Umm Ali, an Egyptian dessert you can whip up at home effortlessly and make it look as if it just arrived from the royal palace. Gem studded!!
All thanks to my friend Rafee of The Big Sweet Tooth for tempting me badly sometime back with Umm Ali. I must also thank you for the shout out on Facebook for my Page. The otherwise little stumped page has gained momentum of late. Thought I will begin the year with gratitude to all my readers and blogger friends. Hope you all will continue to shower some love this year too.
My love for Middle Eastern cuisine translated into a full course meal during the Holiday Season here in Nov. Though I have tried Chicken Shawarma , Ma'amoul (dates cookies) etc many times earlier this time my plan was an elaborate meal. I shall post all the recipes on the blog so do stay tuned. Please allow this sweet lover :)) to start with that day's dessert first.
I usually walk around at home with desserts on my shoulder like a street hawker :)))....often coaxing which later turns to pleading to finish up before it goes bad... the response is most often a cold stare as if I asked them to share their laptop or ipad for some time. How humiliating ..I know:)))) ... but to my surprise I must tell u this dessert was much sort after esp my husband got little upset when the dessert got over so soon.
I usually make Bread & Butter Pudding which I love (so I have no worry who will finish up) I must say adding puff pastry really elevates the taste makes it top notch dessert.
Ideal crowd pleasing dessert to take for potluck parties.
Ingredients:
Store bought puff pastry sheets( 1 pack): 2 sheets come in a pack use both (instead of one sheet I used 4 -5 slices of plain old bread / use croissant if u have )
Dry desiccated Coconut - 1/4 cup or as per taste
Mixed dry fruits and roasted nuts - Around 2 1/2 -3 cups
( Pistachios, cashew nut, walnut, pecans, raisins (black & golden) ,cranberry,apricot etc.. use pine nuts too if u like. )
Sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 tin (if u skip this use 1/2 cup sugar instead)
Whipping cream - 1/2 cup
Milk- 1 1/2 cup
Water- 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder -of 3 pods (use cinnamon powder -1/2 tsp instead)
Method:
1. Bake puff pastry as per pack instructions until fully puffed. If using bread let it become crisp and dry like rusk by putting it in the oven ( if using puff pastry and bread like me let the bread dry out in the oven heat after baking puffs.)
2. Mix milk ,condensed milk whipping cream and water and the flavoring powder (cardamom / cinnamon). Pour it into a pan and heat until just warm.
3. Break the puff pastry into small pieces also the bread into a large bowl
Grease a 8 x 8 baking dish with some butter on the bottom and sides and spread half the puff pastry &bread bits on the bottom spread half the coconut and dry fruits mix(chopped roughly if u like).
spread the rest of the puff pastry on top.
4. Pour the milk mixture on top with disturbing the whole thing too much make sure the top is soaked well.
5. Bake it at a preheated oven at 350 F for 30 minutes until the top is brown and most of all the liquid dries up. When the baking is 90 percent done sprinkle the rest of the dry fruits and nuts on top so they won't burn and taste bitter and look brown.
Allow the dessert to cool down for 10 minutes .Serve it warm or at room temperature .
Hope you will give this recipe a try.
Meena
Veena Theagarajan
Wow! looks amazing .. it is simple too I am bookmarking thanks Rafee and Meena..
Meena Kumar
Thank you Veena.I am sure u will love it.
Linsy Patel
Simply delicious, will make this for next party, skipping bread and puff pastry, will use rusk only. What do you think?
Meena Kumar
Rusk should work Linsy it will be just like bread pudding but puff pastry holds the layers well and gives extra taste. Do try and let me know dear.
Shibi Thomas
I remember this at Rafeeda's blog. It looks really tempting. I have to try this.
neeta handa
When do we add the whipped cream??
Rafeeda AR
Thank you so much for the mention dear... though it was only my admiration that I showed, nothing else... 🙂 Love your work always... Umm Ali is always my favorite dessert, anytime for a buffet, I make sure I have it. I have some puff pastry sitting in my fridge... looking at urs, I am wondering, y don't I make individual servings... 🙂
Sona S
Beautiful clicks 🙂 the sweet looks really delicious and tempting, must give a try sometime..
