Halawet el jibn, semolina and cheese dough rolls filled with cheat ishta

For the cheat ishta, whisk the all purpose flour and cornflour with 150ml of whole milk into a smooth slurry, pressing a spoon against the side of the bowl to break up any clumps.

Put a pot over medium-high heat with a further 200ml of whole milk and the heavy cream, add the slurry, the sugar and a pinch of salt.

Mix continuously without stopping for 5 to 8 minutes until it thickens to the consistency of a thick bechamel, then take it off the heat and put it in a bowl.

Chill in the fridge about 4 to 6 hours until completely cool.

For the syrup, put the water in a pot over high heat with the sugar and the strained juice of half a lemon. Bring to a full boil without stirring, since stirring can make the syrup crystallise.

Turn the heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, until reduced and thickened.

Stir in the orange blossom water, cook one minute more and pour it out of the pot. Cool completely, at least one hour, before using.

Shred the block of low moisture mozzarella on a grater.

Put a pot over medium heat with the whole milk and the sugar and stir together. Add the fine semolina and work it into the milk, stirring; after about 30 seconds it starts to thicken.

When it has turned to a paste and you can see the bottom of the pot, add the shredded mozzarella and the orange blossom water and stir hard. Keep folding the dough over itself for a few minutes until all the cheese has melted and the colour is uniform. It is ready when it stretches upwards without breaking and feels soft and pillowy.

Spread one to two tablespoons of the cooled syrup on a chopping board, turn the hot dough straight onto it, and work the syrup in by folding the dough over itself repeatedly.

Split the dough in half and set one piece aside. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the board, spread one tablespoon of syrup over it in a thin even layer so the dough will not stick as it cools, lay the dough on it and spread it out by hand into a rough rectangle. Pour a little more syrup over the dough and spread it to coat.

Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and roll the dough out with a rolling pin to an even 2mm, just under an eighth of an inch, across the whole surface.

Remove the plastic and trim the dough into a sharp rectangle with a knife.

Take the chilled ishta from the fridge, where it will be quite solid, and fluff it with an immersion blender or a whisk for a couple of minutes until it looks like whipped cream. Fill a piping bag, squeeze out the trapped air and cut an opening about one and a quarter centimetre or half an inch wide.

Pipe the ishta in a straight line along the dough, leaving a small gap from the edge, under constant pressure so the line is even from edge to edge. Trim any thick spots with a knife.

Using the plastic, lift the edge of the dough over the filling and roll it to the other side, peel back the plastic and complete the roll until the dough just overlaps. Cut the roll from the sheet, roll it up tightly in the plastic beneath it and set it aside. Repeat with the rest of the sheet and the second piece of dough before they cool.

Trim off most of the excess plastic and roll them on the board to an even thickness. Chill seam side down in the fridge at least 4 to 6 hours before serving.

Take the rolls out of the fridge about half an hour before serving and remove the plastic. With a sharp knife slice off the end section and cut the roll into even pieces, 1.25 inches or 3cm wide, wiping the knife between cuts.

Decorate with ground antep pistachios and dried rose petals, or roll the pieces in the crushed pistachio for a green exterior, and serve with plenty of the syrup.