I know you haven’t heard from me for SO long, but I wanted to take this opportunity to genuinely wish you a TRULY Happy New Year in every sense this phrase can hold ? It’s been a heavy year for all of us and as much as most of us came out of it bruised and swollen, I hope your silver lining peaked in at some point ? (more…)

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Welcome back to the third and last of my summer KitKat fiesta!  

KitKat Egypt and I have been teaming up to bring you easy, delicious recipes that will cool you off in the hot summer days.

We started off with a scrumptious ice cream pie, followed by some ridiculous s’mores bars that require non of the camping heat, and sealing it with this…

And boy have I saved the best for the last.

If you’re like me and believe that peanut butter, especially when combined with chocolate, is one of life’s greatest pleasures, then these dessert cups will rock your world.

Oh and have I mentioned the salted caramel?  

Why yes…because if all the peanut butter and chocolate aren’t enough to make your tastebuds fly to the moon and back, a layer of salted caramel sauce running down the middle will skyrocket it to heaven.

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Welcome back to the second of three delicious summer treats that are made extra special with the much-loved KitKat!

If you’ve missed the first one…be sure to check it out!  It involves ice cream, salted caramel and KitKat.  Need I say more?

KitKat Egypt and I are partnering together to bring you delectable dessert ideas that are as easy to make, as they as are a dream to eat.

And I couldn’t think of anything more dreamy that this… 

KitKat S’mores Bars.

Everyone’s favorite campfire treat, barred up and brought next-level with the addition of crispy, ooey, melty, chocolate-y KitKat.

We’re talking layers upon layer of heavenly deliciousness.

Starting off with a crunchy layer of wheat biscuits (be it graham crackers or digestives), followed by a silky, fudge-y, chocolate filling… 

…and an avalanche of toasted marshmallows, laced with nubs of KitKats that are painfully melty on the outside, wonderfully crispy on the inside.

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If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life…it would be chocolate.  No doubt about it.

I’m sure many of you would do that same.  C’moooom…admit it!

I come from a long line family of chocoholics.  The kind of people who believe that if it’s not chocolate, it’s not dessert.  So I like to convince myself that chocolate runs in my veins and that the uncontrollable obsession is out of my hands…it’s in my genes.  At least that’s what I tell myself ?

When we were kids, my eldest brother (who’s the biggest chocolate addict I know) would spend his entire allowance on a box-full of KitKat every month.

He’d cleverly hide his precious stash from my other brother and I, in secret places that he’d constantly change.  And it drove us nuts that we couldn’t have access to it.  

It would take us some serious espionage business, sly tactics and weeks of hunting to be able to find it.  And when we did, we’d celebrate by gobbling up more than we can take in at lightening speed.  Only to be chased, moments later, around the house by one angry (but equally funny) big brother.

There would be screams, laughs, punches flying, things smashing, doors banging and parents interfering.  It was crazy.  It was silly (and sometimes scary), but it was the best times of our lives.

Fast forward 20 something years later, big brother still keeps a box of KitKat in his house, and now I do too...take that bro!  And I can’t help but get tickled with memories and have inner giggles whenever I bite into one. 

KitKat is the definition of nostalgia to me. So imagine my delight when KitKat Egypt proposed that I partner with them in creating summer recipes for you!

It was like…destiny.

(more…)

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Attention all “Lemaniacs” around the world!

Listen up and look closely, for I have THE cake for you!

A super lemony, pucker-up-your-lips, tangy cake with your name written all over it.

It is the cake for serious lemon lovers who can’t get enough of that refreshingly zesty flavor, and have a hankering tooth for that sweet-tart deliciousness.

Fellow Lemaniacs…I present you with sunshine in a pan.

Nothing subtle or mild about this one.  It is as in-your-face, loud and clear with citrus flavor as can be.

It is the lemoniest lemon cake I’ve ever had!  Even more-so than the reader favorite, Lemony Lemon Bundt with its fancy lemon syrup and all.

Lemon Bundt…you fed our lemon cravings for the past 3 years and I thank you for never disappointing, but I guess the time to graduate to some next-level citrus-iness (if that’s even a word) has come.

This simple lemon sheet cake is so bright and refreshing, and packed with a lemon punch that delivers its titled promise.

It has a soft, velvety crumb, incomparable moistness, and a light, fluffy texture that just melts in the mouth.

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Why is it that the simplest things are always the hardest to get right?

Ghorayeba is a 3-ingredient, plain, seemingly simple drop cookie with no bells and whistles, and a straightforward flavor.  How hard can it be?

Uhmmm…VERY!

Just like basbousa and red velvet cupcakes, these stubborn cookies drained the life out me, trying to get them the way they’re supposed to be.

I went through dozens and dozens of failed attempts, that I was this close to giving up on it and calling it quits.

But I’m glad I hung on for those last few trials, because they are what led to the The Perfect Ghorayeba. 

What is Ghorayeba?

