My love affair with Layali Lubnan (Arabic for “Lebanese Nights”) began when I was 10 years old.
My mother brought me along with her to a bridal shower, and the endless conversations and gift opening of fine china bored me to tears.
However, the lavish dessert table I eyed in the corner of the room redeemed the entire afternoon. Trays of baklava, semolina date cookies, chocolate kisses and sesame anise cookies lined an entire table covered with white lace
Layali Lubnan prominently occupied the center of the dessert spread – a heavenly-looking white custard adorned with chopped pistachios. I had never tried this dessert before, but one of the guests who hailed from Lebanon made the treat for all of us to try for the first time.
Layali Lubnan is one of the most popular desserts originating from Lebanon. At that age, I pondered the name: “Are real Lebanese nights filled with white clouds? Are the pistachios supposed to be colorful stars lighting up a foggy evening?”
My curiosity escalated to the point where I asked my mother if I could have a piece before lunch. She miraculously said yes, as she could sense my boredom. (Remember, there were no iPads then.) So I took a piece, sat down and fell in love at first bite. The dessert had two distinct layers – a creamy semolina custard on the bottom and an airy whipped cream on the top. The chopped pistachios added a nice crunchy contrast in texture and color, and the entire confection was draped with a lemony rose sugar syrup.
As I put the spoon to my mouth, I smelled the mild fragrance of roses. I felt sophisticated eating Layali Lubnan as a child, and I asked my mother to make it for me again in the future. Fortunately, my mother asked the Lebanese woman for the recipe, and she continued to make Layali Lubnan for us well beyond the day of that party.
Now as an adult, I serve this fancy dessert to the people I love. I can’t think of a better delicacy for this romantic holiday, as the custard stimulates all of the senses, from the smell of the rose water and lemon to the taste of the light and creamy custard accented by nutty pistachios.
I still don’t know what Lebanese nights really look like, but they must have smelled and looked divine at one point to inspire this legendary delight.
Blanche Shaheen is a food blogger and journalist who lives in Los Altos. For more recipes and video tutorials, visit feastinthemiddleeast.com.
Shaheen is scheduled to conduct a cooking demonstration with menu sampling and wine at Draeger’s Market in San Mateo in April. For more information, visit draegerscookingschool.com.
Layali Lubnan
Semolina custard
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup semolina
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon rose water
Topping
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
Syrup
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 teaspoons rose water
To prepare custard, whisk 2 eggs with vanilla extract in bowl and set aside. Pour milk into large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and slowly pour in semolina in steady stream, stirring continuously.
Continue to stir and cook until mixture thickens and boils for 1-2 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat and immediately stir in eggs and 1 teaspoon rose water until fully incorporated. Pour mixture into 9-inch-by-13-inch serving dish, or individual dishes if you prefer. Allow pudding to cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.
To prepare syrup, heat sugar and water in heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, then cook until mixture turns light golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons rose water and lemon juice, which will prevent crystallization as well as add flavor. Remove syrup from heat, cover and chill. Syrup will keep for a month if refrigerated in sealed container.
To serve, whip cream with sugar using hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Spread thin layer of whipped cream over pudding. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and drizzle with sugar syrup.
Serves 12.
