Lebanese Fried Phyllo Cream Rolls in Orange Blossom Syrup

What you need

• 400 g (2 cups) sugar, for the syrup
• 240 ml (1 cup) water, for the syrup, plus 80 ml (1/3 cup) for the sealing paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water
• 480 ml (2 cups) milk
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp fine semolina
• 1/4 tsp mastic, optional, ground with a pinch of sugar
• 40 g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) phyllo pastry, thawed if frozen
• 1 l (4 cups) vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 2 tbsp pistachios, raw, coarsely ground

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Make the syrup first: combine the sugar with 240 ml (1 cup) water and the lemon juice, stir until it comes to a boil over fairly high heat, then let it bubble gently, uncovered, for 6 min.

2. 2

   Take the syrup off the heat, stir in the orange blossom water and leave until completely cold.

3. 3

   For the cream, combine the milk, cornstarch, semolina and mastic in a pan and cook over medium heat, never stopping the whisk, until it boils and turns very thick, 5-8 min. Spread in a bowl, cover the surface and cool completely.

4. 4

   Whisk the flour with 80 ml (1/3 cup) water into a smooth paste for sealing.

5. 5

   Cut the stack of phyllo sheets into strips about 7 cm (2 3/4 in) wide and keep them under a damp towel.

6. 6

   Lay one strip vertically and a second across it to make a cross. Put a heaped tablespoon of the cream in the middle.

7. 7

   Fold the two ends of the crosswise strip over the cream, then roll up from the bottom of the vertical strip, dabbing the last few centimetres with paste to seal. Repeat with the rest.

8. 8

   Heat the oil in a deep pan to 175 °C (350 °F).

9. 9

   Fry the rolls in batches, turning once, until crisp and golden all over, about 4 min.

10. 10

    Lift them out with a slotted spoon and dip each hot roll into the cold syrup for a few seconds.

11. 11

    Arrange on a plate, scatter with the pistachios and serve at room temperature. Makes about 30-36 rolls; refrigerate leftovers and eat them the same or the next day.

Imported from hadiaslebanesecuisine.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.