65 middle recipes

Middle Eastern fried pastries filled with spiced almond-cinnamon filling and dipped in sugar syrup. Crispy finger-shaped cookies that freeze beautifully.

Kobeba samakeyah are Lebanese fish-filled bulgur croquettes seasoned with cumin and cilantro, deep-fried golden, and served with homemade tahini sauce. A Middle Eastern classic.

Curry-spiced soup blending dried apricots with fresh cucumber and orange zest for a refreshing hot or cold starter with Middle Eastern flair.

Layered no-bake candy with a butterscotch-walnut bottom, mini marshmallow middle, and a chocolate chip topping. Make-ahead, sliceable, and seriously sweet.

Millionaire's shortbread with a buttery shortbread base, chewy homemade caramel middle, and a smooth chocolate top. Three layers of British confection in every square.

Halva gateau is a Middle Eastern layer cake with semolina-almond sponge, coffee syrup soak, and halva buttercream. Pistachio-topped elegance perfumed with cinnamon.

Layered lamb and Italian sausage meatloaf baked in a Bundt pan with bulgur wheat, pine nuts, pistachios, and Middle Eastern spices like allspice, cinnamon, and mint. A showstopping ring-shaped meatloaf.

Authentic Middle Eastern falafel made from dried chickpeas soaked overnight and deep-fried golden. Crispy exterior with fluffy interior, perfect in pita with tahini sauce.

Microwave rum cake with devil's food layers soaked in rum, apricot preserves in the middle, and fluffy Italian-style meringue frosting. Retro dessert, updated speed.

Falafel in pita pockets: cumin and coriander-spiced chickpea patties stuffed into warm pita bread. A Middle Eastern street food staple made quickly at home.

This bialy recipe stands on its own—a round yeast bun with a depressed middle filled with onions and poppy seeds. Sometimes known as Bialystok Kuchen.

Middle Eastern braised ox ribs in pepper sauce with sumac, mace, and marjoram, slow-cooked with sweet red peppers and onions. Serve over rice or potatoes.

No-bake creme de menthe squares with a chocolate graham cracker base, minty buttercream middle, and glossy chocolate top. A classic holiday treat, chilled and sliced.

Roasted eggplant caviar dip with fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, and a splash of soy sauce. A smoky, rustic Middle Eastern-style spread for pita or crackers.

Sour cream coffee cake with a cinnamon-pecan ribbon and a chocolate glaze swirled through the middle. A holiday brunch standout with tender crumb and fudgy chocolate veins.

Lemon soup with garbanzo beans, turmeric, cumin, and a silky egg-lemon base topped with fresh mint. A Middle Eastern-inspired comfort soup ready in 45 minutes.