Lebanese are very special when it comes to languages. I, like many Lebanese, speak to my daughter in French, send her to a school where she learns English and Arabic and lives in a country where the spoken language is Lebanese.

Gulf countries have a translation for every foreign word while we Lebanese have our own mishmash of languages, we don’t mind speaking 3 languages in one sentence; if it’s a computer then let’s call it a computer and not “hassoub”, and if French call it Filet, don’t think hard, everybody knows what Filet de boeuf is. I love this! It’s not complicated!

So when Kaia, asks me: “Mom what is cheese in Arabic?”, I proudly answer: “Jibneh”, but if she asks: “What is Cheese Cake?”. I answer: “It’s Cheese Cake!” Who knows what Gateau jibin is!

This morning she asked: “What is Snayniyeh in French?” I said: “It’s Snayniyeh!”. “And in English?” I answered: “Also Snayniyeh!”. She smiled and said: “It’s funny!”

Fair enough, no? Italians have Tiramisu and Panna cotta we Lebanese have Snayniyeh and Meghleh. Why try calling it anything else!

Every name hides a little story behind. Snayniyeh is derived from “snan”, which means teeth in Lebanese and this scrumptious dessert is usually prepared to celebrate the appearance of a child’s first tooth. A sure phenomenal event for every mom!

I love our traditions! Meghleh to celebrate the birth of a child, Snayniyeh for teething, Maamoul for Easter and Awwamat for Ghtas (Christ’s baptismal night), isn’t it sweet☺

The name Snayniyeh put a smile on many faces as it brings back sweet memories! It’s simple and healthy and this is how I make it.

Ingredients

• 1cup hulled wheat, washed and rinsed (in Arabic ameh ma’chour)
• 1lt water
• 1 large pomegranate, peeled and seeded
• 3/4cup icing sugar
• 1/2cup orange-blossom water
• 1/2cup pistachios, soaked in water for about 1 hour
• 1/2cup almonds, soaked in water for about 1 hour
• 1/2cup walnuts, soaked in water for about 1 hour
• 1/2cup sugared chick peas

Preparation

1. Cook the wheat in boiling water for an hour or until tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
2. Remove from heat and stir in icing sugar and orange-blossom water.
3. Mix with the pomegranate seeds.
4. Scatter the rest of the ingredients on the top and serve hot or cold.

Anything that comes from my in-laws garden tastes heavenly and is a goodie because it hasn’t been treated with chemicals. Serge was visiting his parents last week and got back with a jar of dried lavender. I love lavenders, they look, smell and taste great, especially in cookies.

I make this recipe very often during spring. The sweet and fragrant flavor pop in these cookies by just adding a handful of dried lavender to my classic recipe. Everyone adores them!

Editor’s note: Your dough should come out firm. If it happens that it’s soft, chill the dough for half an hour before start working with it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup/200gms room temperature butter, diced
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp dried edible lavender flowers

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F, and place rack in the center of the oven. Line baking trays with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and lavender.
5. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to an approximate thickness of 1/4 inch (6 mm). Dip cookie cutter in flour before cutting out shapes and transfer to baking sheet.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Let cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 Garnish with additional lavender flowers if desired.

Rice pudding was Kaia’s first favorite food. I used to cook it more when my girls were teething☺ I consider it more of a baby food than a dessert, because it reminds me of them sitting in their high chair enjoying eating Riz bi Haleeb.

It is an easy and simple recipe to prepare for the whole family. Every country around the world has its own version of rice pudding. I find the Lebanese recipe the best I’ve ever tasted. Perhaps, because of the use of the mastic gum that gives it a little of a light chewy feel and the aromatic fragrance of the orange blossom water.

Hope you and your kids enjoy this great old-fashioned dessert!

