200ml milk

5 teaspoons of sugar

1/3 teaspoon of salep powder

a drop of rose water

+ dried rose petals

I knew from a very dear Albanian friend that you could drink salep powder with water and milk. She made them both for me in Gjirokastër two years ago but I’ve only tried the milk version since in AlUla. And I fell in love!

(Note 1: You can use plant-based milk. Note 2: Cornstarch has become very popular as a salep powder substitute. In this drink, however, I prefer the latter.)  

Mix the milk, the sugar, and the salep powder. Let it boil (it will thicken a bit).

Add some rose water to your mix.

Then, pour everything into a cup and sprinkle dried rose petals on top.

You’ll love it. It took me back to Saudi Arabia. Really.

 

My Dad loves dates, too, so I wanted to surprise him—

For the batter, you’ll need—

170g pitted dates

200ml (hot) water

a teaspoon of baking powder

*

2 eggs

100g sugar

150g flour

a pinch of salt

a teaspoon of (ground) cinnamon

a teaspoon of (ground) coffee

a teaspoon of baking powder

80g sour cream

70g (melted) butter

First off, place the dates in a bowl. Pour hot water over them. Mix in the baking powder and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Then, mix the eggs and the sugar until fluffy.

Add the flour, salt, plus the grounded cinnamon and coffee, and the baking powder.

After folding them in, add the date, baking powder, and water mixture and keep mixing. In the end, add the sour cream and the melted butter.

Pour the batter into a round mould (21 cm); mine is made of silicone, so I won’t butter and flour it. If necessary in your case, do it.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven, at 175⁰C, for 30 minutes.

When there are 10 minutes left, start making the caramel sauce, using half of the ingredients listed in this recipe, but with the same technique—

100g sugar

a pinch of salt

30ml water

40g sour cream  

2 tbsp butter

In the end, makes holes in the cake as soon as you take it out of the oven. Pour the caramel sauce over it.

Let it cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, then for 30 minutes more in the fridge.

You’ll be surprised by the taste and by... how easily you’ll finish one slice!

Because in the hot season, life usually starts in Saudi Arabia after 5pm and it’s difficult to find breakfast, this was one of our life savers during our trip there. This and the juices.  

I’m not a coffee drinker (I just chew the coffee beans – don’t laugh); still, I enjoyed it.

With the help of my kitchen elf, here’s the recipe.

You’ll need—

1 espresso

150ml milk

3 teaspoons of sugar

3 tbsp of pistachio butter

+ dried rose petals to decorate your latte

First, make the espresso.

Then, boil the milk and the sugar until it’s foamy.

Add the pistachio butter to an empty cup.

Pour the milk over the pistachio butter and then the espresso.

Decorate with dried rose petals if you have any; we found some from Medina.

For a full experience, mix. ♥