Desserts and Pastries

Following the main dish, fresh fruit (according to the season) is often served as dessert. Melons, citrus fruit, bananas, apples, grapes and prunes are typical examples. A good meal ends with a cup of coffee served with local pastries. They are usually sweet, made from semolina, butter, flour, nuts, and cheese, and soaked in a rich sugar syrup. Desserts and pastries are as follows:

Kenafeh: Soft cheese cooked between two layers of orange shredded pastry, served with qatter (sugar syrup with rose water).

Baklawa: Fine pastry layers with nuts and syrup.

Qatayef: Pancakes stuffed with chopped walnuts, sugar and cinnamon or cheese; sauced with syrup.

Ma’mul: Little stuffed pastries (made from semolina dough) with different shapes and fillings: walnuts, pistachios, almond or dates, rolled in powdered sugar. These are an Easter speciality.

Hilbah: A flat dough prepared with semolina, olive oil, and fenugreek seeds. Baked either plain (one layer) or stuffed with nuts (in the centre of two layers) and served with syrup.

Ghoraybeh: Plain pastries made of butter, flour and sugar. They come in many different shapes, including fingers or bracelets.