Znoud El Sit
Prepare to be enchanted by Znoud El Sett (pronounced "z'nood el set") the "Middle Eastern Phyllo Rolls", a truly iconic and exquisitely delicious Middle Eastern dessert that translates poetically to "Lady's Forearms" – a nod to its elegant, slender, and delicate shape. This classic pastry is a staple in Lebanese sweet traditions, beloved for its incredible contrasts and rich flavors.Just imagine a delicate, golden-brown phyllo pastry that shatters with an audible crispness at the first bite. Inside, it reveals a luscious, cool, and incredibly smooth filling of authentic Ashta, a rich Middle Eastern clotted cream, subtly perfumed with fragrant rose water and orange blossom water. Each bite is a symphony of textures and temperatures, as the hot, crispy exterior gives way to the cool, velvety cream. To complete this masterpiece, the freshly fried pastries are immediately drenched in a sweet, aromatic sugar syrup (Ater), allowing them to absorb just enough sweetness to balance the richness without becoming cloyingly sweet. A final flourish of crushed pistachios adds a beautiful green hue and a delightful nutty crunch.Indulge in the magic of Znoud El Sett and bring a taste of traditional Middle Eastern patisserie into your home. It's a dessert experience you won't soon forget!
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
Prepare the sugar syrup:
- In a pot, add the sugar, water and squeeze of lemon.2 Cups Sugar, 1 Cup Water, Squeeze of Lemon Juice
- Mix and place on medium heat to simmer for 12 minutes. Sugar should dissolve and you should end up with a clear sugar syrup. Remove from heat and allow it to cool at room temperature. If using rose water and orange blossom water, add them in at this point.1 Tsp Rose Water, 1 Tsp Orange Blossom Water
Prepare the Ashta Cream:
- While preparing the sugar syrup, prepare the filling cream.
- In a saucepan combine milk, corn starch, and sugar.1 Lt Milk, ¾ Cup Corn Starch, ½ Cup Sugar
- Mix well and transfer to medium high heat, and continuously whisk for about 10 minutes until thickened. Don't stop mixing as the cream may burn at the bottom of the pot.
- Once the batter starts thickening, add the butter and heavy cream.50 G Butter, 200 G Heavy Cream
- Mix well until all ingredients are well combined.
- Remove from the heat and add the rose water and orange blossom water,stir and transfer to a bowl.1 Tbsp Rose Water, 1 Tbsp Orange Blossom Water
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is in contact with the surface of the ashta to avoid creating a film. Place in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours.
Prepare the glue like mixture
- In a small bowl, add the flour and water and mix well1 Tsp Flour, 4 - 5 Tsp Water
Roll the Phyllo Sheets:
- Once the ashta has cooled, you're ready to roll. Roll out the phyllo sheets and keep them stacked as-is, then cut them into 4 or 5 equal sized strips.400 G Filo Dough
- Take one of the strip bundles and cut it in half to create shorter strips.
- To roll one piece, grab 2 layers of the long phyllo strip, and 1 layer of the shorter strip. Lay the short strip on top of the long one to form a cross, as pictured in the post above.
- Place 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of the ashta filling on top of the short piece, in the centre. You can use less ashta if you prefer them less full.
- Fold the sides of the shorter piece over the ashta to fully cover it.
- Fold the longer strip over it and start rolling tightly to get a log shape, but be gentle so you don't rip the dough.
- When you reach the end, seal it with water or the glue like mixture which is a more secure method.
- Brush a sheet pan very generously with butter and lay them on it side by side.
- Also brush each piece generously with butter from all sides.
- Bake in the oven for 15-25 minutes, until golden brown. Keep in mind that the filling may ooze out a little, but if you roll them securely it should be very minimal.
- Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with simple syrup so the pastry absorbs it. Garnish with nuts and serve.Crushed Pistachio
- If you want to fry them, you can deep fry or shallow fry. Heat a pot or pan of oil until hot. Ensure you have enough oil to cover halfway up the roll. Drop 2-3 pieces in at a time depending on the size of your pot. Fry each side for a few seconds until golden brown, then remove and place on a paper towel. Drizzle immediately with sugar syrup, then garnish with nuts.
Notes
- For the cream, you can use 35% whipping cream, or 18% table cream, or just replace it with whole milk.
- For the sugar syrup, choose the flavouring you prefer. You can add some orange zest and saffron instead of rose water and orange blossom water, or don’t add any flavour.
- You can choose to either fry or bake them. Frying is traditional and will be quicker and will ensure none of the ashta seeps out. But it is also more oily.
- Baking is lighter and there is a small risk that the filling oozes out, but if you roll them securely, it should be very minimal. Personally, I like the baked ones so I can have two! You still get crunch and crispy rolls.
- If you want to make these ahead, you can make the ashta filling as well as the simple syrup ahead of time. The ashta will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, and the simple syrup will keep on the counter for up to a month. I suggest you assemble and bake/fry on the same day, but you can do it up to 2-3 hours before serving.
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