Ingredients

• 3 cups full fat milk
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup short grain white rice
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 tsp mastic powder, pound
• 1tbsp orange blossom water
• Unsalted whole pistachios, to decorate
• Unsalted ground pistachios, to decorate
• Pine nuts, to decorate

Preparation

1. Pour milk in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add sugar and bring to a boil.
2. Add the rice and water. Stir well.
3. Cook over medium heat for about 30mn or until the mixture is creamy, stirring constantly, making sure the rice doesn’t stick at the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the mastic powder and the orange blossom water and cook for another 15mn until thickened.
5. Remove from heat. Spoon the rice evenly among serving bowls.
6. Decorate with pistachios and pine nuts. Served chilled.

For Chloe and Ella

My close friends Carole and Elie recently have been blessed with two beautiful girls! Newborn babies are like angels with their tiny fingers and tiny everything:) What an amazing feeling, incapable of expressing in words. I know, because I’m a mother of 2 girls too. My love for Kaia and Axel is growing bigger every day. They are my whole world! They make my heart melt away especially in the morning when they come to our bed with their messy hair on their faces and cute nightdresses.

“I’m so happy for you Carole, your heart will melt away too when Chloe will hold to your pinky and when Ella will start squeezing you tightly. I wish them a happy life, God bless them and let them always be healthy, safe and sound”.

Now back to our Lebanese heritage, Meghleh is the dessert we offer when relatives and friends are over to congratulate parents for the birth of their baby. It is also served on Christmas to celebrate the glorious birth of Jesus Christ.

A powder rice based treat spiced with cinnamon, caraway and aniseed powder. A very special taste different from any other dessert I know and full with flavor sensations. I love it more when topped with nuts, it makes it look more appealing and taste delish.

My kitchen today is a far better place with the smell of Meghleh cooking!

Welcome Chloe and Ella, this one goes for you!

Traditional Lebanese Meghleh

Ingredients

• 1 cup powder rice
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 7 to 8 cups water
• 1 tbsp cinnamon ground
• 1 tbsp aniseed powder
• 1 tbsp caraway powder

To garnish 

• Coconut powder
• Walnuts (soaked)
• Almonds (soaked)
• Pine nuts (soaked and peeled)
• Pistachios (soaked and peeled)

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan dissolve rice powder and sugar in water, add spices and bring to a boil stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens or about 15 to 10 minutes.
2. Spoon the mixture evenly in serving cups.
3. Serve cold, covered with grated coconut and nuts. (It’s better to garnish just before serving)

On Saint Barbara’s day or Eid-il-Berbara, Lebanese children disguised in costumes roam the streets, knocking on the doors, collecting candies and treats and singing Heyshleh Barbara. A yearly celebration very similar to Halloween, but celebrated on the 3^rd of December.

The Lebanese story says that Saint Barbara escaped her pagan father who refused to let her convert to Christianity. She disguised herself in different costumes (thus the tradition of dressing up and wearing masks) to hide from her father who was persecuting her.

I grew up in a neighborhood where they gave coins on Saint Barbara’s day instead of sweets. Can you imagine what a happy child I was on that day!

My dad used to cook “awwamaat” (or ouwaymet) as a traditional food for the occasion. A true delish!

Awwamaat are small balls of dough, the size of a walnut, deep-fried to a golden browned crisp and then soaked in sugar syrup.

I fondly remember my dad in the kitchen frying these doughnuts, while I’m waiting for him to finish to gobble it all up. There’s no way to eat just one!

Other sweets for the occasion include Atayef, they’re like pancakes stuffed with walnut and a rich cream called Ashta, and sweetened boiled barley.

Awwamaat are also part of the traditional celebration of Ghtas, Christ’s baptismal night, but were mostly famous at our house on Barbara’s feast. The perfect treat to enjoy on that day!

And this is how my dad made them:

Middle Eastern Awwamaat on Saint Barbara’s Day

Ingredients:

Donuts

• 3 cups flour
• ¼ tsp dry yeast
• 2 ½ cups water, lukewarm
• 1 tsp sugar
• Oil for deep frying

Syrup

• 2 ½ cup of white sugar
• 1½ cup water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2tsp rose water

Preparation

1.To make the syrup, dissolve sugar in water, add the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Remove the foam on the top. Simmer for 10mn while gently stirring and until it becomes thick. Add rose water and set aside to cold.

2.To make the dough, mix flour and sugar in a large bowl. Dissolve yeast in warm water and slowly add it until dough forms. Knead well. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and leave to rise 1 to 2 hours.

3.Heat oil and drop mixture using a wet teaspoon or form ball shape with hands and drop in oil. Remove from oil when golden brown and drain on absorbent paper. Dip with syrup when still warm. Serve hot or cold.

Gingersnaps

Don’t we all, at some point of our life, have met someone who, from the first time, was stamped in our memory?

Last June, I flew all the way to Abu Dhabi just to watch Madonna’s concert. It was a huge thing to me. I love her songs, her performance and every bit of her show. Being standing close to the stage in the front row, felt like I was partying with the Queen of Pop and I was really happy to finally see her!!

On my way back home, I watched movies on board and barely gave attention to the girl sleeping in the seat next to me, until just before we landed we started a conversation. Traditionally it started with the where are you from question, and funny enough I found out that she was at the concert too, she lives in Lebanon just a stone’s throw away from my house, her girls are in the same bus with Kaia my daughter, she’s also in the advertising business and loves cooking!! All I can remember is that we kept on answering me too, me too:) It’s true I haven’t seen her since, but we do exchange messages on Whatsapp occasionally and the last time we did she asked me for the Gingersnaps recipes.

Mmm… one of my favorite too! Especially, the traditional Swedish recipe, the cookies are very thin and spicy. The dough is not sticky and very enjoyable to work with. I use black treacle or carob molasses, very popular in the Lebanese kitchen. I like to combine 2 kinds of sugar to have a nice brown color, but if one brown sugar is used it will not make any big change on the outcome. Warming up for Christmas!

This one goes to you Joumana! Enjoy it!

Ingredients

• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup black treacle
• ½ cup drinking water
• 150 g (1 ½ stick) unsalted butter, diced
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 3 cups all-purpose-flour, sifted
• 2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, treacle and water and heat until it starts boiling.

3. Add the butter and stir constantly over low heat until it is completely melted. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

4. Blend in the spices.

5. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the mixture a little at a time and mix well to a smooth consistency.

6. Refrigerate overnight.

7. Sprinkle flour on a working surface and roll it thin. Cut into desired shapes and place them on a lined baking sheet or a greased cookie sheet.

8. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Let the gingersnaps cool on the cookie sheet.

This version of panna cotta is honestly the easiest ever. It doesn’t take long in the fridge before it’s ready to be served. It never goes wrong, especially when you use the full fat milk and the full fat heavy cream;-) I make it in small cups to reduce the amount of calories, well it’s applicable only if you resist a second serving, but can you?

If you don’t want to buy your caramel you can make your own, but this recipe is meant to be prepared, when you don’t feel like spending long hours in the kitchen and still want to get some credits at the end of lunch or dinner. Delicious!

Am sure you’ll like the results, especially with the addition of the Daim nuggets.

Ingredients

Panna Cotta

• 1 ½ tsp unflavored gelatin
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream

For topping

• HERSHEY’S Caramel Syrup, to taste
• DAIM chocolate nuggets, to decorate

Preparation

1. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the cold water and let soak for 5-10 minutes until soft.
2. Pour the cream and the milk in the saucepan and heat until warm. Stir in the sugar and vanilla until dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the soaked gelatine and sour cream until smooth.
4.  Pour into serving glasses (only half of 3/4 way) and refrigerate until firm. The time depends on the size of the glass, but be sure not to take it out too early.
5. When the Panna Cotta has firmed, squeeze a layer of Hershey’s caramel syrup over each treat and decorate with Daim chocolate nuggets. Serve immediately or let set up in refrigerator.

Who among us has never stopped in front of a street vendor mouth-watering over fresh oranges, roasted chestnuts, fluffy cotton candy, and the list is endless!

I love the way in Lebanon, street food merchants display their goods. When a fruit or a vegetable is in season, here they are, conveniently scattered everywhere, making sure you bump into one of them before you reach home. No matter what direction you’re driving in! And the best part about it, Sweet Heaven, you don’t have to leave your vehicle; Free Car Delivery!

