Arabic recipesSweets
Halawet el Jibn Recipe: Syrian Sweet Cheese Rolls with Qishta Cream
Halawet el jibn is a signature Syrian confection from Homs and Hama made by melting mild unsalted cheese with fine semolina, sugar, crushed mastic and orange blossom water into a warm, stretchy dough. Rolled wafer-thin over cold syrup, it is filled with thick qishta cream, sliced into bite-sized rolls and topped with pistachios.
Also known as:Halawet al-jibnSyrian sweet cheese rollsCream-filled semolina and cheese rolls
Servings8
Prep time25 min
Cook time15 min
Ingredients
Add ingredients to cart- 350 g thoroughly desalted and well-drained akkawi cheese (or low-moisture unsalted mozzarella, grated)
- 140 g extra-fine semolina (farakha)
- 120 g caster sugar and 200 ml water for the cheese dough
- 1/4 tsp mastic tears pounded finely with a pinch of sugar, plus 1.5 tbsp orange blossom water
- For the filling: 340 g chilled thick qishta cream (2 tins of 170 g)
- For the syrup and garnish: 250 g sugar simmered with 150 ml water, a squeeze of lemon and 1 tbsp orange blossom water (cooled), plus 80 g crushed green pistachios
Preparation Steps
- 1Prepare the blossom syrup first by simmering the sugar, water and lemon juice for 8 minutes, stirring in the orange blossom water and setting it aside until cold.
- 2In a non-stick saucepan over medium-low heat, dissolve 120 g sugar in 200 ml water; once simmering, whisk in the fine semolina steadily and stir for 2 minutes until thick.
- 3Add the grated cheese and crushed mastic, stirring and folding constantly with a wooden spoon over gentle heat until the cheese melts completely into the semolina to form a smooth, elastic dough that pulls away from the pan; work in the orange blossom water.
- 4Brush a clean worktop lightly with cold sugar syrup so the dough does not stick, turn out the warm cheese dough immediately and roll it into a thin rectangle about 2 to 3 mm thick, trimming the edges neat.
- 5Pipe or spoon a generous log of cold qishta along one long edge, roll the dough cleanly around the cream with a slight overlap, slice free with a knife and repeat; chill the logs for 30 minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces and serving with pistachios and extra syrup.
