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Shirini-ye zaban
Shirini-ye zaban (شیرینی زبان): caramelised puff-pastry 'tongues' from the Iranian bakery
Shirini-ye zaban, tongue pastries, are the long, glossy puff-pastry ovals in every Iranian confectioner's window, from Tabriz to Kerman, and a fixture on the tray of sweets served to Nowruz visitors. The pastry is rolled out on sugar so it caramelises into a crisp, shiny, flaky finger. This version uses good bought all-butter puff pastry, as many home bakers do; check the label for butter rather than lard to keep it vegetarian. Chef's tip: chill the shaped tongues for 15 minutes before baking so the layers rise high instead of melting flat.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper. Mix the 2 ⅞ oz granulated sugar with the ½ tsp ground cardamom, if using.
5 minStep 2: Unroll the 11 ½ oz all-butter puff pastry and cut out 16 ovals about 8 × 5 cm with a cutter or a sharp knife, cutting straight down without dragging so the layers stay open.
8 minStep 3: Scatter some of the sugar on the worktop. Lay an oval on it and roll it lengthways with a rolling pin to about 15 cm long, so it becomes a thin tongue with sugar pressed into the underside. Turn it over and roll once more.
10 minStep 4: Lay the tongues sugared side up on the trays, brush very lightly with 1 egg white and sprinkle with a little more sugar. Chill for 15 minutes.
17 minStep 5: Bake for 15–20 minutes, until puffed, deep golden and the sugar has turned to a glassy caramel at the edges. Common mistake: taking them out pale; underbaked tongues go soft and chewy within hours.
20 minStep 6: Cool on a rack; they crisp as they cool. Store airtight for up to 4 days.
0 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shirini-ye zaban take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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