Middle Eastern Sweets: Desserts, Pastries, Creams & Treats Review
4.8 / 5
Overall Rating
Middle Eastern Sweets: Desserts, Pastries, Creams & Treats
Middle Eastern pastry traditions are the foundation of Dubai chocolate. This cookbook gives you the canonical recipes — baklava, kanafeh, Turkish delight.
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TL;DR
Middle Eastern Sweets: Desserts, Pastries, Creams & Treats is the comprehensive cookbook for home bakers exploring the regional pastry tradition behind Dubai chocolate, baklava, kanafeh, Turkish delight, and dozens of lesser-known regional treats. Step-by-step recipes with ingredient sourcing notes, technique guidance, and the cultural context that distinguishes Lebanese baklava from Turkish baklava from Greek baklava (yes, all three are different). At ~$30, it's the right reference for any home pastry hobbyist whose interest extends beyond European technique.
Why It Matters
Middle Eastern pastry tradition is its own multi-thousand-year culinary lineage — and the source of techniques that influenced European pastry centuries later. Phyllo, candied fruits, rose-water syrups, pistachio cream — all originated in or were perfected by this tradition. For home pastry hobbyists who've mastered croissants and baguettes, this is the right next direction. Especially valuable as the source for authentic Dubai chocolate filling techniques.
Key Specs
- Format: hardcover or paperback (varies by edition)
- Pages: ~250-300
- Recipes: ~80-100 (varies by edition)
- Photography: full-color throughout
- Coverage: Lebanese, Turkish, Greek, Egyptian, Moroccan, Iranian, Israeli traditions
- Difficulty: intermediate (assumes baseline pastry skills)
- Special focus: phyllo work, sugar work, dairy creams
- Ingredient guide: yes, with sourcing notes
Pros
- Comprehensive across multiple regional traditions
- Authentic recipes — not Westernized adaptations
- Includes Dubai chocolate filling techniques and adjacent recipes
- Ingredient sourcing notes help locate specialty ingredients
- Photography supports each major recipe
- Cultural context explains regional variations
Cons
- Some specialty ingredients require online ordering or specialty grocers
- Assumes baseline pastry skills — not for absolute beginners
- Recipe depth varies (some are detailed, others summary)
- Some regional spelling and naming conflicts with American recipe expectations
- Imperial vs. metric mixing in some editions
Who It's For
Intermediate home pastry hobbyists. Dubai chocolate makers wanting authentic techniques. Anyone curious about the breadth of Middle Eastern dessert tradition. Skip it if you're a complete beginner (start with European basics first), if you only bake American-style desserts, or if you want quick weekday recipes (Middle Eastern pastry rewards time and precision).
How to Use It
Read the technique sections before tackling recipes. For Dubai chocolate: study the kataifi-toasting and pistachio cream chapters. For baklava: try the Lebanese version first (easier walnut filling) before the Turkish pistachio version. Source specialty ingredients (kataifi, orange-blossom water, mastic) before starting. Pre-read the entire recipe before starting; some require multi-day prep.
How It Compares
Vs. The Book of New Israeli Food (Janna Gur): Israeli-focused; this is broader regional. Vs. The New Arab Table (Mary Salloum): Levantine-focused; this is broader. Vs. specialty kanafeh-only or baklava-only books: this is the broad reference. Vs. YouTube channels: video is great for visual technique; book is for reference and breadth.
Bottom Line
The right comprehensive reference for Middle Eastern pastry tradition. Buy it for authentic Dubai chocolate techniques and adjacent treats. Skip it for absolute beginners or quick-recipe needs.
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