December 4, Christians celebrate St Barbara. The great martyr Barbara, as known in the church was a christian saint and martyr. Barbara won particular fame for the horrifying fact that her death sentence by beheading was carried out by her own father, a wealthy pagan who had first isolated her in a tower and then denounced her to the Roman authorities when she became a Christian.
وُلدت القدّيسة بربارة في بعلبك. كان أبوها ديوسقورُس غنيٌّا ووثنيٌّا متعصّبًا. فأَحسن تربيتها بالعلوم والآداب. واستقدم لها أشهر المعلّمين ومن بينهم فالنتيانُس الذي أخذ يشرح لها أسرار الديانة المسيحيّة. شعر والدها بميلها إلى الإيمان المسيحيّ فسجنها في برجٍ حصين، وأقام من حولها تماثيل الأصنام لتعبدها. أمّا هي فظلّت تتلقّى التعاليم المسيحيّة من خلف الجدران على يد فالنتيانُس. وراحت تمارس الصلاة والصوم والتأمّل. ثمّ طلبت من خدّامها أن يحطّموا التماثيل الموضوعة في البرج. علم أبوها بالأمر فغضب وأوسعها شتمًا وضربًا وألقى بها في قبو مظلم. وفي اليوم التالي، استحضرها أمام الوالي مركيانُس علّها تخاف وتعود إلى عبادة الآلهة. فأمر بجلدها، فتمزّق جسدها وتفجّرت دماؤها وهي صابرة صامتة مسلّمة أمرها للّه. وفي الليل ظهر المسيح لها وشفى جراحها. وفي صباح اليوم التالي، استقدمها الوالي ورآها معافاة فقال لها: «إنّ الآلهة شفقت عليك وشفتك». فأجابته: «هو المسيح يسوع الذي شفاني، وهو سيّد الحياة والموت». فأمر بجلدها ثانية ثمّ بقطع رأسها فنالت إكليل الشهادة سنة 235
One of the Lebanese traditions on that day, is making sweets such as atayef (dough stuffed with cream or nuts), maakroun (flour and semolina fried cookies bathed in sugar syrup) , zlebyeh (fried dough with sugar or honey) and ameh (boiled wheat).
I will share with you the healthiest version of maakroun, baked.
To prepare maakroun you need:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup fine semolina (thin ferkha as known in lebanon)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp mahaleb (optional)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp anise
For the sugar syrup:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Usually i start by preparing the sugar syrup, because i need them to be at room temperature when i want to soak in the maakroun.
In a pan let the sugar melt in the water on a medium heat. Then add the lemon juice and bring down to low heat for 10 minutes until it thickens. Turn off the heat then add the orange blossom water. Put aside to become room temperature.
To prepare the maakroun, mix flour, semolina, sugar, baking powder mahaleb, anise and oil. Then add the water slowly and knead the dough to the desired consistency and let it rest for half an hour.
There is another way also, my mum’s, she boils the water and anise and let it cool. She mix all dry ingredients and she knead the dough with the anise water.
Divide the dough in small to medium balls (depending how big you like it to be), roll each ball on a grater to get the texture above in the picture. Some people like to deep fry it in oil but for a lighter and healthier result i bake it for 20 mns on 180°C. Start checking on the minute 15 as you don’t want them to become hard but soft crunchy.
Soak it in the sugar syrup for 15 minutes then take it out and satisfy your sweet tooth. 3a2bel kel seneh!
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For a great rustic table setting and eco chic people. Very simple and elegant, if you are planning to dress up your table in an impressive way, this is a great inspiration. This is how to do:
You need white or beige napkins. green ribbons, cinnamon sticks, star anise and a beige thread to tie them up. It makes the house smell amazing, i was enjoying it while decorating…
Using natural elements give you a rural tablescape. You can also replace the green ribbons by rosemary or any green plant of your choice. Can’t beat that for easy and quick! After the napkin folding Christmas tree and origami Santa napkin ring, enjoy this last style am suggesting before Christmas. Choose your favorite and dress up your table accordingly. I wish you an extraordinary “reveillon” full of delicious food, warmth and laughter.
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