Mishabak and Zainab Fingers
This recipe combines Zainab Fingers and mishabak with sugar syrup. Zainab Fingers are made with flour, fine semolina, mahlab, salt, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, ghee or butter, oil, and milk; then shaped, fried in medium-hot oil, and dipped in cold syrup. Mishabak is made with medium semolina, fine semolina, salt, sugar, yeast, oil, and water; then proofed, piped directly into hot oil, and dipped in syrup. The chef added cardamom to the syrup and mentioned alternatives to milk, while emphasizing the oil temperature and that the syrup must cool before use.
Two traditional fried Middle Eastern sweets: mishabak and Zainab fingers.
Like crunchy syrup sweets or fritters.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 cup Fine semolina
- 1/2 tsp Mahleb
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 2 tbsp Ghee or butter
- 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 cup, 200 ml Milk
- 3 cups Medium semolina
- 1 tbsp, 10 grams Yeast
- 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
- 2 cups, 400 ml Water
- 4 cups Sugar
- 2 Water
- 2 drops Orange blossom water
- Lemon
- 4 or 5 pods Cardamom
- mentioned as an alternative Yogurt
- mentioned as an alternative to milk Water
Instructions
- To prepare the syrup, place the sugar and water in a pot over the heat, stirring lightly until the sugar dissolves.
- To prepare the syrup, wipe the sides of the pot with a kitchen towel if there is sugar on them.
- To prepare the syrup, add the cardamom pods to the pot over the heat for flavor.
- To prepare the syrup, add a slice of lemon or a squeeze of lemon to the pot, then cover the pot briefly.
- To prepare the syrup, turn off the heat under the pot after it boils, then add the orange blossom water and leave the syrup to cool completely.
- To prepare the Zainab Fingers dough, place the flour and fine semolina in a bowl.
- To prepare the Zainab Fingers dough, add the salt, baking powder, mahleb, sugar, and cornstarch to the bowl.
- To prepare the Zainab Fingers dough, add the ghee or butter and vegetable oil to the bowl.
- To prepare the Zainab Fingers dough, add the warm milk to the bowl.
- To prepare the Zainab Fingers dough, rub the ingredients together and knead until an elastic dough forms.
- To prepare the Zainab Fingers dough, cover the dough and leave it to rest so it does not dry out.
- To shape the Zainab Fingers, take equal pieces of dough and shape them into fingers.
- To shape the Zainab Fingers, press the pieces against a ridged household tool or a slotted spoon to achieve their distinctive shape.
- To fry the Zainab Fingers, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat until it reaches approximately 160 to 170 degrees, according to the chef's description.
- To fry the Zainab Fingers, fry the pieces in the pan until they develop an even golden color, stirring after a short time.
- After frying, transfer the Zainab Fingers to the cold syrup to absorb it, then drain.
- To prepare the mishabak dough, place the medium semolina and fine semolina in a bowl.
- To prepare the mishabak dough, add the salt, sugar, and yeast to the bowl.
- To prepare the mishabak dough, add the vegetable oil, then rub it into the semolina.
- To prepare the mishabak dough, add the warm water to the bowl, then mix the ingredients lightly.
- To prepare the mishabak dough, leave the dough to proof for approximately 20 minutes.
- To shape the mishabak, fill a piping bag or suitable squeezing tool with the mixture.
- To fry the mishabak, heat the oil in a pan to a higher temperature than that used for frying the Zainab Fingers, as stated by the chef.
- To fry the mishabak, pipe the mixture into the hot oil in rings or circles.
- To fry the mishabak, press the pieces slightly into the oil, then turn them until cooked and suitably colored.
- After frying, transfer the mishabak to the cold syrup, then drain.
- Serve the dish hot.