Za'faran wa hail ka'ak (Saffron & Cardamom Cake)

The idea for this cake recipe was inspired by the spice souks of the Middle East.This cake is perfect for Ramadan and any other festive occasion or is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea.The combination of saffron, turmeric and cardamom blend perfectly together to create a cake that is both light and aromatic.

Yield:6 Servings
Ingredients:
pinch of saffron threads
6 dates,pitted, chopped
5 eggs
5 oz. sugar
1 tsp. cardamom, ground
pinch of turmeric
5 oz. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
butter or oil for greasing
flour for dusting
handful of almonds, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Soak the saffron strands in 2 Tbsp. of hot water for 1 hour, then set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar till well combined, about 10 minutes.Add the cardamom and turmeric.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder together.Then sift into the egg/sugar bowl slowly while mixing.
4. After the flour and baking powder have been folded into the egg/sugar, add the saffron water and vegetable oil and mix.
5.Grease a small cake pan with butter or vegetable oil.Dust with a little of the flour.
6.Pour half the cake mixture into the pan. Add the chopped dates , then cover with the remaining cake mixture.Top with the sliced almonds.
7. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes.

Ranginak (Persian Date Fudge Cake)

A popular Persian dessert that hails from Southern Iran,ranginak is an easy, no-bake stuffed dates set in a fudge-like mixture garnished with ground walnuts and pistachios.

*Pic coming soon

Yield:12-16 pieces
Ingredients:
3/4 c walnuts, halved
2 2/3 c dates, pitted
1 c butter
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. almonds, ground
1 Tbsp. pistachios, ground

1. Place half a walnut inside each date.Lightly grease a shallow baking dish and place the dates in it, making sure they are tightly packed.
2.Melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan and stir in the flour.Cook it until it turns a caramel-like color.
3.Pour caramel/fudge mixture over dates and let it set.In a small bowl, combine ground almonds and ground pistachios and mix.Sprinkle ground pistachios and almonds over dates.
4. Cut Ranginak into squares and serve with tea or coffee.

Ataif (Arab Pancakes)

Ataif alternately spelled qatayif are small yeast pancakes that are dipped in orange-blossom syrup and served with clotted cream(eishta) and garnished with chopped pistachios. They can also alternately be stuffed with nuts and unsalted white cheese and dipped in syrup.Ataif (qatayif) are traditionally eaten during Eid al-Fitr ,the breaking of the fast that marks the end of Ramadan and they also make an appearance at festivals and weddings.Ataif(qatayif) are very easy to make but most people usually buy them already prepared from bakeries and then take them home to prepare them according to thier preference.
Below is the recipe for ataif (qatayif).The recipe is fairly easy to make but keep in mind that unlike American pancake batter, the pancake batter for these Arab pancakes need to rest for 2 hours.


Yield:16 pancakes
Ingredients:
For the pancake:
1 packet (1tsp.)active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/4c lukewarm water
2 c all-purpose flour
sunflower oil

For the syrup:
2 c sugar
1 1/4c water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 Tbsp. orange-blossom water or rosewater

To serve:
2-3 handfuls of pistachios, chopped
clotted cream

1. Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl with 1/4c of lukewarm water and leave till it begins to froth(about 5-6 minutes).
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the remaining water and beat till you have a smooth batter.Add more water , if necessary.Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and leave to rest for about two hours in a warm place.
3. When the batter is ready(by this time you will see air bubbles have formed in the batter),oil a large pan with the sunflower oil and heat pan.Slowly add about 1/4c of the batter to the pan and wait for it to bubble on one side.Then flip it over to the other side till batter is firmed up.
4. Place pancake on warmed serving platter.Repeat this process till batter is finished.
5.For the syrup, Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan.Stir in the lemon juice and simmer for 15 minutes.Add the orange-blossom water or rosewater, if using and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Remove syrup from heat and allow to cool then chill in the refrigerator.
7.When ready to serve, arrange pancakes on a platter with a dollop of clotted cream and drizzle with chopped pistachios.