Znoud El Sit
These incredible sweet rolls are sold in every neighborhood sweet shop in Beirut during the holy month of Ramadan, you will be drawn by the wonderful aroma!! “Znoud El Sit” can be made at home, though you do have some steps to pace, but the end result is so worth it!
One of my fondest childhood memories was staying at my grandma’s home. Granny used to make the best “Znoud el Sit” during the month of Ramadan, and every time I make these, I still think of her in her kitchen in one of her pretty aprons, standing at her stove frying them. I was obsessed with these as a child, and now years later I feel no different.
After a long day of fasting, “Znoud el Sit” are so rewarding and so addictive as it is next to impossible to stop at one.
Znoud el Sit are crispy on the outside and are filled with a thick clotted cream – fried to a golden brown crisp and dipped in sugar syrup infused with orange blossom water. I truly wish you do give this recipe a try! Ramadan Mubarak to all!
To save time, make the cream filling (ashta) and sugar syrup a day ahead, letting them cool down before you refrigerate.
For freezing: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the znoud el sit in a single layer, leaving the rolls separated. Freeze for several hours, remove from the pan and store in a ziplock bag (this will prevent them from sticking together). The good thing is that they can go directly from freezer to fry.
Here is the cream filling (ashta) you prepared
Thawthephyllo pastry roll.
Lay your first phyllo strip vertically on a counter top, then place another phyllo strip horizontally over the vertical strip, creating a cross-shaped form.
Garnish with ground pistachios and orange blossom jam. If you have a sweet tooth, drizzle some more sugar syrup just upon serving.
Now it is time to enjoy the fruit of your labor.
Znoud El Sit
Description
Ingredients
- 500 g. /1 lb. 2oz. phyllo pastry roll thawed
For the ashta (cream filling)
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fine or coarse semolina
- 1/4 teaspoon mastic gum optional
For the paste to seal the edges:
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup water
For the sugar syrup:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water can be found at Middle Eastern stores
- 4 cups canola oil for deep frying
To garnish:
- 2 tablespoons raw pistachios coarsely ground
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom jam optional
Instructions
- For the sugar syrup: Place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 6 minutes. Do not cover. Remove from the heat, add the orange blossom water and allow to cool down completely.
For the ashta (cream filling):
- Place the milk, cornstarch and semolina in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Set aside to cool down.
- When the cream filling and sugar syrup has totally cooled down, prepare the paste to seal the rolls, in a small bowl whisk together the flour and water. Set aside.
To put together
- Delicately remove the phyllo roll from the plastic sleeve.
- Usually pyhllo comes in 22×30 cm/ 9×12 inches.
- With a pair of scissors, cut the pyhllo sheets into3 equal stalks (each stalk is 30×7 cm). To prevent drying, cove it with a kitchen towel.
- Lay your first phyllo strip vertically on a counter top, then place another phyllo strip horizontally over the vertical strip, creating a cross-shaped form.
- Place a tablespoonof ashta (clotted cream) at the center of the cross.
- Fold the ends of the horizontal layer over the ashta. Then roll the vertical layer over the ashta, smear the end with the flour paste and continue rolling, creating a cylinder-shaped roll.
- Heat the oil to an adequate frying temperature and fry the Znoud el Sit rolls, in batches, to a crisp and golden color. Remove with a slotted spoon and dip for a few seconds in the sugar syrup. Remove with a spoon, arrange on a serving dish and garnish with ground pistachios. Enjoy!
- You might also enjoy our Knafeh and Awamat
Video
Notes
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10 Comments
what a great cook you are everytime I come here my mouth waters.. Bravo Chef!
I can almost smell the sweet aroma of the mastic in the cream and the orange blossom in the syrup. LOVE this recipe!!
Awesome recipe.
This sounds super delicious
Hadia, i love Lebanese food. I would like to try this recipe since there is nothing here in my American town close to these rolls not even in a Middle East bakery.
Love it thank u.
I’ll definitely try this! haven’t had it for a while.
Just an observation. Based on the above images, the measurements for cutting the filo dough seems incorrect. The right measurements should be 3 pcs of (10 X 22) cm.
Hello,
i am wondering how long this recipe takes to make and how much it makes.
many thanks!
how many servings does it make?