Mediterranean Sweets? It’s not just Baklava!

June 8, 2022

Sweetland London may be best known for our wide selection of premium baklava. However, there’s quite a bit more to us than that. Our range of traditional sweets spread far wider throughout the Mediterranean.

We offer an extensive variety of Mediterranean sweets, and today we’ll be talking all about them. What exactly is special about each one, and which variations we have on offer. As you may already know, most of our recipes focus on Lebanese methods and traditions. Although we might have sweets that originated in other parts of the world, the specifics and details of our recipes may differ. Giving our sweets a unique flavour and identity.

So, without further ado, let’s begin with: What special Mediterranean treats does Sweetland London have on offer?

Maamoul and their wide selections

What are Maamoul you ask? Well, there’s a simple answer to that.

Maamoul are semolina-based cookies filled with either nuts or dried fruits like dates. Depending on who’s making them and where they are in the world their shape and appearance may vary.

Some might be filled with dried fruits. Such as figs or dates. They might also be filled with nuts like pistachios, walnuts, or almonds.

Traditionally Maamoul are made during the Easter holiday when they are gifted as festive treats. However, we love them so much we like to offer them all year around.

Among our most popular Maamoul, you’ll find Date Maamoul. These are, of course, molded carefully and lovingly with our semolina Maamoul pastry and date filling by our cultured pastry chefs using traditional equipment, Maamoul molds brought to the UK from the Middle East. They are soft with a delicious, sweet contrasting center and reminiscent of the Eastern Mediterranean.

As well as the date Maamoul we also offer pistachio and walnut Maamoul. Our Maamoul Date Selection combines our date filling with a variety of nut and seed coatings, these come in bitesize Maamoul pieces, something different for the family to try.

In addition to these, we offer the traditional Maamoul Mad, available with pistachio, walnut, and date filling. We make these by combining two layers of semolina short crust pastry. After baking them we cut them into square portions. These are also very popular due to their crispy texture and soft sweet filling.

Now, we understand you may be so tempted by all these options and it might make for an overwhelming selection process. Not to worry, as with most of our products we offer a selection of our Maamoul. (Maamoul Selection Link)

Give the Maamoul selections a try and see if you can find your favourite. We would love to hear what you think, and which one truly catches your fancy.

Syrup Sweets

So, you thought you had it tough, picking something between the various Maamoul. Well, prepare for that job to become a little harder. Because our selection of syrup sweets is truly diverse.

We offer a wide selection of syrup sweets:

Ataif walnut: Ataif are a delicate folded pastry, filled with crushed walnuts. They are fried and topped with sweet syrup and blossom water; making for a crunchy and aromatic finish.
Awam: These delectable balls of fun are made using wheat flour and milk. The batter is fried and dipped in syrup. They are to die for and traditionally found in most of the Eastern Mediterranean countries under different names.
Bamia: Bamia are created by mixing wheat flour and whole egg. The mixture is also fried and dipped in sweet syrup. They come in finger-licking bite-size portions.
Macron: These wonderful sweets traditionally have a beautiful geometric pattern engraved into their surface. They, like the Awam contain milk and are made with a mixture containing semolina. They are fried and dipped in syrup.
Zalebi: Zalebi are quite a special treat. We make them using wheat flour and fresh Yoghurt. Following the mix of ingredients, as with all of our syrup sweets, we fry them and dip them in delicious syrup. Some variations prepared for cultural events are traditionally part covered with red food coloring.

Are you also finding yourself spoilt for choice with our Syrup Sweets? Don’t fret, if you’ve got a voracious sweet tooth as we do here at Sweetland London, we also offer a Syrup Sweets Selection.

Mediterranean Cookies

Are you a fan of biscuits and cookies? Well wait till you try our varied assortment of Mediterranean cookies here at Sweetland:
We offer three types of cookies, each with its own unique identity:

Barazik: We bake these traditional cookies with mixed nuts and coat them in sesame seeds, for a toasty flavour and satisfying crunch. These are a solid favourite with our loyal customers.

Ghraybeh Squares and cookies: We have a couple of variations for Ghraybeh. First, we have the cookies made of light and fluffy shortbread and flavoured with pistachios and rose water.

Secondly, we offer Chocolate Graybeh Squares which come in three glorious layers. Shortbread, mixed nuts and a final coat of dark or white chocolate, another very popular and delicious product.

Petit Fours, traditionally French but widely appreciated in the Eastern Mediterranean are delightful butter cookies which come either in chocolate or vanilla, with a variety of toppings. The toppings depend on what selection you go for. They can come filled with jam or chocolate. For the finishing touch, we dip them in chocolate and sprinkle them with nuts.

Check out our different selections for your favourite Mediterranean Cookies.

Last but not least, Turkish Delights

Although their name might suggest they were invented in Turkey, their origin isn’t precisely known. It is believed they originated from Turkey and Iran (Persia) back in the 18th century, though the Greeks might argue that.

This scrumptious confectionary holds an elaborate preparation. Traditionally, the base consists of a gel made with starch and sugar. The gel is then used to bind together a variety of chopped dried fruits and nuts to create unique flavors and colors.

Our standard Turkish Delights come in the following flavours:

Strawberry
Lemon
Orange
Mint
Pomegranate
Mastika
Rose
Banana

You can grab a Mixed Turkish Delight Selection here you can try all the above flavours in one box!

We also offer our Double Pistachio Nougat and Pistachio Turkish Delight Selection which contains premium Turkish delights like absolutely delightful Pomegranate Pistachio, soon to be listed as an individual product… watch this space!

Even pick one that comes with Turkish Delights and our Double Pistachio Nougat. You don’t want to miss out on these luxurious sweets.

So, tell us. What are your favourite Mediterranean sweet? What selection would you go for? Who would you get them for, and for what occasion?

Be sure to check out our shop if you’d like more information, send us a message. We offer a wide selection of Mediterranean treats.