Cream cheese-filled deep-fried pastry rolls covered in sugar syrup. This Omani dessert is similar to cannolis except the cream cheese is fried while it is inside the pastry and a fragrant sugar syrup is drizzled to cover every roll and add a touch of sweetness. You can prepare them a few hours ahead or a day ahead and store them in the fridge before frying and serving them.
CourseDessert
CuisineOmani
Keywordcream cheese, prepare ahead
AuthorCultures Capsules
Ingredients
18 oz packetPhiladelphia cream cheese
1packet (10-pieces)Malaysian-style plain paratha
1litrevegetable oil for deep-frying
Flour paste to seal the pastry
2tbspall-purpose flour
1tspwater (or more, as needed)
Sugar syrup
1cupwater
½cupcaster sugar
½cuphoney
1tbspwater
1tbsplemon juice
3cardamom pods
Instructions
De-frost spring roll pastry.
Mix all-purpose flour and water to create a paste that will help to seal the pastry. Set aside.
Prepare the sugar syrup by mixing all the ingredients. Once done, let it cool down and keep aside.
Cut 2-inches long and 1-cm wide slice of the cream cheese and place at the top-center of the spring roll pastry. Fold the edges of the pastry to stop the cheese from leaking from the sides while frying and roll until the end. Seal and make the rest of the Zainab’s fingers. Dina demonstrates this process well in her video and I recommend watching it.
Keep Zainab’s fingers in a fridge. You can prepare them early before frying them or just before frying them but it helps to keep them cool before frying in hot oil as it makes them very crispy.
Heat oil to prepare for some serious deep-frying. Once the oil is hot, dip in the Zainab’s fingers and fry until both sides are golden brown, turning them as needed. Drain the oil by placing the Zainab’s fingers on paper towel after frying them.
Drizzle the sugar syrup or dip every piece Zainab’s fingers with the sugar syrup and place them nicely on a plate. Pour a little more sugar syrup on top of the Zainab’s fingers before serving.