The Lebanese Macaroon is very different from the French one. For one thing, the French Macaroons are made from almond powder, egg whites and sugar whereas the Lebanese ones are made out of semolina, oil and some spices. Also, the French Macaroon is baked in the oven while the Lebanese variation is fried in oil. It’s a very indulgent dessert, with a high amount of sugar (how much sugar syrup you add is up to you.) I’ll be posting the recipe for the French Macaroons sometime in the future; you can try it then and see the difference for yourself.
When I was young, I used to help my mother to roll the dough when she made macaroons. It would make me happy to sit on the floor, shaping the dough and rolling it on a straw chair to create a pleasant texture. It maybe difficult to find a straw chairs nowadays (its not necessary to use one) so rolling the dough on a cheese grater will create a similar effect.
This is my mother’s recipe and it is unmistakably delicious. Help yourself to a wonderfully indulgent dessert 🙂
Sugar Syrup Preparation:
- Boil 2 cups of sugar in a cup of water, stirring occasionally
- When done, add a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of rose water
- Keep warm until you use it in the macaroon
Macaroon Ingredients:
- 500 grams fine semolina (3 1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon of ground anise
- 1 teaspoon dried instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup corn oil
- 1 teaspoon fennel
- warm water to form the dough, about 1 cup of water (have a bit more handy)
- oil for frying
- sugar syrup
Preparation:
- Mix the semolina, fennel, anise, dried yeast, sugar and the corn oil together with one cup of water until it forms a soft dough (add only one cup at the beginning, but if you find that the dough still hard add more water little by little until the dough is soft and easy to manage)
- Take a palm-sized roll of dough, roll it into a long shape (about one finger’s length) and roll it against the grater to give it texture
- When you finish all the dough, deep fry them until they give a nice golden color
- Remove from them from the oil and straight into the sugar syrup. Do this quickly so that the macaroons absorb the syrup
ET VOILA C’EST TOUT:)
Tabkhet el yom 
oh my goodness. This is exactly the kind of thing I’m not supposed to eat but that doesn’t usually stop me! I am intrigued by the fennel and anise (I love those flavors but wouldn’t expect them in something like this). I think the grater trick is a neat idea! I am sure these are divine!!
Thank You dear Heidi, I am glad that you like this recipe. I can assure you t is DELICIOUS. I hope you will try it.. And enjoy it as well:)
There are other macaroons too, that you make by mixing mashed potato and icing sugar, then covering in chocolate and coconut. These ones look just as good!
Hi Carole, thank you for this information. If you have any recipe how to make macaroons with potato I will be happy to try it.
It seems like a fried doughnut and tasty!
Right, And the sugar syrup adds to the flavor.