Cheese Sweet with Pistachios

Ingredients

• 500 g mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 cups fine semolina
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup syrup
• Ground mastic with a little sugar
• 2 tablespoons rose water or orange blossom water
• Syrup (shira)
• Ashta (clotted cream)
• Ground Aleppo pistachios for garnish
• * Orange blossom flowers for garnish

Method

1. Place the cheese in a pot over a water bath on medium heat; using a wooden spoon, stir the cheese until the water separates from it and the mixture becomes very smooth
2. Add the water and semolina and continue stirring until the cheese absorbs the semolina and a soft dough forms
3. Add 1/2 cup of syrup to the dough along with rose water and mastic, and stir until the syrup is absorbed by the cheese and semolina and a rollable, soft dough forms
4. You can add more syrup if the dough is too thick. On a smooth surface sprinkle a little syrup and begin rolling the dough until it becomes thin. Cut the dough into squares or rectangles as desired
5. Place a tablespoon of clotted cream in the center of each square and fold the dough over the filling
6. Place the pieces of cheese halawa in the fridge, then garnish with additional clotted cream, ground Halabi pistachios and lemon blossom jam, and drizzle syrup over them when serving