semolina cream hand pies

Tamriye means “made with dates” in Arabic, an odd name for a dish that contains no dates. There must be an explanation, though I have been unable to find it. What I do know is that it is a dessert with strong religious associations. Greek Orthodox Christians prepare it for the day of Saint Matthew (Mar Metr), while Maronites have it to celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin (Eid al-Saydeh). It is traditionally prepared with a dough so thin that you should be able to read a newspaper through it; the dough is fried and sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar. I am neither patient nor particularly good at rolling out dough so thin. In fact, the sweets makers don’t even roll out the dough. Instead they flap it in the air in a rotating motion to stretch and thin it out. I have devised another way, using good-quality commercial puff pastry, which saves time and creates a crisper shell than the traditional pastry.

SERVES 4

5 Tbsp [50 g] semolina (regular, not fine)

2 cups [480 ml] whole milk

¹/₄ cup [50 g] superfine sugar

1 Tbsp orange blossom water

9 oz [250 g] store-bought all-butter puff pastry

Unbleached all-purpose flour for rolling out the pastry

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Put the semolina, milk, and superfine sugar in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Turn the heat to low and continue whisking for 5 minutes longer. Add the orange blossom water and whisk for another minute or so. Remove from the heat and pour into a 6¹/₂-in [16-cm] square dish, spreading the mixture evenly about ¹/₂ in [12 mm] thick. Let cool completely before cutting into 1¹/₂-in [4-cm] squares. You should have 16 pieces.

Preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C]. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Roll out the puff pastry thinly, sprinkling it with all-purpose flour so that it doesn’t stick. Cut it into 16 pieces, each 4 in [10 cm] square. Place a semolina piece in the middle of each square, pick up one corner, and flap it over the filling, positioning the corner in the middle of the square. Pick up the opposite corner and flap it over the first; do the same with the other two corners. Press the folded pastry lightly into the filling and place on the prepared baking sheet. Continue filling and shaping the pastry until you have 16 filled packets. Brush them with the beaten egg yolk mixture.

Bake until light golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. The pies are best served the day they are made, but keep reasonably well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.