Znoud el sit with banana and halva

Serves 6-8 Cakes, Bread and Pastries

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Method

Make the sugar syrup by putting the sugar in a pan with 250ml water. Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil. Switch off the heat as soon as it boils, then remove the pan and add the orange blossom water and lemon juice. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

Put a small pan over a medium-high heat, add the butter and brown sugar and heat until the butter completely melts and begins to boil. Add the chopped banana and stir it through the sugar. Add the lemon juice and stir, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Transfer to a bowl, and fold through the ashta or curd cheese and halva.

Lay the pastry flat on a chopping board and cut into even strips approx. 10-12 cm wide. Place the piles under a damp tea towel so they don’t dry out as you make the individual znood.

To roll the pastries, place one pastry strip vertically and one strip horizontally on your worksurface, creating an upside-down cross.

Put a heaped tbsp of the ashta mix in the middle of the mix a little. Fold each end of the horizontal piece over to cover the mixture, then fold the bottom of the vertical piece up and over the ashta. Roll it all into a cigar shape, sealing the edge with a little water. It should be about as thick as a small banana. Set aside and repeat with the remaining pastry strips.

Pour enough oil for deep- frying in a large pan or deep- fryer and heat to 180C. Working in batches, deep-fry the znood for a couple of minutes until the edges are dark brown. Remove from the oil, drain well, then immediately dunk in the sugar syrup for around 30 seconds

Remove from the syrup, allowing any excess to drain away, and transfer to a platter to serve.