Traditional balah al sham with cream filling and pistachios
Popular with children and adults alike, balah al sham makes for delicious finger food. The choux pastry treats, which are sometimes referred to as dates because of their elongated shape, offer a wonderful eating experience with plenty of different textures. While balah al sham is a sweet dish with hints of buttery goodness and warm, floral vanilla, it is not an overly sweet dessert. The rich, creamy filling and the crunchy, nutty pistachios suit the choux pastry exceedingly well and combine to create a well-rounded pastry treat.
If you are looking for other traditional and tasty desserts for iftar, you might like to try fried qatayef and mafroukeh, which both feature some of the same ingredients as balah al sham but with different types of pastry. You can also opt for dishes like yoghurt tiramisu with cream and mini fruit tartlets if you want desserts with flavour profiles that are completely different to balah al sham.
Sweet Arabic choux pastry dessert bites
Choux pastry has a buttery yet neutral flavour that makes it well-suited for savoury as well as sweet dishes. Its amazing ability to puff up as it is cooked or baked gives it a wonderful texture that sets it apart from other types of pastry. As its outer shell becomes crispy, its inside remains light and airy.
When fried, as in this balah al sham recipe, this contrast between the crunchy outside and the tender soft inside becomes even more pronounced. It is precisely what makes eating puffed-up balah al sham with velvety cream and crunchy nuts so wonderful.
Make the perfect fried balah al sham
Besides making a good choux pastry, a perfect balah al sham is all about frying. It is what gives the dessert its unique golden look and a crunchy texture on the outside while soft inside. Using a star-tipped piping bag, pipe the balah al sham choux pastry directly into the oil. Unlike when cooking the similar Spanish churros, the oil should not be very hot.
Though it is a bit more time-consuming, frying balah al sham in warm oil, as opposed to hot oil, allows the choux pastry to puff up nicely and gain a plumper appearance as well as a fluffy interior. Alternatively, you can place the balah al sham into room temperature oil, turn the heat up to medium, cook them until they start to float, turn them, and continue cooking them until they are golden brown.
As you cook the balah al sham, they will expand quite a lot so be sure not to place too many into the saucepan at a time. Cook them until their exterior is a deep golden brown to ensure a crispy exterior.
Experiment with dips and toppings
Though cream-filled balah al sham are great as they are, serving them with a dipping sauce on the side does not take away from their deliciousness. They taste great with a range of different options like a rich chocolate sauce, an intensely sweet date and caramel sauce, a delicate orange blossom jam, or a simple labneh with honey.
You can, of course, also mix up our recipe for balah al sham by experimenting with other toppings. Different nuts such as walnuts and almonds are delicious options if you feel like swapping out the pistachios. However, mixing these traditional green nuts with tangy, dried cranberries or freeze-dried raspberries makes for a beautiful display of balah al sham with red and green colours. It also gives the treats a bit of additional texture.
Homemade balah al sham also taste delicious with fresh fruits and berries. Try using tasty options like peach, mango, and strawberries to discover your favourite way to serve the traditional dessert.
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