I think best sellers in Lebanon are fresh fava beans (a.k.a. broad beans)!

Fresh peas, Greengage plums (janerik), loquat (akidinye), are quite popular as well, and very dear to every Lebanese’s heart:)

As for me I felt for strawberries yesterday. Small, aromatic and intensely sweet! The smaller ones are more tasteful than the large ones. I let my nose be my guide and look for fragrance rather than color. A sweet aroma is the best indication of good flavor. And at this really affordable price, why not buy a large quantity to make some jam that kids can enjoy and mommy can show off with her super easy recipe without using a pectin;-)

Ingredients

• 1 kg fresh strawberries, hulled
• 600g / 2½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation

Place the hulled strawberries in a big salad bowl and cover with sugar. Let it rest for 10 hours, preferably in the fridge if the weather is hot.

In a heavy based saucepan transfer the syrup without the strawberries and bring to boil for 10mn on a low flame.

Add the strawberries and the lemon juice and cook for about 25mn or until a small amount of the juice gels on a chilled plate.

Pour carefully in jars and keep refrigerated. Consume within a month.

Yield: 3 to 4 jars, 370g each

Tip: If desired, one extra cup of sugar can be added to increase the quantity and sweeten the flavor.

Biscuit Gandour 555, Unica, Ras el Abed, Dabké, Tutti Frutti, Choco Prince, Babol!

There’s no way you lived in Lebanon and haven’t got fond memories of at least one of these iconic food brands!

Some of them got a makeover, changed their name, but most of them are still on the rise and refuse to die out.

By chance, I went to the grocer last day where I spotted the famous green and red box of Lucky biscuits, or is it 555? I call it “Biscuit Gandour” and I consume it exclusively with Turkish Delight. However, I bought one box of biscuits and one box of Turkish Delight!

As soon as I reached home, I proudly displayed my little treasure on the dining table where everyone can notice it. AND EVERYONE DID NOTICE IT☺ And everyone tucked into the biscuits and the delights, or should I say into the feast of reminiscences?

Somehow, “Biscuit and Raha” (Biscuits and Turkish Delights) not only triggers happy memories but is still considered as an enjoyable and tasty treat. I introduced it to my daughters Kaia and Axel and watched them munching their share with indulgence and joy.

I know for sure, that many of you are still loyal to nostalgic food where simple treats like “Biscuit w Ra7a”, sounded like a real feast. I can feel your taste buds drawn to the past; to some of your favorite old-fashioned food, you no longer eat. I don’t know how many hearts belong to vintage food, but I know my heart does!☺

It’s two years now since I posted my first post on this blog!

Two years and some hundreds of followers later! Two years and I’m still enjoying blogging more every day. I have no plans to stop now it’s just the beginning! ♥

Through blogging, I became a much more skilled and knowledgeable cook. I learnt about various food cultures and inspirational eating habits. I’ve come to know, virtually and in reality, many other amazing bloggers. And I have been part of wonderful food events.

Thank you all for your LIKES and SHARES and COMMENTS. And mostly thank you for keeping coming back you’ve been a great support to me.

Can’t wait to eat a piece of the cake, it’s one of my favorite chocolate cakes recipes.

Devil’s Food Cake Devil’s Food Cake 

Ingredients

Serves 10 to 12

• 300g / 3 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ tsp Salt
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• 1tsp Baking Soda
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ¼ cup hot water
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour cream, at room temperature

For the Frosting

• 200g / 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup icing sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6tbsp hot water
• 300g semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and hot water.

3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and cocoa powder mixture, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.  Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

4. Divide batter evenly between the cake pans and place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check early, cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

1.Whisk together cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.

2. With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt on medium-high speed.

3. Reduce heat and slowly add melted chocolate and cocoa powder mixture. Mix until well combined.

I want to share this recipe on my blog for the sake of its amazing taste. The outcome is lush and moist muffins. They are by far the easiest to make and super healthy. It uses, whole-wheat flour, All-Bran cereals, skimmed milk and a tiny amount of butter. Children relish them. I baked a dozen of Banana muffins today and their aroma permeated my kitchen. Mmmmm!

