Sweetening the deal? Traditional Arabic desserts get revamped

Some of the most famous Arabic delights have been given a modern twist in recent years

ARABIC desserts have always conquered the hearts of fasting Muslims in the Middle East with their rich ingredients and tantalizing appearance. Many Middle Eastern treats are linked to the holy month of Ramadan, when hardly a day passes without a sweet dish taking center stage on the table. Some of the most famous traditional Arabic delights have been given a modern twist in recent years, either for change or out of creativity.

Traditional: Flaky pastries made of many layers of paper-thin dough filled with groundnuts and drenched in syrup.

Modern twist: Softening it up with cream and orange syrup.

Once believed to be the dessert of royals due to its hard-to-obtain ingredients, classic baklava is getting a modern revamp. Instead of chopped nuts, cream is added to the paper-thin dough layers and topped with crumbled pistachio and sticky syrup or honey. Another twist includes the replacement of traditional sugary syrup with sweet orange syrup.