flipLawzînaj, Almond and Rose Water Diamond Sweets
Lawzînaj, Almond and Rose Water Diamond Sweets
Why this dish? Abbasid physicians considered almond and sugar 'warming' and strengthening for the mind; these sweets were offered to convalescents and intellectual workers — a comfort well suited for a mind worn out by long nights of calculation at the House of Wisdom.
Sweet almond paste perfumed with rose water, wrapped in a thin sheet of dough and soaked in syrup, cut into delicate diamonds. A refined confectionery reputed to restore strength.
To finish, friend, a sweetness that revives the tired spirit. Pound the white almond with sugar until it forms a paste, perfume it with a hint of rose water — not too much, for excess spoils the measure. Enclose it in a sheet thin as a manuscript page, moisten with warm syrup, and cut into diamonds: see, it is the very figure of the rhombus my compasses trace! Physicians prescribe it to exhausted minds; I took it after calculating the stars, and thanks be given.
- •Blanched almonds — in abundance (base)
- •Cane sugar — generous portions (sweetness)
- •Rose water — a few drops (fragrance)
- •Thin dough sheet — as needed (wrapper)
- •Sugar syrup — for soaking (sweet binder)
Lawzînaj, Almond and Rose Water Diamond Sweets
Sweet almond paste perfumed with rose water, wrapped in a thin sheet of dough and soaked in syrup, cut into delicate diamonds. A refined confectionery reputed to restore strength.
Why this dish? Abbasid physicians considered almond and sugar 'warming' and strengthening for the mind; these sweets were offered to convalescents and intellectual workers — a comfort well suited for a mind worn out by long nights of calculation at the House of Wisdom.
To finish, friend, a sweetness that revives the tired spirit. Pound the white almond with sugar until it forms a paste, perfume it with a hint of rose water — not too much, for excess spoils the measure. Enclose it in a sheet thin as a manuscript page, moisten with warm syrup, and cut into diamonds: see, it is the very figure of the rhombus my compasses trace! Physicians prescribe it to exhausted minds; I took it after calculating the stars, and thanks be given.
Ingredients (period version)
- Blanched almonds — in abundance (base)
- Cane sugar — generous portions (sweetness)
- Rose water — a few drops (fragrance)
- Thin dough sheet — as needed (wrapper)
- Sugar syrup — for soaking (sweet binder)
Ingredients
- Almond flour — 200 g (base)
- Powdered sugar — 150 g (sweetness)
- Rose water — 1 to 2 tsp (fragrance)
- Phyllo dough sheets — 4 to 6 (wrapper)
- Melted butter — 50 g (brushing the dough)
- Sugar + water for syrup — 150 g + 100 ml (soaking)
Method
- Mix the almond flour, powdered sugar, and rose water into a soft paste; add a little water if needed.
- Prepare the syrup by simmering sugar and water for 5 minutes, then let cool slightly (perfume with a dash of rose water).
- Lay out a phyllo sheet, brush with butter, spread the almond paste, and roll or fold.
- Bake at 180°C for 15 to 20 minutes until light golden.
- Immediately drizzle with the warm syrup and cut into diamonds once soaked.
How it was made : The lawzînaj (from 'lawz', almond) is a flagship confection of Abbasid banquets, abundantly described in cookbooks. Its traditional diamond (rhombus) cut gave it its name, and contemporary medicine attributed fortifying virtues to it.
The contemporary twist : Decorate with crushed pistachio and a crystallized rose petal, and arrange into perfect diamonds 'sweet theorem' style.
Sources : Nawal Nasrallah, Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens, Brill, 2007 · Lilia Zaouali, L'Islam à table, La Découverte, 2004 · Charles Perry (trans.), A Baghdad Cookery Book (Kitâb al-Tabîkh by al-Baghdâdî, 1226), Prospect Books, 2005
Al-Khwârizmî · Charactorium
