Ma’mool mad with ashta recipe

A Lebanese Ramadan treat.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Lebanese
Author: Amira

Ingredients

2 cups farina flour.
1 cup semolina flour.
1 teaspoon dry yeast.
1/2 cup sugar.
1 cup butter , room temperature.
3 Tablespoon rose water.
3 Tablespoon orange blossom water.
For the Ashta filling:
3 cups water.
1 can sweetened condensed milk.
3/4 cup corn starch.
2 teaspoon orange blossom water.
**For garnishing: ground pistachios , I used around 1 cup.
***For serving: 1/2 cup Simple Syrup.

Instructions

1. In a deep bowl, combine first 5 ingredients mixing very well with your hands to cover all the granules with butter.

2. Add rose water and orange blossom water and mix. Cover and let it rest for an hour.

3. Meanwhile prepare the filling, in a deep pot over medium heat boil 2 1/2 cups of water.

4. Add the condensed milk and stir to combine.

5. In a separate bowl add the starch to the remaining 1/2 cup of water stirring vigorously with a whisk.

6. Pour the starch mixture to the pot and stir with the whisk until it is smooth and no visible lumps is forming.

7. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes until it thickens, this happens real quick.

8. Remove from heat, set aside to cool down a bit.

9. Preheat oven to 325F. for dark pans and 350 for glass and shiny pans.

10. Prepare a 9x9 oven pan, by brushing it with some butter from sides and bottom.

11. Press half of the semolina mixture on the bottom in a uniform thick layer.

12. Pour the ashta over leveling the surface.*

13. Add the remaining semolina mixture and press gently with your hands.

14. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until it browns nicely.

15. Take it our of the oven and sprinkle some ground pistachios on top.

16. Let it cool down completely before cutting and serving.

17. Enjoy!!

Recipe Notes
* Life happens, so if you left your Ashta too long and it became too thick to pour just scoop it over the mixture, wet your hands with cold water and press gently against the semolina layer to smooth.

** Garnishing is optional but highly desirable and recommended.

*** You may want to serve this dish with some simple syrup on the side. Personally. I’ve found this recipe just right for me and did not need any extra sweetness.