Recipe: Sidon Fruit Cocktail

Fruit cocktails are a popular dessert option in Lebanon. You can find them served by cafes, ice cream shops and street vendors. They’re refreshing for the summer weather and perfect for a late night treat. Everyone has their own unique take on this dessert, but the main idea is to have a blended fruit mixture poured over fruit chunks and topped with ashta, nuts and honey. 

If you’re not familiar with ashta, it’s a sweet clotted cream that is flavored with orange blossom water. It has a similar texture to ricotta cheese and is used in many Middle Eastern desserts. We make ours from scratch and you can find it next door at Middle East Market in our Deli section!

Our Fruit Cocktail is very strawberry-focused and uses a wide variety of fruits. For this recipe, you will need a blender, knife, cutting board and tall serving glasses. Follow along below to make this delicious treat at home!

Sidon Fruit Cocktail Recipe (serves 6-8)

Ingredients: 

• Cocktail Blend
  • 16 oz strawberries
  • 1.5 peaches
  • 1.5 plums
  • 2.5 oz guava syrup
  • 10 oz honey syrup (2:1 honey to water ratio)
  • 1 cup water
• Other Ingredients
  • 3 kiwis
  • 3 bananas
  • 2 mangos
  • 2 apples
  • Juice from 3 oranges
  • Fresh Ashta from Middle East Market
  • Pistachios
  • Almonds
  • Honey

Directions:

1. Chop the kiwis, bananas, mangos, and apples into half-inch chunks. Discard the kiwi skin. Combine the fruits in a bowl and store them in the refrigerator while prepping the other ingredients.
2. To make your honey syrup, combine 10 oz honey with 5 oz water and mix thoroughly.
3. In a blender, combine the strawberries, peaches, plums, guava syrup, honey syrup and water and blend until smooth.
4. Place 3 oz of the chopped fruits into your serving glasses.
5. Pour 6 oz of the blended fruit mixture over the chopped fruits.
6. Top the fruit mixture with 3 oz of our Fresh Ashta, a sprinkle of pistachios and almonds and a generous drizzle of honey.
7. Serve with a spoon and enjoy! Sahtein!