Znoud el Sit

Method

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1. Boil the sugar, water and lemon 8 minutes to a syrup that coats a spoon. Stir in the orange blossom water off the heat and chill until properly cold.

   Mark done

2. Whisk the cornflour into a little of the cream until smooth, then heat the rest with the sugar. Add the slurry and cook, stirring, until very thick — about 4 minutes. Stir in the rose water, cool and chill.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

3. Cut each filo sheet into two rectangles, keeping the stack under a damp cloth.

   Mark done

4. Pipe a finger of cold cream across the short edge, fold both long sides in, and roll up tightly. Seal the flap with flour paste.

   Mark done

5. Heat the oil to 180°C / 355°F. Fry four at a time, 2 to 3 minutes, turning, until blistered and pale gold.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

6. Lift straight from the oil into the cold syrup for 30 seconds, turning once.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

7. Lift out onto a rack, scatter with pistachios and serve warm.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Hot pastry, cold syrup. The other way round makes them soggy.
• Thirty seconds in the syrup, no longer.
• The cream must be properly set or it escapes into the oil.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

Pairing Suggestions

• Arabic coffee
• Mint tea
• A bowl of fresh fruit

Storage & Reheating

Best within the hour. Refrigerated for 2 days, though the pastry softens. Do not freeze filled.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.