Halawet al-Jibn (Cheese Halawa)

Ingredients

• 1 cup fine semolina
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese (or 1/2 kg)
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 1 tsp rose water
• Qareesheh (drained curds):
• 5 cups milk
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• Qimeer cream:
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp sugar
• lemon blossom for garnish
• pistachios for garnish
• Syrup (Qatr / Shireh):
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• This link is to Rasmiyah’s method for making sha'ibiyat as well.

Method

1. Start by preparing the curds.. put the milk in a pot over the heat until it begins to boil.
2. Add the vinegar and yogurt and leave on the heat until the curds separate.
3. Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon, then place them on a thin clean cloth in a sieve so all the water drains from them.
4. Let it cool aside.
5. Prepare the cream (qaimar) by putting 1 cup of milk with 2 tablespoons of sugar and cornstarch and mix them well cold, then put them in a pot on the heat and continue stirring until you obtain a thick cream.
6. Add rose water and orange blossom water, stir, then set aside to cool.
7. Blend the qaimar cream with the curds in a food processor or by hand until they are uniform.. place the cream in the fridge.
8. Prepare the halawa dough... put 1 cup water and sugar in a pot on the heat and leave until the sugar dissolves and the water begins to boil.
9. Add the cheese and stir until it melts well.. then gradually add the semolina and stir well until you obtain a homogeneous elastic dough.
10. Put a little syrup on a clean surface.. then place the hot halawa on it and spread it by hand or with a rolling pin into a rectangle.
11. Place the cold cream at one edge and roll it into a thin roll and cut it... continue in this way until the dough is finished.
12. Cut the halawet al-jibn rolls into small pieces or to the desired size and garnish them with pistachios and lemon blossom.
13. Serve the halawet al-jibn with syrup.
14. Rasmiya Majdoub
15. This link is to the method of making shaibiyat in Rasmiya's style as well.