Balah El Sham

(Fritter with Strawberries)

2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 pinch salt
1 cup white flour
5 large eggs
peanut oil for deep frying
3 1/2 ounces cream, whipped
4 ounces strawberries

Syrup:

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1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Put ingredients for sugar syrup into a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and cool. Bring milk, butter and salt to a boil. Add the sifted flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until dough no longer sticks to the pan (about 10 minutes). Remove pan from the heat and add eggs one by one, stirring continuously. Put the dough in an icing bag with a star nozzle and pipe into 2-inch-long pieces. Deep fry in the peanut oil until golden yellow. Soak the hot eclairs in the cold sugar syrup and drain. But them in half length-wise to the middle and open slightly. Fill with the whipped cream and strawberries.

(Note: Any seasonal fruit can be used instead of strawberries).