Syrian Barazek

Name: Syrian Barazek
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 64 min
Total time: 114 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 2.5 cups flour; 1 cup soft butter; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1/4 cup orange blossom water; 1.5 cups sesame; 1/2 cup pistachios

Sesame-dipped Syrian biscuit wafers with a pistachio back — Caramelized Damascus Crunch.

Vegetarian

Cooking time: 1 hr 54 min
Hands-on time: 50 min
Free time: 30 min
Difficulty: Medium
Cuisine: Levantine
Calories: 520
Contains: Nuts, Gluten, Dairy, Sesame

A box of Damascene barazek, a timeless traveler's gift: thin discs with a sweet sesame top and a pistachio back, their crunch so satisfying even a phone call can't mask it. Their thinness is their hallmark—a thick barazek is just an ordinary biscuit.

Before you start

Before you beginRead the steps completely, measure the ingredients, and prepare the tools before turning on the fire or oven.
Heat and restingPrepare the ingredients precisely and allow the dessert time to cool or set before cutting.

Ingredients

12people

Amounts follow the number of people

To prepare Syrian barazek

2.5 cups flour — Sifted, then spooned lightly into the cup
1 cup soft butter — At room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar — fine white
1/4 cup orange blossom water — For kneading — approximately
1.5 cups sesame — Toasted and mixed with 2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup pistachios — Chopped — for the underside

When doubling the quantity, use two molds of the same size instead of one deep mold, and maintain an even thickness for cooking.

Equipment

Two shallow bowls — One for the honeyed sesame, one for the pistachios — one on each side.
Baking tray — Barazek are pressed very thin with the palm before going in at 170°.

Method

Rub the flour with the ghee and sugar until it is well blended, then add the orange blossom water and knead until the dough comes together.
12 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
A soft, firm dough that does not stick to the palm of the hand.
Cover it and let it rest in the refrigerator.
30 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
Cold and firm; it shapes without sticking.
Lightly toast the pistachios and mix the sesame seeds with honey and a little water.
8 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Sesame seeds are moist and firm, sticking together when pressed.
Tip: Light roasting awakens the pistachio flavor — don't let it brown.
Form small balls and dip one side in sesame seeds and the other side in pistachios.
20 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Complete, even coverage on both sides with no gaps.
Spread them out into thin discs on a lined tray, leaving space between them.
10 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Thin discs of equal thickness, spaced two fingers apart.
Tip: They must be thin to be crisp, and spaced apart so they don't stick together as they spread.
Bake at 170° until the sesame is golden.
14 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
The sesame is golden and the edges are firm, and the disc is still slightly soft in the middle.
Tip: They come out soft and crisp up as they cool — waiting for full color in the oven burns them.
Leave them to cool on the rack until they become crispy.
20 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
It breaks with a clear sound and does not bend.