Znoud El Sit (Lady Fingers)

Take out your phyllo pastry from the freezer the night before and thaw it in the fridge

Start by making the simple syrup. In a pot, add the sugar, water and squeeze of lemon. If using orange zest and saffron, add them in at this point.

Mix and place on medium heat to simmer for 12 minutes. Sugar should dissolve and you should end up with a clear sugar syrup. Remove from heat and allow it to cool at room temperature. If using rose water, add it in at this point.

While the syrup is cooking, make the ashta filling. In a pot, add the whole milk, the cream, and the corn starch. While everything is still cold, whisk well to incorporate the corn starch until dissolved.

Place the pot on the stove on medium high heat and continuously whisk for about 10 minutes until thickened. Don't stop mixing as the cream may burn at the bottom of the pot.

Once thickened, remove from heat, add the rose water (or orange blossom water), mix and place it in a dish covered with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is in contact with the surface of the ashta to avoid creating a film. Place in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 450F. If you're frying, skip this step.

Once the ashta has cooled, you're ready to roll. Roll out the phyllo sheets and keep them stacked as-is, then cut them into 4 equal sized strips along the short edge to result in 4" long strip bundles

Take one of the strip bundles and cut it in half to create shorter strips. Refer to photos in the post above.

To roll one piece, grab 2 layers of the long phyllo strip, and 1 layer of the shorter strip. Lay the short strip on top of the long one to form a cross, as pictured in the post above.

Place 1.5 tablespoons of the ashta filling on top of the short piece, in the centre. You can use less ashta if you prefer them less full.

Fold the sides of the shorter piece over the ashta to fully cover it.

Fold the longer strip over it and start rolling tightly to get a log shape, but be gentle so you don't rip the dough. Refer to photos in the blog post.

When you reach the end, seal it with water or a flour and water paste which is a more secure method (just mix 1 tablespoon of flour with a 4-5 tablespoons of water to form a thick paste which will act like glue).

Brush a sheet pan very generously with butter and lay them on it side by side.

Also brush each piece generously with butter from all sides.

Bake in the oven for 15-25 minutes, until golden brown. Keep in mind that the filling may ooze out a little, but if you roll them securely it should be very minimal.

Remove from oven and immediately drizzle with simple syrup so the pastry absorbs it. Garnish with nuts and serve.

If you want to fry them, you can deep fry or shallow fry. Heat a pot or pan of oil until hot. Ensure you have enough oil to cover halfway up the roll. Drop 2-3 pieces in at a time depending on the size of your pot. Fry each side for a few seconds until golden brown, then remove and place on a paper towel. Drizzle immediately with sugar syrup, then garnish with nuts.