Al Maseeh Kam

Holy Saturday in Lebanon is referred to as Saturday of the light. 

By mid-day you start celebrating the news that Jesus has risen (Al Maseeh Kam). And you break fast with eggs and Easter cookies.

But first you colour the eggs. I started by grabbing for my food colour, only to find out that I don't have any. It is already 4 pm, and I have been out and about all day, so no way I was going to go out into traffic again. What to do?

And there I see a box of Scribblers Icing and a light bulb went on in my head. I can use those to colour the eggs, with no worries about stains and I can safely (and sweetly) lick my fingers clean.

An hour later, a pot of tea later, and all Scribblers Icing tubes emptied, I had an egg basket ready for dinner.

Now the Easter cookies - Kaaek & Maamoul. Those came directly from Toronto where Lebanese bakeries are abundant. There are three types; all made from semolina flour, but vary by shape and stuffing. You can tell the stuffing by the shape.

1. Dates (Kaaek) Both flour and dates are mixed with spices including cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, all spice, etc. While other Arab countries may make those (including some we find imported from Saudi Arabia), they all lack the abundance of spices that the Lebanese include in those cookies.


2. Pistachio (Maamoul) Pistachio is crushed to a paste and mixed with lots of sugar, rose water and orange blossom water. The cookies are also coated with icing sugar. Those are my favourite.


3. Almond (Maamoul) Same as the pistachio, but almonds is used instead. Just as tasty. 


I limited myself to one of each for now, but midnight snack may be calling...

Thank you Wano!