Shami Mishabbak (Levantine Meshabbak)

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups coarse semolina
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 9 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 medium spoon baking powder
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk
• Cold sugar syrup (qatir/shira) for dipping the mishabbak
• Crushed pistachios for garnish
• This delicious mishabbak recipe was shared by a friend and cook on Shou Tabkhin Today:
• Alissar Rajab
• Click Alissar's name to visit her page and see all her tasty recipes.
• For more easy desserts see Grated Coconut Cake

Method

1. Mix the semolina with the oil, then add the dry ingredients and combine.
2. Add the water gradually and whisk or stir with a spoon until you get a smooth, not runny batter — similar in consistency to yogurt.
3. Let the mixture rest for half an hour.
4. After resting, if the batter has become stiff and is hard to pipe, add a little warm water and stir.
5. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip — choose a tip shape you like (star, rose, etc.).
6. Pipe spiral discs of mishabbak into plenty of hot oil so they take on a coiled shape.
7. When the discs turn golden, remove them from the oil, let them drain, then while still hot dip them into the cold sugar syrup prepared earlier.
8. Remove them from the syrup after a few seconds and place them on a rack so excess syrup can drain off.
9. Garnish the Shami mishabbak with ground pistachios.