Maakaron, Lebanese Sweet Anise Fritters
Description
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups semolina
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rose water
- 3/4 cup sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons anise seeds
For the sugar syrup:
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
For frying:
- 4 cups sunflower oil or any nuetral oil
Instructions
- To make the sugar syrup: Place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium to high heat, bring to a boil, stir with a spatula and reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 9 minutes. Add the orange blossom water and set aside to cool down. This step can be made a few days before making the recipe, just keep it to cool down then store covered in the fridge.
- To make the dough: In a large bowl, combine together the flour, semolina and whole anise seeds, give a quick mix, add the milk, sunflower oil, ghee and rose water; knead the dough using your hands to end up with a malleable dough, set aside for 3 minutes.
- Divide the dough into equal balls roughly the size of an apricot.
- Using a grater, press each ball onto the grater to flatten it into a circle (about 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm in thickness) and to make an impression as well.
- Roll each flattened dough into finger shapes (watch the video).
- Heat oil to an adequate frying temperature, and fry the makarons (12 pieces at a time) in the hot oil, reduce the temperature to medium when the maakaron pieces start to put on color, you want to crisp the outside without burning it. It takes about 7 to 8 minutes for each batch, watch the detailed video tutorial.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately drop in the sugar syrup (atter). Soak in the sugar syrup for 7 minutes, until the next batch is ready; repeat the process with the rest of makaron.
- Transfer to a large serving dish, and garnish with chopped pistachios, optional.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to leave the garnish out if you want to keep it nut-free.
- You can use farina instead of semolina, both end up with good results, but I gravitate more to semolina here in makinh ma'akaron.
- Storage: Cover with cling film and keep in the fridge for 5 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze the ma'akaron in their raw stage for 3 months, and the good news they can go directly from freezer to fryer, no defrosting is involved.
- Sugar syrup can be made 1 month ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
- By the way some call it asabe3 Zeinab, which translates to Zeinab's fingers.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!