My conscience

-Wake up!! (snapping fingers) 

I have to confess that as a food stylist I have to be embarrassed of how those muffins look like. They don’t rise like other do and the texture is a little lumpy. Well let’s say it’s more authentic like that:) But I do promise you a flavorful snack/breakfast, not too sweet but truly delectable.

Banana Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-Bran® cereals
• 1 ½ cup skimmed Milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup Whole-Wheat Flour
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ stick / 50gm Butter
• ¼ cup brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• 2 ripe Bananas, mashed
• ½ cup Raisins

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC
2. Soak All-Bran cereals in milk for about 10mn.
3. Mix flour, salt, baking powder.
4. Cream sugar and butter. Add Honey and egg. Mix well.
5. Stir in the soaked milk gradually alternating with the flour mixture.
6. Fold in the bananas and the raisins.
7. Divide the batter into the muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan to a wire rack to cool entirely.

It is said that we spend around the third of our life sleeping; I would love to know how much am I spending mine baking.

I love baking. Whether it’s sweet or savor, my pupils just grow larger in front of almost any kind of food coming out of the oven.

Yesterday I baked an apple cake and witnessed it coming out my kitchen triumphantly smelling like heaven.

I had my family over for my yearly Christmas party. I love our get-together, it’s warm and joyful. Kids were delighted with all the new gifts waiting for them under the Christmas tree and we, “grown-ups”, were happy drinking and eating merrily. A day to remember! Also was my cake☺

My daughters Kaia and Axel

ITALIAN APPLE CAKE

Ingredients

• 100g butter (at room temperature)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4tbsp milk
• 3 sweet apples such as gala or golden, cored and sliced (skin on)
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1tbsp limoncello

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180° C. Butter and flour a 22cm round cake pan.

2. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Pour milk gradually while mixing and scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.

4. Pour the batter in the cake pan and decorate with the apple slices arranging them close together and overlapping on top of the batter.

5. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle this over the apples. Drizzle with limoncello (or lemon juice).

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Check early, cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.

6. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

We all have at least one favorite gran’s recipe. Some have passed to us directly and others thru our parents. One of my favorite nana’s recipe, is her Easter cookies.

I can’t think of my Tetta without remembering her jokes and joyous laughs. She passed away 16 years ago and I still remember the way she asks, as soon as she sees me, Shou Eikhir nikteh? What is the last joke? My grandma was a very educated person, she moved to Ashrafieh (in Beirut) when she was very young. Mother to 4 children she always found time to make crosswords and read car magazines (yes cars!). I’m sure if “internet” was even a word at that time she would have been the first of her generation to download whatsap and write quotes that starts with KEEP CALM. She was outgoing and loved life and everybody I know enjoyed her stories and never ending list of proverbs.

Back to her secret recipe and the smell that wakens loads of memories and brings warmth to my heart, I’m honestly very appreciative to my sister who sourced the recipe out and shared it with me on a piece of paper, Xeroxed from the original copy which, is written in Arabic by Tetta Rose herself.

Since it’s my blog’s third anniversary, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate!!

Luscious cookies, boasting a full array of flavor and texture, they are moist and rich transporting you to a-melt-in-your-mouth bliss.

Those cookies are traditionally treated to special holidays like Easter or in my modern word they are treated for special events like a 3-years-of-blogging celebration. I’m so proud that I made it till here!

The original recipe uses ghee, but please feel free to substitute it with butter while keeping the quantity same. Am sure this recipe will be a hit through, especially among the members of my family, their eyes will widened as soon as they read the title.

I wish for Lebanese to keep this tradition alive and will continue to make kaak for Eid.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups coarse semolina (Ferkha)
• 300g/1 ½ stick butter (or ghee), melted
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp “Mahlab” (found at Middle Eastern spice shops)
• ½ tsp instant yeast

Preparation

1. Mix coarse semolina and flour together.
2. Add yeast and melted butter and rub with your hands until well combined.
3. Add sugar to milk and whisk until dissolves. Add mahlab and whisk again.
4. Gradually pour milk, kneading the dough gently with hands. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with a wet kitchen towel. Let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
5. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to an approximate thickness of 1/4 inch (6 mm). Dip cookie cutter in flour before cutting out shapes and transfer to baking sheets.
6. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes (depending on size) or until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch. Do not let cookies color.

