Zainab was not of religious context, but it is said that this lady lived over 100 years ago and made these sweet delicacies that looked like a finger, and would share them out amongst her village. She made them so beautifully that they were always after that, known as Zainab’s fingers.
During the month of Ramadan, there is not one of my aunties who will not have these at the table for after Iftar treats. Growing up I always wondered why we didn’t have them more often (and wished that we did), my mother always reminded me that if we had them every day, we would no longer be grateful for Zainab’s gift to us, and Ramadan held onto that spirit of gratitude.
As I got older, I would join the women of my family in making hundreds of these. While I was able to eat them so quickly, making them and learning how to roll and seal, was not as fast! I remember my grandmother always telling me not to over stuff them with cheese, you only needed a little; she would say “the cheese is like your knuckle, it is small and in the middle of your finger”! Learning the process, led me to appreciate why we save them for Ramadan and the odd special occasion, it also made me very thankful for Zainab, as she found a way to bring families together for generations to come.
In Oman we traditionally make them with a cream cheese (the red laughing cow if you know it). However, I prefer to use Ricotta and Mozzarella. Combining these two brings you both the creamy texture as well as that nice pull of melted cheese when you bite into them fresh our the fryer! The best part about these, is that you can make both your syrup and fingers in advance. The pastries will last up to a month in the freezer, which is perfect for during Ramadan, so that you can whip out just enough to fry each evening. The syrup will also keep perfectly for up to two weeks if store in an air tight, glass container.
Zainab was not of religious context, but it is said that this lady lived over 100 years ago and made these sweet delicacies that looked like a finger, and would share them out amongst her village. She made them so beautifully that they were always after that, known as Zainab’s fingers.
During the month of Ramadan, there is not one of my aunties who will not have these at the table for after Iftar treats. Growing up I always wondered why we didn’t have them more often (and wished that we did), my mother always reminded me that if we had them every day, we would no longer be grateful for Zainab’s gift to us, and Ramadan held onto that spirit of gratitude.
As I got older, I would join the women of my family in making hundreds of these. While I was able to eat them so quickly, making them and learning how to roll and seal, was not as fast! I remember my grandmother always telling me not to over stuff them with cheese, you only needed a little; she would say “the cheese is like your knuckle, it is small and in the middle of your finger”! Learning the process, led me to appreciate why we save them for Ramadan and the odd special occasion, it also made me very thankful for Zainab, as she found a way to bring families together for generations to come.
In Oman we traditionally make them with a cream cheese (the red laughing cow if you know it). However, I prefer to use Ricotta and Mozzarella. Combining these two brings you both the creamy texture as well as that nice pull of melted cheese when you bite into them fresh our the fryer! The best part about these, is that you can make both your syrup and fingers in advance. The pastries will last up to a month in the freezer, which is perfect for during Ramadan, so that you can whip out just enough to fry each evening. The syrup will also keep perfectly for up to two weeks if store in an air tight, glass container.
