These delicate, brittle cookies called Naan Berenji have long been part of Persian tables and gatherings. They hold a special place on the Nowruz table (Persian New Year), alongside sweets, dried nuts, and fruits. So beloved in Iran, most families simply buy them fresh from the neighborhood bakery. These days, I drive about 15 miles…
Tag: Rose water
Cake Eshgh – Persian love cake
Today and every day we celebrate LOVE (Eshgh)! Maybe with a Persian love cake? Valentine’s day has come and gone and I am just getting around to posting this Persian love cake recipe on the blog. To state the obvious, Valentine’s day was not always a day that was celebrated in Iran and there was…
Tokhm-e Sharbatie – Basil seed, rose water, and lime Sharbat
Before there was sugary and processed soda (can you even remember that time?!) there was sharbat in Iran. Sharbat is a homemade beverage that has 3 main components: acid, sweetener, and flavor. This is Tokhm-e Sharbatie, a delightful and refreshing sharbat. For the acid, citrus juice or vinegar is used to bring forward the tartness…
Halva Havij – Carrot halva
Halva, an Arabic word meaning sweet, is a well-recognized global dessert that by many accounts dates back to 7th century Persia, when dates and milk were cooked to create a creamy paste. Since then, the term halva has been used to reference a variety of sweets that include the cooking of wheat, rice, or semolina…
Baghlava – Persian Baklava
This is Persian baklava! Baklava is a layered pastry dessert typically made of filo pastry and filled with finely ground nuts. They are then sweetened with either syrup or honey and seasoned with various warming and sweet spices. Baklava continues to be one of the most recognizable and popular sweet pastries in Iran, Syria, Lebanon,…