Balah el Sham (Egyptian Choux Pastry) Recipe

Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; stir until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; add lime juice. Simmer until flavors combine about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the syrup; let cool.

Stir 2 cups water 1 cup sugar vegetable oil and salt together in a pot over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Add flour; stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until batter forms into a ball. Cook until batter is shiny about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl; allow to cool about 5 minutes.

Flatten batter into the bottom of the bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time mixing well after each addition. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; mix until batter is creamy. Pour into a cloth piping bag fitted with a large star tip.

Heat corn oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat until bubbly; reduce heat to medium-low. Squeeze 2 inches of batter onto an oiled spatula and lower into the hot oil; repeat until saucepan is full. Cook turning occasionally until golden brown about 5 minutes. Transfer pastries to a paper bag to drain about 30 seconds.

Soak hot pastries in syrup; transfer to a plate to cool about 5 minutes.