Khaliyat-al-Nahl (Honeycomb Buns) Recipe

Assalamu Alaikum everyone!

This Friday we are sharing a family favourite recipe that we have made a couple of times this Ramadan. It is called Khaliyat-al-Nahl which means 'beehive' in Arabic. The buns are filled with cream cheese and drizzled with honey, and they are so delicious, masha'Allah!

For this recipe you will need:-

3 1/3 cups plain flour

4 tbsp. warm water

1 cup warm milk

2 eggs

3 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. melted butter

2 tsp. instant yeast

pinch of salt

1 tbsp. oil

around 300g cream cheese

more milk (to brush on top)

honey (to drizzle on top)

In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

Add eggs and whisk together.

Pour in the warm milk, warm water and the melted butter a little bit at a time and mix until a dough consistency has formed.

You can swap your whisk for a wooden spoon at this stage.

Also, if your dough is too sticky you can add more flour until it looks more like this.

Now oil your hands and pat the dough all over. Don't work the oil into the dough.

Place the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave it in a warm place to rise for at least an hour.

Preheat the over to 177 degrees Celsius, 350 degrees Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 4. Shape the dough into small balls the size of an egg.

Then press your thumb into it, stuff it with a heaped teaspoon of cream cheese and form back into a ball.

Place the balls into a greased glass dish touching one another.

Then cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Brush some milk on top of the buns and place them in the oven to cook for around 25 minutes.

When done they should be golden-brown.

Drizzle with honey.

Serve warm with a cup of tea.

Enjoy!

We hope you give this recipe a try and let us know what you think. Until next Friday, insha'Allah.

Wassalam,