Ghorayeba can be described as the shortbread of the Middle East without the crunch.  Barely sweet, with a pleasant ghee flavor, ever-so-slight bite and a delicate texture that melts away in the mouth.  

The classic Egyptian type is flavored with nothing but the ghee its made with, while other parts of the Arab world like Syria and Lebanon, often flavor theirs with orange blossom and rose water, where its also slightly crunchier and pronounced ‘Graybeh’.  Today, we’re focusing on the Egyptian variation.

Ghorayeba is most known for it’s distinctive fine crumb, smooth finish with a fuzzy outer layer and angelic off-white color.  It has a cloud-like mouthfeel that disintegrates to the bite and a rich lightness like no cookie I know of.

The texture is everything when it comes to ghorayeba and I don’t think enough adjectives will ever do it justice.  It’s just one of those things you need try to be able to know what it’s like. (more…)

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You know the saying: “Feels like I died and went to heaven”?

Yeaaaaah well that’s what I felt when I had my first bite of this.

It is unbelievably good…I just have no words.  But I kinda do ?

My favorite ice cream flavor in all the land with swirls of creamy pistachio butter, crunchy bits of caramelized pistachios and a mountain of vibrant green pistachio kunafa…is just the ultimate summer indulgence with a Middle Eastern flair.

It’s a triple dose of pistachios starring in one refreshing, creamy and crunchy dessert, with a party of textures and a taste that feels like pure comfort.

It is the kind of thing you hide in your freezer and keep going back to with a spoon, stealing bites over and over till you polish it all off.

My tasters (hi Fam Bam!) said that it’s one of the best ice cream creations they’ve ever tried and I couldn’t help but agree.

It is basically 3 of my most-loved Middle Eastern fusion ice cream recipes, rolled in one with a bright spotlight on pistachios!

Because aren’t they pretty?  I’m just a sucker for that naturally gorgeous green hue.

And I couldn’t resist turning the leftovers into ice cream bars.

I mean…have you ever seen kunafa on a stick?  Let alone…green?  And stuffed with ice cream?

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If you thought Middle Eastern cuisine has had its fill of pistachios, think again.

Pistachios are part and parcel of the region’s food, and we can’t help but sit back and enjoy its excessive use.

A light splash of ground pistachios here, a sprinkle of sliced pistachios there, is second nature to Middle Eastern cooks and we’re not complaining one bit.

This Mafroukeh on the other hand, will make other pistachio-kissed desserts, literally green with envy.

It is the mother of all pistachio sweets and a true depiction of the nut’s beauty.

It takes pistachios from a pretty and tasty addition in other sweets to center stage, where it becomes the star of the show.

It is the dominant flavor, shining color and pleasing texture.

So if you’re a fan of pistachios, you’re gonna fall in love with Mafroukeh.

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Ashta is the whipped cream of the Middle East.

It is literally the ‘creme de le creme’ of pastries in the region.

If it doesn’t make its way into the dessert, then we always find an excuse to use it as a topping.

What is Ashta Cream?

Ashta (or Eshta, as we pronounce it in Egypt) has even made its way into Egyptian slang.  We use it to say all is great when agreeing with something, as in “Eshta, that sounds great!”  It is also used to describe something that is clear and pure, and has no blemishes or faults…as is this recipe ?  (JK…but not really!)

Real deal ashta is a luxuriously rich and creamy, thick clotted cream traditionally made by skimming off the thin skin that forms on the surface of boiling milk, over and over again.  It’s a long process that requires patience, but the result is surely worth it.

I have never made the aforementioned type of ashta, because I never felt the need to get myself into such a labor-some process, when it’s all over the place in Egypt.

Store-bought and convenient was always my way to go when it came to ashta, until I tried this brilliant shortcut! (more…)

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No Ramadan is complete without Kunafa in the Middle East.

Wait…let me rephrase that.  No Middle Eastern home is complete without Kunafa.

Kunafa is a year-round staple dessert for Arabs, Turks as well as Greeks.  But in Ramadan…it is by far the most celebrated food item of the holy month.

It is the highlight of every iftar table, the bestseller at every pastry shop and the subject of creativity for home and professional bakers alike.

Qatayef, samosas and basbousa are always welcome to the iftar table, but kunafa is non-negotiable.

And who am I to argue with tradition?!  I couldn’t just let this Ramadan slip by without a kunafa recipe to welcome the month.  Amirite?

What is Kunafa?

If you’ve been following along for any length of time, then you probably know of my self-professed love for Kunafa.

Those golden, crispy, shredded strands of pastry goodness, doused with sugar syrup and filled with what ever your hearts desires, is just hard to beat.

With its different shapes, sizes, endless possibilities and the variations that are only limited to one’s imagination, I can’t help but be obsessed with it.

Kunafa, which is also known as knafeh, kunefe, kadaifi, kataifi, among others, has been a creative outlet for many of my blog’s recipes.  But between the daring, challenging, unconventional, and crazy, there’s always a soft spot reserved for the classics.

Cue in Ricotta Cheese Kunafa.

(more…)

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