Znoud El-Sit or Lady Fingers

Znooud el-Sit or Ladies fingers:

Its a middle eastern pastry that originated in Iraq and became popular through out the Middle East. It consists of a dough similar to phyllo where its is rolled, stuffed with clotted cream or “ashta”then baked and drizzled all over with sugar syrup.

Dough:

11/2 Cups All purpose four (I used King Arthur).

11/2 Tbsp vegetable oil

A pinch of salt

About 2/3 cups room temperature milk or water

Corn starch for dusting

Clotted cream or “Ashta”

1Cup whole milk

1/2 Cup heavy cream

8-10 slices of white lunch bread (edges removed and cut into smaller pieces)

1 Tbsp semolina flour

2 tsp orange blossom water or vanilla

1 tsp rose water (optional)

1 Cup ricotta cheese (freshly made preferable)

Sugar syrup or “Ater"

2 Cups sugar

1 cup water

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp orange blossom water

1 tsp rose water

1/3 Cup ghee or butter

Directions:

1-  Mix all the ingredients of the dough till it comes together.

2- Rest for 30 minutes.

3- divide into 3 balls

4- Sprinkle a generous amount of corn starch on a clean surface area and roll each ball into a 6 inch disk, set aside and let rest for 15 minutes.

5- sprinkle a generous amount of cornstarch into same surface area and lay each disk on top of the other with a generous amount of cornstarch sprinkled in between each disk.

6- Roll gently with no pressure so that the dough can expand into a much thinner piece, so that the layer underneath don’t stick to one another.

7- Using a piping bag, lay the clotted cream along the edge of the dough closest to you leaving a 1inch margin.

8- Roll the whole dough into one thin log.

9- Trim the edges and cut the log into smaller pieces.

10- Place in a baking sheet and drizzle with ghee or butter.

11- place in a 400F or 200C preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.

12- Drizzle with sugar syrup and garnish with rose petal jams or cherries.