Balah el Sham

Ingredients

Syrup

• 600 gsugar
• 400 mlwater
• 1 tablespoonlemon juice
• 1 tablespoonrosewater
• 1 tablespoonorange blossom water

Dough

• 250 mlwater
• 80 gbutter
• 1 tablespoonsugar
• 1/2 teaspoonsalt
• 150 gplain flour
• 30 gfine semolina
• 3eggs
• 1 teaspoonvanilla, optional

To fry

• neutral oil, for deep frying

To finish

• ground pistachios
• or desiccated coconut

Equipment

• a piping bag with a large star nozzle
• a sugar thermometer

Directions

1. Put the sugar and water into a heavy pan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon juice once it is clear. The acid stops it crystallising as it cools.
2. Bring it to the boil and let it bubble for ten minutes. It should thicken slightly and coat a spoon. Take it off the heat and stir in the flower waters. Let it cool completely and then refrigerate it. Put the water, butter, sugar and salt in a pan.
3. Bring it to a full rolling boil. Take it off the heat immediately. Tip in all the flour and semolina at once. Beat it hard with a wooden spoon. It comes together into a stiff ball quickly. Return it to a low heat for two minutes.
4. Keep beating steadily as it cooks. A thin film should form on the base of the pan. Tip it into a bowl and spread it up the sides. Let it cool until it is barely warm to the touch. Adding eggs to hot dough will scramble them. Beat in one egg and keep beating until absorbed. Keep working and it comes back together. Add the second egg the same way.
5. Add the third only if the dough is still very stiff. The finished dough should be thick and glossy. Fill the bag with the warm dough. Pour oil into a deep pan to about eight centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil.
6. Heat it to only 150C to begin with. Pipe lengths of about six centimetres into the oil. Cut each one off with oiled scissors. Fry six or seven at a time and no more. Fry them slowly for about eight minutes. Turn them occasionally as they colour. They should puff and turn pale gold.
7. Fry them two minutes more to crisp and darken them. They should be deep golden brown all over. Break one open to check the inside is cooked. A raw doughy centre means the first fry was too short. Lift the hot pastries straight out of the oil. Drop them into the cold syrup at once. Leave them in the syrup for two minutes.
8. Turn them once so they soak evenly. Lift them out with a slotted spoon. Set them on a rack over a tray to drain. Finishing them takes a moment. Scatter ground pistachios over the ends. They are best a few hours after making.

Technique

• This sweet appears across the Ottoman world under different names, including tulumba in Turkey and the Balkans.
• The star nozzle is what gives the ridged surface that holds the syrup, and a plain nozzle gives a noticeably worse result.

Substitutions

• The semolina can be replaced with more plain flour, though it helps the crispness.
• Honey can be used in the syrup, though plain sugar syrup is what is traditional.

Variations

• Some sellers make small round versions rather than fingers.
• A version filled with cream after frying is sold in modern shops.
• Tulumba in Turkey is made almost identically.

History

Named Levantine dates for their shape, they are piped through a star nozzle and fried to order in Ramadan.

Frequently asked questions

What is Balah el Sham?

Balah el Sham is a dessert from Egypt: ridged fingers of choux dough fried and steeped in cold syrup. Named Levantine dates for their shape, they are piped through a star nozzle and fried to order in Ramadan.

How long does Balah el Sham take to make?

Balah el Sham takes 30 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 30 pieces. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Balah el Sham?

Yes, within limits. The semolina can be replaced with more plain flour, though it helps the crispness. Honey can be used in the syrup, though plain sugar syrup is what is traditional.

What is the most important thing to get right in Balah el Sham?

Add the third only if the dough is still very stiff. The finished dough should be thick and glossy. Fill the bag with the warm dough. Pour oil into a deep pan to about eight centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil.