilthe dates become soft, stirring once in a while to make sure the dates do not stick. Add a little more cream if necessary. Stir in the nut mixture; then sauté for a further 3 minutes.
Spread evenly in a pie pan; then bake in a 300º F preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and allow to cool; then cut into small pie-shaped wedges.

GAZELLE'S ANKLES
Ka'ab Ghazal

Algeria

Makes approximately 36 pieces

In Algeria, this picturesquely named sweet is the dessert par excellence. No feast would be complete without this sweet, served with mint tea after the meal.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup clarified butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons orange blossom water (mazahar)
1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 quantity syrup (qater-- see below)
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Place the flour, butter, and oil in a bowl and rub together until crumbly; then add the water and 1 teaspoon of the orange blossom water and knead to forma smooth dough. Cover with a cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the filling by mixing the almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and the rest of the orange blossom water.
Form the dough into walnut-size balls and place on a cloth; then remove oneball at a time and roll into a very thin circle. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the filling onthe center and fold over to make a half-moon shap; then close by pinching the edges. Trim the edges with a pastry wheetl; then form into a crescent shape once more.
Continue the same process until all the balls are used; thenplace on an ungreased baking tray. Bake on the middle rack of a 350º F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
In the meantime, prepare the syrup. Place the ka'ab ghazal in the syrup for a few moments while they are still hot; then remove to a serving dish and sprinkle with the confectioner's sugar.

Syrup
Qater

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange blossom water (mazahar)

Place the sugar and the water in a pot over a medium heat. Stir constantly for 10 minutes or until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved.
Remove from the heat; then stir in the lemon juice. Return to the heat and bring to a boil. Remove fromthe heat and stir inthe mazahar (orange blossom water), then allow to cool until the pastry is ready.

Note: If a less sweet syrup is desired, use only half the sugar.

(From: From the Land of Figs and Olives)

BTW Wendy-- hope your dad is doing better.



[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 10-02-2000).]