Cool on sheets 1 minute; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I asked my friend what do you love the most about your diet? And the answer came: The Cheating Day!

I love her thinking;-)

Open candy bar, ice cream, chocolate, caramel, jelly beans, … They are all fair game! Whatever you’re craving for; pizza, cheeseburger, doughnut… No food is off limits. It’s the day you honor your body’s food wishes and stop counting calories. Isn’t that a genius plan!

A well-justified treat for being such a saint all week and sticking to your diet, so what can be better excuse to dig intuitively in my decadent, fudgy, naughty brownie cake. They taste as great as they sound, they are so addictive, am sure you’ll want to make a second batch before the first is finished.

I agree with you that there must be some law to stops bloggers from uploading tempting pictures of sweets and have mercy on those who are dieting, but this is why cheating meals are designed for, no?

Come on, give your body a break those brownies have never looked so appetizing!

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

• 150g unsalted butter, melted
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 100g milk chocolate, chopped
• 1 ¼ cup sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces (or chocolate nuggets)
• 1 tbsp milk
• ½ cup walnut (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 9×9 inch square pan.
2. Melt chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat and combine to butter. Cool 10 minutes.
3. Stir in sugar, egg, zest, flour, chocolate pieces and milk.
4. Spread mixture into pan and decorate with walnuts. Bake 25-30mn. Cover pan with foil bake for further 20 minutes. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, put back in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until the top has a shiny crust and sides are beginning to come away from the pan.
5. Dust brownies with sifted cocoa powder if desired and cut into squares.

When we were young we used to go camping at an elevation of 1,550 meters (5,090 ft) in Faqra, Lebanon. Two things I still remember from that splendid location; playing around the ruins of the Great Temple of Faqra, where the earliest civilizations worshiped their God. And a bountiful Mulberry tree that got me in trouble with mom every time I lay my hands on (and return home with purple fingers and stained clothes). I was nut for those sweet little berries and it was well worth every garment my mom ditched;-)

As messy as it may get, I still impatiently wait for my share of mulberries that my mom-in-law sends us seasonally. Mulberries have high levels of protein and iron and help loosing weight by blocking sugar. We all don’t mind that last point, no! The second batch I received was almost overripe so I found a good use of them; squeezed some to make syrup “sharab toot” and preserved the rest as jam.

While the mulberries were boiling to make jam, I thought to myself having this under my belt now, it sure tastes better with rich, flaky, soft scones. Sitôt dit sitôt fait, and the scones were baking in the oven.

… later when mulberry jam was served with scones, I should probably had someone hiding the plate from me because it was kind of hard to stop eating!

And this how I make it:

Mulberry Jam

Ingredients

• 1kg fresh ripe mulberries
• 750g sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Preparation

1. Pull all the stems of the fruits and put them into a large saucepan.
2. Heat it over medium heat and crush the berries to squish out the juice.
3. Bring it to a boil then add the sugar and lemon juice.
4. Reduce the heat and stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves.
5. Bring it back up to the boil for a few minutes and then bottle and seal the jam.

Scones Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients

• 3 cups / 350g self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ¾ cup / 85g butter, diced
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg beaten
• ¾ cup / 175 ml milk
• 50g sultanas
• Self-raising flour for dusting

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Mix the self-raising flour, sugar and the butter into a large bowl; rub in butter using your fingers until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Whisk together the egg, the milk and the vanilla; reserve 2 teaspoons for glazing.
3. Add the sultanas and the egg mixture to the flour kneading gently to a dough.
4. Press dough out on a floured surface to 2cm thickness and cut out the scones out with a round 6cm cutter.
5.  Glaze with the beaten egg and place the scones 2 cm apart on a baking tray into the oven for 10-12mn.
6. Let it cool on a wire rack while covered with a clean tea towel for a soft scone result.

