Note to self: So the other day I finally got introduced into the Muslim community in GA. I’ve been here since the end of May and it’s been hard to make friends. Both me and my husband are introverts and shy guys so just going up to random people and starting a conversation isn’t really easy for us. But lately we’e been attending Fajr (the morning prayer) at the mosque and I met an aunty who was really friendly and asked if I was new. She became my Fajr buddy and said that this Jummah she’ll introduce me to some people my age. She was SO sweet and really popular! I met so many people and it was the first time it felt like we could actually become part of the community and build a life here. Oh! And guess what?! I came across another aunty who said she used to live in Miami too and moved here in 2005, when I told her that’s where I’m from she was like “Who are your parents?” and when I told her she’s like “NO WAY! I’ve known them for a long time…the last time I saw you, you were so little. We actually used to provide meat for your parents when they used to cater from home, before Lazeez Asian Cuisine even became a reality.” It’s so funny how things work out huh?! She was so wonderful and she said if you need anything think of my house as yours and know that you always have a place here. ::crying:: I know it sounds stupid but I felt like I finally belonged somewhere. Like maybe once we have kids they’ll grow up as I did and have a community of Muslim friends. Growing up, I took for granted at the relationships my parents had built and the network and community they provided for us. The friends they surrounded us with and not feeling alone or secluded from society in our own little worlds. That there’s something bigger than us. A purpose and we grew up learning how to interact, socialize, be kind, share, and build character. Granted, it took me a while to come out of my shell and I still have my shy guy gene in me. But I’ve grow to accept who I am and be comfortable in my own skin. Anyways…to cut this long story short, I decided to make these baklava tarts for my new Fajr buddy as a thank you for introducing me to the community. I don’t know if she’ll ever know how much it meant to me but I wanted to do something sweet in return.

So if you need a really simple dessert under 30 minutes and it would make people’s jaw drop this is the recipe to use. I can’t even begin to tell you how simple this is to make but looks super fancy. It’s basically an easier way to make baklava without having to worry about handling phyllo dough. I got this recipe from GimmeSomeOven.com and trust me…it’s total holy grail status! The warm honey mixed with the fragrant nuts all piled into this fun mini bite sized phyllo shell…Heavenly!

Tip: Don’t forget to add the extra drizzle of honey at the end after it comes out of the oven, I forgot and it was missing that extra layer of sweetness so I was kinda bummed out but it still tasted yummy.

Oh! and shout out to Alina who followed this recipe on my snap and made it her own by adding some coconut, dried pineapple and then sprinkled the tops with some pink salt and saffron! How yummy does that rendition sound?! Can’t wait to try it out one day!

Ingredients: