Egyptian
Umm Ali
Egyptian baked milk-and-pastry pudding with crisp exposed edges, toasted nuts, raisins, and a browned cream finish.
10 servings · 25 minutes prep · 40 minutes cook
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 lb all-butter puff pastry, thawed but cold
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream, divided
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Directions
Bake and Layer the Pastry
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Unfold the puff pastry onto parchment-lined sheet pans and bake until fully puffed, dry, and deep golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then break into irregular 2-inch shards.
- Reduce the oven to 375°F. Layer the pastry in a 3-quart shallow baking dish with the raisins, coconut, pistachios, almonds, and pine nuts, reserving a small handful of nuts for the top.
Make the Milk and Soak
- Combine the milk, 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring just to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat.
- Pour the hot milk mixture slowly over the pastry, pressing once gently so most pieces are moistened while some upper edges remain exposed. Rest 5 minutes.
Bake, Broil, and Serve
- Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup cream over the top and sprinkle with the reserved nuts and 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until bubbling at the edges and custardy beneath the crisp top, 18 to 22 minutes.
- Turn the broiler to high and broil 6 inches from the heat until blistered and deeply golden in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch continuously. Rest 5 minutes and serve hot.