These are best served slightly warm and homemade mulberry jam.

It’s raining again and I’m kind of sick of it. I’m so happy I booked my vacation to sunny Dubai and this is my light at he end of the tunnel. By coincidence I read this morning an old post written by Ishita, a Dubai based blogger, whom I met 15 months ago at FBC. Her story conjured up a decade of tinsel memories lived in a city I still call my second home.

Back to the main task and through this mission of cooking from whatever available ingredients at home, I spot my red apples starting to loose glam. I thought, why not use my frozen piecrust and bake this no-fail easy recipe that anyone should give a try. The blend of cinnamon with fresh apples, tangy lemon, and vanilla ice cream makes of it a true delight in every spoonful.

And don’t forget each baked pie is a labor of love:)

Apple Tart

Ingredients

• 250g/1 ready-rolled frozen shortcrust pastry (or pâte sablée), just thawed
• 6 large red apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon (more or less, to taste)
• 3 tbsp limoncello (if not available lemon juice}
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Caramel sauce, to drizzle (optional)

 Preparation

1. Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon and juice in a bowl and cover. Allow to macerate for half an hour.
2. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
3. Roll out dough on floured surface. Transfer to pie dish. Trim excess and flute the sides. Pierce crust all over with a fork.
4. Arrange apple slices decoratively over the crust –pour remaining syrup over all.
5. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Drizzle with some caramel and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

To prepare your own crust try Martha Stewart short crust dough

Photography Serge Oryan www.sergeoryan.com

I don’t remember having a cake with beer inside until few months back when I was in New York City. My friend insisted that I try some, telling me that it doesn’t taste like beer at all. She was right it doesn’t taste the beer, but the stout inside adds a twist that calls you for a second bite and more. It’s moist, unlike you might be thinking it’s not bitter, but does have a deep tang.

I browsed few recipes online, all very similar. Most use sour cream, but I prefer the fresh organic yogurt I get straight from the farm. I used Almaza Lebanese beer, which I love, but you can use Guinness or your favorite dark beer.

I baked this same cake twice this week, and every single bite was a true dose of happiness!

Ingredients:

• 100g / 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 ½ cup dark beer
• ½ cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of Salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 185°C. Grease and flour a cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter, beer, and milk. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Add yogurt and mix until incorporated.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Fold the dry flour mixture, gradually in the wet beer mixture, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
5. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 40-50 minutes, until cake springs back when gently pressed with finger.
6. Let cool in pan on rack.

Kids had few days off school as part of their winter break and instead of taking them to a ski vacation we flew to sunny Dubai and stayed at one of our favorite resort Atlantis the Palm, where kids had an amazing time on the beach with mommy (myself hihihi)  and friends. We’re lucky to have so many friends living in Dubai, which always makes of our vacation an unforgettable one.

Back to my kitchen and to my baking passion, an old recipe of a red velvet cake shouted at me across the room to urgently make it; I was so powerless over its lusciousness and didn’t hesitate for a second.

I usually prefer dry cakes without any frosting on, but this combination of red velvet cake and vanilla cream cheese frosting is gorgeous and I’m sure once you try it you will stay hooked.

I had fun writing words with my children to top each slice of the cake, we wrote much more than we needed as some of them got broken while peeling them off the paper, but no one minded eating an extra piece of chocolate, they clearly have a sweet tooth like mommy.

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp red food coloring
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda

For the cream cheese frosting

• 450g / 16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2½ cups icing sugar, sifted
• Pinch of salt

• 100g dark chocolate to make the toppers (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 185°C. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla.

Mix together cocoa powder and food coloring to form a paste and add it to the egg mixture.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the flour mixture, gradually to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk, beat until well incorporated, making sure to scrape down the bottom of the bowl with a spatula.

Mix baking soda and vinegar together and add.

Divide batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-40 minutes, until cake springs back when gently pressed with finger.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting: Whisk together cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Add, sugar, vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed until well combined.

Spread the cream cheese over the top of one of the cakes and on top (bottom up). Now spread the remaining cream cheese to cover the cakes from all sides, and decorate if desired.

