Ward El-Sham · thin dough shaped into roses and fried until crisp, then soaked in syrup and filled with clotted cream or nuts. An elegant Levantine sweet, with values from the Lebanese University lab analysis.
Ward El-Sham is an elegant Levantine sweet shaped with an iron mold into a rose, fried until crisp, soaked in syrup, and garnished with cream or pistachios. It is popular in the Levant on occasions for its beautiful shape and crunch.
Its secret is a hot mold, a soft batter, light frying, and a quick dip in syrup. EEINA's version keeps the method, and its values are from the Lebanese University lab analysis.
Mix the flour, starch, and water into a soft batter suitable for the rose mold.
Dip the hot iron rose mold into the batter so a thin layer clings to it (without covering the top of the mold).
Dip the mold in hot oil until the rose releases, turns crisp, and browns, then lift and drain it.
Dip the crisp roses in cold syrup for a few seconds, then lift them to drain.
Fill the center of each rose with clotted cream or ground pistachios and serve. A sweet eaten in moderate portions.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Cream-Filled Pastry in Syrup, and how to fix them:
The mold is cold or was dipped too deep. Heat the mold in the oil first, and dip it only halfway into the batter.
The mold is too cold or the batter is thick. Heat the mold well and keep the batter at the right consistency.
The oil is cold. Fry in hot oil until it browns and turns crisp.
The dip is long. Dip for seconds in cold syrup, then lift it so it stays crisp.
Eaten fresh for best crispness; the unfilled shells keep two days in an airtight container.
Keep them unfilled and fill with cream before serving so they stay crisp.
Fry the roses ahead and keep them unfilled, and soak and fill at serving time.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cream filling | Ground pistachios or walnuts | as desired | A dairy-free plant filling |
| Frying | A smaller amount of syrup | as desired | Lowers added sugar |
| White flour | Add a little starch | one-fifth | A firmer, lighter crunch |
| Syrup with blossom water | Syrup with rose water | a pinch | An aroma alternative |
| Number of servings | Flour | Starch | Filling |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (half recipe) | 100 g | 10 g | as desired |
| 8 (base) | 200 g | 20 g | as desired |
| 16 (gathering) | 400 g | 40 g | as desired |
Ward El-Sham is fried and sweetened with syrup, but its portion is small and its shell is thin, so its calories are lighter than many Levantine sweets. It remains an occasion sweet eaten in moderate portions.
The EEINA app saves your favorite recipes, calculates them from their real ingredients, and shows your daily numbers toward your goal. Try it free now.
