
Each cupcake is finished with a mini pipette of rose simple syrup. Her Knafeh Cupcakes, for example, feature a vanilla and orange blossom cake base that’s topped with creamy ricotta frosting and finished with piles of the buttery shredded phyllo dough and pistachios used in Knafeh. There are so many options to bring to life, but I have the most fun making the fusion desserts.” “Middle Eastern sweets are very fun to work with and get creative with. “When it comes to baking, I love making all sorts of sweets,” she says. Halawa is a sweet tahini Middle Eastern dessert, that can be stuffed into pita pockets or used as a fun topping for desserts. Halva is eaten as a dessert or an energy-boosting breakfast. A dense, rich sweet treat that is nut-based with so many variations. One of the most unique things about Hassan’s creations is that in addition to offering traditional Arabic sweets, she also puts her own spin on classic dishes with fusion desserts that are entirely her own. This tahini halva recipe is made with simple ingredients. “It’s the traditional Palestinian dessert that everyone knows and loves.” Hassan offers Knafeh, made of crunchy shredded phyllo dough layered with a creamy sweet cheese filling and soaked in rose water syrup, in two pan sizes or as singularly portioned cups that are as beautiful as they are appetizing. Her menu of desserts includes more familiar treats like baklava, a phyllo dough pastry filled with walnuts and drizzled with rose-tinted simple syrup that’s similar to Greek baklava, as well as lesser-known desserts like Knafeh, Hareesa, Warbat, Halawat Jibn, and Basbousa.

Halawat is an Arabic term used to describe sweetness, and Hassan’s business is definitely that. There, she posts beautiful photos of her Middle Eastern desserts and takes orders over direct messages.

Over the past two years, she has amassed a steady following for her business Halwat Bham through Instagram. Within a matter of months, Hassan had mastered multiple recipes for Middle Eastern desserts and begun to market them to the community. Before I knew it, it was the middle of 2019, the Instagram page was up, and orders were coming in.” “So, I quickly started learning each dessert. “I had no experience in making Arabic desserts, but I knew that we had a demand for them,” Hassan says. The Birmingham native wanted to continue making sweets but give them a twist to reflect her Palestinian roots. After a few months gaining experience there, she decided it was time to break out on her own. She got hired as a baker at the French-inspired Continental Bakery in Mountain Brook. This is what the publisher tells us about this book: An authentic, indulgent collection of dessert recipes from across the Middle East, from one of the. In 2019, she decided to start putting plans into action to reach her goal. Twenty-one-year-old Ameera Hassan has always dreamt of owning a bakery.
