Halawet el Jibn (Lebanese sweet cheese rolls with cream)
Soft, stretchy semolina and mozzarella dough rolled around thick cream and finished with rose syrup and pistachios.
- Time50 min
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.81 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Simmer the 350ml water and 50g sugar in a non stick pan. Add the semolina in a steady stream, stirring hard, and cook for 2 minutes until it pulls away from the pan.
2 min - 2
Add the grated mozzarella and stir over a low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the dough is smooth and stretchy.
5 min - 3
Make the syrup. Simmer 100g sugar, 100ml water and the lemon juice for 6 minutes, then stir in 2 tsp rose water and cool.
6 min - 4
Dust a sheet of baking paper well with icing sugar. Tip the warm dough on top, dust it, cover with a second sheet and roll out to a rectangle about 3mm thick, roughly 30 by 25cm.
- 5
Peel off the top paper. Mix the clotted cream with 1 tsp rose water and spread a line along one long edge. Roll up tightly like a Swiss roll and trim the ends.
- 6
Cut into 8 pieces, drizzle with syrup and sprinkle with pistachios. Serve the same day.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
