Lebanese Halawet Jibin (Cream filled cheese rolls)

Who needs cheesecake when you have Halawet jibin?! These cream filled cheesy semolina roll ups are a must try.

I avoided making these for a long time as it seemed complicated and we had a very good Middle Eastern patisserie near us so never needed to.

Then we moved away and I craved them so much I decided to make them, and it couldn't have been easier I was surprised.

Halwet jibin translates to 'cheese dessert' and is especially popular around Ramadan time.

Funnily enough the best halawet jibin I ever tasted was in Berlin after the Syrian immigrants set up a most delicious patisserie there. It was out of this world.

If you adore Middle Eastern desserts, you might also like my basbousa bi ashta recipe, my classic namoura recipe, and my osmalia recipe.

Ingredients

Traditonally Lebanese pastry chefs use akawwi to make this but since we are not master pastry chefs we will be using mozzerella.

The secret I found is using Mozzerella cucina (Mozzerella suitable for cooking) and not the round buffalo mozzerella.

Sometimes it is presented as 'Pizza Mozzerella' and really you should make an effort to buy this version as the halaweh (sweet dough) will stretch and won't become plasticky.

It is worth learning how to make Middle Eastern ashta (clotted cream). Good thing I have a perfect easy to follow recipe on this blog.

Although you can use pastry cream or cornflour thickened cream, the ashta is fluffier in texture and holds better.

I used fine semolina to give that smooth cheesy dough.

Instructions

I recommend making the ashta a few hours beforehand so it cools and thickens in the fridge and makes rolling the halawet jibin easier.

I use a pizza cutter to slice the rolls once they have cooled in the fridge for a few hours.

Step 1: Make the ashta and orange blossom water sugar syrup, set aside.

Step 2: Make the semolina cheese dough until stretchy and smooth

Step 3: Roll out half the dough between two large freeze bags, add a colomn of ashta and roll up till until the edge overlaps and seals, then slice away the log and repeat

Step 4: Once cool slice into bitesize mini rolls and garnish with crushed pistachios.

Top Tips

Once you roll out the halawet jibin, use the pizza cutter to clean up any edges into a neat rectangle.

You can put the ashta into a piping bag if you are good with that sort of thing but I run a mile when I see a piping bag I have no explanation for this resistance, so I use a spoon to make a colomn of ashta instead.

I add a tiny bit of orange blossom syrup as it doens't need to be drenched, in fact I add a small bowl which you can dip the halawet jibin in instead of drizzling all over.

If you find the cheese rolls to fiddly you can also make a 'layer cake' by rolling the cheese semolina dough and adding a layer of ashta in between.

You can make several layers like this although the little rolls are easier to eat and serve to guests.

Halawet jibin are best eaten cold and taste even better the next day.

I love having them for breakfast first thing and suddenly I find all my worries are gone in a little bite of halawet jibin. Yum.

📖 Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Lebanese Halawet Jibin (cream filled cheese rolls)

Semolina cheese rolls filled with fluffy ashta

Course Dessert

Cuisine Lebanese, Middle Eastern

Keyword Dessert, Sweet, Traditional

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 6

Author Zaatar and Zaytoun

Ingredients

For the ashta

• 6 cups of milk divided
• 3 tablespoon white vinegar
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• ⅓ cup of cornstarch cornflour
• ⅓ cup of whipping or single cream
• 1-2 teaspoons orange blossom water

For the orange blossom syrup

• ½ teaspoon of orange blossom water
• ½ cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of water

For the cheese semolina dough

• 1.5 cup water
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup fine semolina
• 2 cups 'pizza' mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• ½ cup crushed pistachios

Instructions

To make the ashta

1. In a pot, heat up 4.5 tablespoon of the milk on medium heat until small bubbles start to form around the edges (before it boils)
2. Then reduce the heat to the lowest, and add the vinegar and a squeeze of lemon juice to the milk so curds start to form
3. Turn off the hear and scoop out the curds (areesha), transfer to a strainer (sieve) to drain and set aside. You don't need the extra liquid for this recipe
4. In another pot, add the cornstarch to 1.5 cups of milk and whisk by hand until combined, then add the sugar and cream, and stir on medium heat until it starts to thicken at which point you turn off the heat
5. Let the pastry cream cool for around 5-10 minutes before adding the areesha and orange blossom water, and combine together
6. Let the ashta cool for another 15 minutes before adding plastic wrap to the top to avoid a crust forming. Set aside

To make the orange blossom syrup

1. Stir together the water and sugar, bring to the boil then simmer for five minutes on low
2. Add the orange blossom water, swirl around and turn off the heat. Set aside

For the cheese semolina dough

1. In a medium pot add the water, orange blossom water and sugar on medium heat until the sugar dissolves

2. Then add the semolina and stir constantly for up to a minute with a spatula making sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot

3. When it has thickened slightly turn down the heat to lowest and add the cheese and orange blossom water. Stir thoroughly until the cheese melts and you have a stretchy dough like texture. Turn off the heat and let it cool for around 15 mins

4. Divide the dough into half and drizzle a little bit of orange blossom syrup between two freezer bags or plastic wrap (roughly 20x30 cm), roll out the dough in between until it's around ½ cm thick

5. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to neaten the edges into a rectangle, then either with a piping bag or small spoon add a colomn of ashta leaving a 1 inch margin
6. Then use the plastic wrap to lift and roll the ajeen dough up over itself, ensuring the bottom overlaps and seals, before slicing away the log. Repeat with the remaining dough and ashta till you have several logs
7. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a few hours to chill completely

8. When you are ready to serve, use a pizza cutter to slice the logs into bitesize pieces under 2 inches long, garnish with crushed pistachios and either drizzle orange blossom syrup on top or serve with a small dipping bowl

9. Store extra halawet jibin in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

You should try and make the ashta and orange blossom syrup a few hours before so they cool and are easier to handle

Buy Mozzarella cucina or 'pizza' mozzarella cheese suitable for cooking 

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