Halawet el jibn (cheese and semolina rolls with cream and syrup)

A Syrian dessert (from Homs and Hama): a stretchy sweet cheese dough made with semolina, filled with cream and flavored with rose-water syrup. Popular cold in summer.

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Method

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1. For the cream, mix the milk, cream, cornstarch and sugar until smooth, and cook, stirring constantly, until thick; stir in the orange blossom water and cool, covered with plastic wrap.
2. For the syrup, boil the sugar with the water for 5 minutes, add the lemon juice and rose water, and let cool. ⏱ Timer: 5 min
3. In a non-stick pot, bring the water to a boil with the sugar, sprinkle in the semolina, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. ⏱ Timer: 1 min
4. Add the grated cheese and rose water, and stir vigorously over low heat until the cheese melts and it comes together into a stretchy, elastic dough (3-5 minutes). ⏱ Timer: 3 min
5. Turn out onto a large sheet of syrup-brushed baking paper, brush the top with syrup too, and roll out quickly while warm, between sheets of baking paper, into a thin rectangle 2-3 mm thick.
6. Once cooled, cut into 10×12 cm rectangles; spread 1-2 tbsp of cream along one edge of each, and roll up tightly.
7. Dip both ends of the rolls in pistachios, garnish with rose petals, and serve cold, drizzled with syrup.

A Receptnaptár original recipe. Calories and protein are estimated.

Tips

• The cheese dough needs to be rolled while warm, as it hardens on cooling.
• The finished rolls keep 2 days in the fridge; add the syrup only just before serving.

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