Smitha Kalluraya
aahh..that looks heavenly.. bookmarked
Meena Kumar
Neeta, whipping cream is added along with milk,will update it in the recipe.
Thank you for stopping by.
Meena Kumar
Thank u Shibi . Some recipes just stick in our head until we make it :))
Meena Kumar
Oh eee Rafeede karyamm:)) x o x o to u.
Wow individual serving why did I not think of it :)))
Meena Kumar
Thank u Smitha u will love this I am sure.
Meena Kumar
Remya dear thank you do try and let me know.
Remya Elizabeth Anish
Looks so beautiful and stunning.......and tempting me to prepare.... I bookmarked ......
Julie
ingane kothpichu kollalle please..kurachu parcel cheythaal nannayirunnu,anyways avide thanne theernu ennu arinjappol inium undakki nokkaam...bookmarked to try,looks super delicious 🙂
beena stephen
Love it Meena. Yum yummy
Delectable Flavours
That looks so lovely and yummy!
Sanjay Seth
Coconut is dry or raw coconut? ? I hv home made puff pastry with some salt in it.will it work for me??
Meena Kumar
Hi Sanjay, I have used dry sweetened coconut here . It should be dry desiccated kind (need not be sweetened) . Puff pastry with salt, it will work but taste salty depends on if u are ok with that.
Thank you for dropping by.Do let me know how it turned out.
Meena Kumar
I have updated in the recipe thanks for pointing out about the kind of coconut to be used.
dentistvschef
Damn delicious!!!
i'm affraid i'll finished the whole batch of om ali, lol
Bhavna
Hi Meena, I tried this and family loved it, specially my husband. But I am not satisfied with the result. It seems it was little kacha ( in the middle). Got the layers but it was little sticky. Is out how it is supposed to be. What is the test of doneness. How to check that it is ready to come out of oven??. Please reply. TIA.
Meena Kumar
Hi Bhavna, I am so glad to hear that u tried out the recipe. It will be soggy in the middle dear nothing wrong with it It will fall apart like a thick halwa consistency. Mine actually dried out a little more sitting in the oven after switching off as I forgot to take it out. To check doneness the top should be golden brown and dry thats all. Before taking it out of oven to cool try tilting the dish to a side a little bit and if u see liquid surfacing or bubbling then leave it in the oven for another 10 minutes. Even after the oven is switched off it will be warm that is sufficient to dry most of the liquid.Hope it helps.
Thank you so much for dropping by.
prachi agarwal
looks delicious .....surly try soon . happy to follow you . also visit my space http://prachisvegkitchen.blogspot.in/
Bhavna
Hi Meena. Just to let you know that this has become hubby's favorite desert. We make it quite often. And now making it for my daughters bday party. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
Meena Kumar
Bhavna, really glad to hear from u dear. U made my day.
Do message me the pics if u can on my blog Fb.
Julie
Finally I have tried it dear for a potluck party dear,everyone liked it..we served with vanilla ice cream.Thanks a lot dear for tempting me to try,will post in blog soon 🙂
Meena Kumar
Oh my dear Julie I am so glad to hear u tried this recipe and it came out well. Doing a happy dance. Thank u so much dear.
Unknown
I am making this tonight. I just realized that I do not know what to do with the desiccated coconut. Should I add it to the dried fruit and nuts or to the milk mixture? Or something else?
Meena Kumar
Dry desiccated coconut has to be mixed with dry fruit and nut. I have corrected in the recipe. Thanks.Do let me know how it turned out.
Candace Wathen
It was delicious!!! Thank you so much for the recipe! I am a kidney and pancreas transplant patient, and the surgeon who did my transplant is Egyptian (and SUCH a wonderful, amazing human being!). I wanted to do something for him during the holidays, and I found this. I had an 8 X 8 pan made with his last name etched in the bottom, and I will bake this in that pan and take it to him on Thursday. I am sure he will be surprised, and I only hope it will be good enough for him. For this American, it was delicious! Many, many thanks to you, Meena!
Meena Kumar
Dear Candace, Thank you so much for trying this recipe and I am so glad it turned out great. Such a thoughtful gift I am sure your surgeon is going to love it.Sending lots of hugs and prayers your way.I cannot describe in words how much this message means to me.Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for motivating me, could not have come at a better time.