Nuts, Raisins and Shredded Coconut Pastry

This sweet and very easy to make pastry is filled with raisins, chopped nuts, and shredded coconuts, a mixture laced with orange blossom or rose water. The folded triangles are then baked to a crispy gold in the oven and then dipped in sugar syrup. They are crisp, crunchy and the perfect accompaniment to the essential post-iftaar cup of Arabic coffee.

 Ingredients 

Filling

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
1/2  cup sultanas and raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 tbsp orange blossom water/ rose water
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar

Sugar Syrup 

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 tbspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon rose or orange blossom water

Ready-made phyllo pastry (found at any Greek or Middle Eastern shop)
1/2 cup vegetable oil, mix with a couple tablespoons of melted butter

Place the sugar, water and lemon in a saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the rose or orange blossom water at the end. Set aside. 

Mix the ingredients of the filling - you can add more cinnamon, raisin, coconut or add other nuts, according to taste.

 Cut the phyllo pastry into three finger wide strips. Keep them covered with a towel so they don't dry out. Brush with the oil and butter mixture onto each strip before you add the filling.

 Put a spoonful of filling in one of the strips.

 Fold the strip over the filling, folding towards the opposite corner as you go.

 Continue folding until the end of the strip, cut away any excess.

Place the triangles on a greased baking tray or baking sheet. Put in the oven at 250 C until crisp and golden brown.

Allow to cool before dipping in the warm syrup. They should be dipped in syrup just before eating. Place in cupcake liners. 

Serve with coffee and other Ramadan sweets, such as Qatayef,  Fritters or, as here, Knafa fingers. 

Cherry Cheesecake

Obviously, not Libyan! But for those of us who keep to a halal diet, cheesecake is a problem, as many recipes contain gelatin, and vegetarian gelatin is often not as strong as the animal-based products. We tried many recipes before arriving at our own fail-proof recipe. This one is topped with fresh cherries, but you can substitute other summer berries, fruit or try a chocolate, caramel or marzipan topping. Try it out and let us know what you think!

Crust
75g butter
16-20 digestive biscuits

Filling
2 deciliters milk 

2 tablespoons of cornstarch
50-75g sugar
200g unflavored soft cream cheese (eg Philadelphia)
200g fresh cream
1 tspn vanilla sugar
2 eggs
A satchet of Dr. Oetker's Vegegele (or two heaped teaspoons of vegetarian gelatin)

Topping
About 250g cherries
A satchet of cherry vegetarian jelly crystals

 Put the digestive biscuits in a blender.

 Melt the butter.

 Add the melted butter onto the biscuits and blend.

 Pour the mixture onto a springform pan, about 25cm across.

 Smooth flat with the back of a spoon.

 Make sure it is evenly spread throughout the base.

 Add the gelatine to boiled hot milk, stir until dissolved. Put in the blender.

 Add the cheese and cream to the blender.

 Add the cornstarch, sugar, vanilla sugar and eggs.

 Blend well. Pour out the smoothly blended mixture onto the biscuit base.

Place in the oven at 150 C, for just long enough that the cheese filling sets, but not long enough that the surface browns! About 15 minutes should do it.

 Wash the cherries, remove the stems and stones, cut the cherries in half.

Place the half-cherries onto the surface of the cheese filling. 

 Make the jelly, pouring the crystals into boiling water and making sure all the powder has dissolved.

 Pour the jelly slowly and carefully onto the surface of the cake.

 Place in the fridge for at least four hours, longer is better.

  When the jelly has done its work, run a knife lightly around the edge of the pan, then remove the sides from the base carefully.

 Slice and serve while cold