To make the toppers: Melt chocolate over a bain-marie and fill it in a squeeze bottle or a piping bag. Write words (like love, kisses, hugs, xoxo, valentine) on a wax paper and wait few minutes to cool. Once the chocolate is hard, peel it off the paper and insert it gently in the cream.

Photography Serge Oryan

This is one of those recipes that just came together in my head in 3 minutes.

1. I wanted to bake a cake.

2. I didn’t want it to contain eggs, milk or butter.

3. A cake that uses black treacle.

You may wonder, what’s the occasion? I have friends visiting me tomorrow.

Why no eggs – no milk – no butter? Because during Lent many friends abstain from eating meat and dairy, therefore my guests will have no reason to say no to my cake.

Why black treacle? Well for the simple reason that I still have a bottle since Christmas and I want to finish it;-)

The resulting DELICIOUS cake had a dark color, strong flavor and viscous consistency. The combination of treacle and aniseed is the secret to this succulent cake. There’s something flavorful about this blend that lights up my mood even on bad days. For some the taste of treacle, might be very strong and for those who love this taste, close to licorice if I may say, will fall in love with this recipe.

You can always use milk instead of water or if desired, use half milk and half water. You may also substitute the black treacle with date molasses. And if you decide to use all-purpose-flour then I suggest you add 2 teaspoons of baking flower. Many options can be explored but my one-advise is not to skip the aniseed addition!

Black Treacle Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 2 tbsp ground aniseed
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups black treacle
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ cup slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix flour and aniseed. Add oil and stir to make a paste.
2. In a separate bowl, combine treacle and water. Add gradually to the flour paste and mix.
3. Grease a cake mold and pour batter. Make sure it’s flat and even. Sprinkle with almonds.
4. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before transferring to a plate.

It’s this time of the year where the neighborhood smells sweet. Housewives and women of the family would be traditionally gathering right now to bake batches of Maamool. The aroma sneaks out of the oven to reach every sense of smell around and makes one desire to eat Maamool instantly. Hopefully this ritual will never go out of style, as it adds excitement to this beautiful occasion.

Maamool is very popular in Lebanon during Easter and I’ve been asked for the recipe hundreds of times. I hope you will love it as much as I do and appreciate the artist behind this elegant treat. I think who ever invented it, did care about each of his taste buds. Who would have thought about the mix of this fragrant dough coming from the combination of the rose water and the orange blossom water. The result is a delicious cookie that melts in your mouth and the pistachio filling gives it a soft chomp. Impressive!

Maamoul With Pistachios or Walnuts

For 30 pieces

Ingredients

Maamoul Dough

• 3 cups coarse semolina (ferkha)
• 2 cups fine semolina (smeed naim)
• ½ cup of sugar
• 3 sticks/300g of butter, melted (and let cool down) I use Lurpak blocks
• 100ml of rose water
• 30ml/2 tbsp of orange blossom water
• ⅙ teaspoon instant yeast

Nut Filling

• 200g of unsalted pistachio nuts or unsalted walnuts
• ¾ cup of regular sugar
• 2tbsp of rose water
• 3tbsp of orange blossom water

• Icing sugar to decorate

Preparation

1. Mix coarse semolina, fine semolina and sugar together.
2. Add yeast and melted butter and rub with hands until well combined.
3. Gradually pour WARM orange blossom water and rose water, kneading the dough gently with hands. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with a wet kitchen towel. Let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
4. To make the filling, combine all ingredients.
5. Divide the dough in 2. Scoop walnut size of maamoul dough and flatten it on the palm of your hand, fill it with pistachios or walnut filling and make a ball. Repeat this step until you finish the dough.
6. Press gently each ball into a traditional “Maamoul” mold to take shape and tap out on the baking sheet to drop out of the mould. If the dough is sticky, lightly flour the mold.
7. In a preheated oven 200C/400F bake the maamoul cookies for about 15-20mn or until the sides are slightly golden.
8. Sprinkle with icing sugar, while still hot. Let cool down and sprinkle again until fully covered.