Karabij

A specialty of Aleppo in Syria, karabij consists of small round ma’amoul (see preceding recipe) filled with pistachios or walnuts, bathed in a brilliant white cream called naatiffe. The cream, which has a unique flavor and texture, is made with what we called “bois de Panama” and affectionately in Arabic erh el halawa or “soul of the sweet.” It is the wood of a South American tree belonging to a species called saponaria, which produces a thick white foam when it is boiled in water. The root of a plant commonly known as soapwort, which produces the same kind of foam (they are both used as a shampoo to wash carpets and textiles), can also be used.