These Phyllo Cream Rolls are my favorite Middle Eastern sweet – no joke. Crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and infused with a heavenly syrup – it hits all of the texture boxes for me.
Called Znoud el Sit ( meaning the ‘upper arms of a woman’ in Arabic), they originate from Iraq and are enjoyed all over the Middle East. Versions of it can also be found around most phyllo-loving countries, like Greece, Turkey, and other Balkan countries.
Crunchy AND Soft: The Best of Both Worlds
These phyllo cream rolls are made with simple ingredients, primarily phyllo (filo) dough and a milk-based custard that can be thickened with just cornstarch (or semolina too, like I do it). The beauty comes from the combination of crunchy/soft textures and the flavor you infuse into the custard and syrup. This can be anything from vanilla to something more elaborate like this recipe: orange peel powder, rose petals, cardamom, and lemon.
I am using carefully curated spices from Selefina Spices for this recipe.
Phyllo Cream Rolls (Znoud el-Sit)
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Ingredients
Cream Filling
- 360 ml whole milk
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 15 g corn starch
- 20 g fine semolina
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 1 tsp dried orange peel powder
- 3-5 cardamom pods, crushed seeds only
Syrup
- 300 g sugar
- 180 ml water
- ½ tsp dried rose petals
- ½ tsp orange peel powder
- ¼ tsp dried lemon peel
- 2 cardamom pods crushed
Phyllo Wrapper
- 1 roll phyllo dough 225 g / ~½ lb, 23×35 cm / 9×14″
- 2 tbsp flour + 3 tbsp water for glue
- Neutral oil for frying
- Crushed pistachios & rose petals for garnish
Instructions
For the Filling
- Whisk milk and cornstarch until smooth.360 ml whole milk, 15 g corn starch
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbling. Reduce to medium-low and cook 5 more min, stirring.120 ml heavy cream, 20 g fine semolina, 1 tbs brown sugar, 1 tsp dried orange peel powder, 3-5 cardamom pods, crushed
- Cool completely, about 3 hours. Can be made 1–2 days ahead.
Make the Syrup
- Simmer until sugar dissolves and syrup slightly thickens. Cool completely. Can be made days ahead.300 g sugar, ½ tsp dried rose petals, ½ tsp orange peel powder, ¼ tsp dried lemon peel, 2 cardamom pods, 180 ml water
Assemble the Phyllo Rolls
- Stack 3 phyllo sheets and cut into 4 long strips (each ~6×35 cm / 2.25"x14"). Take one set of strips, and cover the rest of the phyllo so they don't try out.
- Trim 15cm (6") off the length of the strip, so you end up with two strips: one 6×15 cm (2.25"x6") and one 6×20 cm (2.25"x8") strip. Place the shorter stack crosswise on the longer to form a “T”.See video.
- Pipe or spoon the cream filling across the center of the cross. Fold sides in, then roll lightly like a cigar. Seal with flour glue. Keep rolled pastries covered with a damp towel.
- Heat oil to 165–175°C (325–350°F). Fry until golden and crisp. Drain and dip in cooled syrup for 2–4 minutes, depending on desired sweetness. Serve warm or chilled, with crushed pistachios and rose petals.