Lebanese Milk and Bread Pudding (Ashtaliyeh)
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 8 pieces of sandwich bread white or a package of lady fingers to line the pan
- For the syrup
- 1 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon rose water and
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water.
- For the custard
- 4 cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 8 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in one cup of the milk (from the 4 cups listed above)
- 3 pebbles of mastic ground up in a mortar with a teaspoon of sugar till powdery (optional)
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- for the garnish
- 1 cup ground pistachios to garnish the top
Instructions
- Line a 9" pan with wax paper if using a springform pan; if using a glass serving dish, there is no need to line it. Cover the bottom with all the pieces of bread or lady fingers.
- Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir gently from time to time, add the lemon juice; simmer for 10 minutes or so, then add the rose and orange blossom water and turn off the heat. Cool; moisten the bread with a few tablespoons of syrup. Pour the remaining syrup in a small container to serve alongside the dessert.
- In a saucepan, pour 3 cups of milk and the sugar over medium heat; when steam appears, add the remaining milk and cornstarch mixture and stir continuously till thick.
- Add the mastic powder and the rose and orange blossom, stirring to combine, in the last few seconds of cooking.
- Set aside to cool one minute, then gently pour over the bread in the pan.
- Cool the custard then refrigerate
- Garnish with ground pistachios.
- Serve cold with additional syrup on the side.
- Enjoy with a cup of Arabic coffee