My Excellent Degustations

In a bowl, mix with hands flour, baking powder, butter and salt until everything is well incorporated.

Add orange blossom water gradually and mix without kneading until obtain a soft dough( not too soft though)..

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest on the counter for at least 1 hour.

Prepare the filling by mixing in a bowl the peanuts, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Add orange blossom water 1 tablespoon at the time and mix with hands until it starts to get together. It should not be a paste though but should have a sandy texture. Set aside.

Get back to the dough and place on a slightly floured (with cornstarch) working board.

Roll out the dough into thin sheets. Slightly flour the surface with cornstarch and fold each sheet in 1/3 then fold the other edge on top(3 layers). Flour with cornstarch and fold again in 1/2. Use a rolling pin to flatten it.

Pass the sheets in the pasta machine, starting with the large thickness to the thinnest one.

Use a pizza roll and cut large stripes.

Cut one edge of the stripe into an oblique line.

Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling around that edge and fold that edge over the filling to cover it. That will form a triangle.

Roll 3 times so that the filling will not come out and you form a good triangle. Make sure to press only on the the angles of the triangle in each fold.

Seal the last fold with orange blossom water by just wetting it with your finger.

Heat oil over medium heat.

Reduce the heat to medium low and fry the Samsa.

Using a spoon, throw oil on the Samsa during frying, that helps it get bubbles and almost double in volume.

Turn to fry the other side until golden.

Let cool completely then drench in sugar syrup.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top (optional).

Enjoy with tea or coffee.

Put the semolina, salt, vanilla and sugar in a large shallow dish.

Mix everything, then add ghee.

Mix with fingers only until the ghee is well incorporated.

Pour the semolina mixture in a smaller bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for few hours, preferably refrigerate overnight.

Prepare the almond filling by mixing the almond flour, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon (optional) and the egg white. Mix well with hands.

Add orange blossom water 1 tablespoon at the time until obtain a well gathered paste.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Get back to the semolina mixture and dump it in a large shallow dish again.

Take about 3 tablespoons of the semolina ghee mixture and put it in a small bowl to be used later.

Mix water (1/2 cup) and orange blossom water then pour over the semolina ghee mixture in the shallow dish.

Mix with hands just to gather the dough, don’t knead it.

Divide the dough into 2 to 3 balls and let absorb the liquid for about 5 minutes.

Place a ball of dough on a working board.

Prepare a small bowl of water and the small bowl of semolina and ghee mixture that was put aside.

Wet your hands in the bowl of water and roll the ball of dough into a log.

Keep rolling the log until it’s smooth and cracks free.

Make a lengthwise cavity and put inside the almond filling.

Pinch the dough to cover the almond filling.

Roll again the log of dough and sprinkle some of the semolina ghee mixture. Press with hands to make the mixture stick to the log. Roll the log again until it’s smooth and don’t hesitate to wet your hands with water if needed.

Use a knife to cut out the log into diamond shape cookies or Makrout.

With your hands, smoothen out the cut out Makrout.

Deep fry the Makrout at medium temperature until golden.

Drain and immediately drench in a light warm honey or warm sugar syrup. If the Makrout is going to be served the next day, it should be drenched for a second time in warm honey or warm sugar syrup before serving.

Serve with tea or coffee.