Ballourieh

Ballourieh (Syrian Pistachio & Phyllo Dessert)

Ballourieh is a beloved Levantine dessert, especially popular in Syria and Lebanon, made by layering shredded phyllo dough with clarified butter and a sweet, fragrant filling of pistachios, sugar, and orange blossom or rose water. It is baked until golden and then soaked in a light syrup, yielding a crisp, buttery pastry that is denser and chewier than baklava.

Prep

35 min

Cook

45 min

Total

80 min

Serves

12

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh phyllo dough (kataifi/knafeh-style shredded dough), shredded thin phyllo strands; thaw under a damp towel to prevent drying. Note: outside Syria/Lebanon, true shredded phyllo (kataifi) is the standard substitute and what most home cooks use.
• •250 g (8.8 oz / about 1¾ cups) raw pistachios, shelled, unsalted, bright green if possible; finely chopped but not pulverized
• •100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• •1 tsp ground mahlab (optional), traditionally used; a tiny pinch of bitter-cherry-pit flavor; omit if unavailable
• •2 tbsp orange blossom water, or rose water, or a blend of both
• •250 g (about 1 cup + 2 tbsp) clarified butter (samna/samneh), melted; clarified butter is traditional. Unsalted butter, gently melted and the white solids skimmed off, is the close home-kitchen substitute.
• •300 g (1¼ cups) sugar (for the syrup)
• •240 ml (1 cup) water
• •1 tbsp lemon juice, prevents the syrup from crystallizing
• •1 tsp orange blossom water (for syrup), optional, added at the end

Steps

1. 1 Make the syrup first so it is fully cooled: combine 300 g sugar, 240 ml water, and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer 8-10 minutes until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. Stir in 1 tsp orange blossom water if using. Cool completely to room temperature; refrigerate if needed.
2. 2 Prepare the filling: pulse the 250 g pistachios in a food processor with 100 g sugar, the mahlab (if using), and 2 tbsp orange blossom water. Stop while the nuts are still coarse and slightly sandy — you want texture, not pistachio butter.
3. 3 Separate the shredded phyllo strands by hand and fluff them in a large bowl. Drizzle about 200 g of the melted clarified butter over the strands and toss with your fingers until every strand is lightly coated.
4. 4 Grease a 22 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking pan with clarified butter. Spread half the buttered shredded phyllo evenly in the pan and press down firmly with your hands to form a compact, even base layer.
5. 5 Sprinkle the pistachio filling evenly over the base, pressing it down gently so it adheres. Keep a thin (about 1 cm / ½ in) border around the edges clear of filling so the layers seal.
6. 6 Spread the remaining shredded phyllo over the top and press down firmly again. Trim the edges with a sharp knife to neaten, then cut the whole tray into diamonds or squares (about 5 cm / 2 in). Drizzle the remaining 50 g of clarified butter evenly over the top.
7. 7 Bake on the middle rack of a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F for 40-45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and crisp. Doneness cue: the surface should look a rich, even amber and the strands should feel firm, not soft, when pressed with a spoon.
8. 8 The moment the ballourieh comes out of the oven, pour the completely cooled syrup evenly over the hot pastry. This temperature contrast (hot pastry, cold syrup) is what gives ballourieh its characteristic crisp-chewy texture; using warm syrup will make it soggy.
9. 9 Let it rest and absorb the syrup for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, at room temperature. Do not cover while cooling — covering traps steam and softens the crust.
10. 10 Serve at room temperature, optionally with a few extra crushed pistachios and a small glass of tea or coffee.