Ingredients
Pastry
- 400 gpuff pastry, baked and broken up
- or 300 g rougag or filo, baked crisp
- or 8 croissants, torn
Milk
- 1.2 litreswhole milk
- 150 gsugar
- 1 tspvanilla
- a pinch of cinnamon
Nuts and fruit
- 80 gflaked almonds
- 80 gpistachios, chopped
- 80 ghazelnuts, chopped
- 60 gcoconut flakes
- 80 graisins or sultanas
To finish
- 300 mldouble cream, or qishta
- 2 tbspicing sugar
- more nuts, to scatter
Directions
- Bake the puff pastry until deep golden, dry and shattering, then break it into rough pieces. Bake it well past pale, until it snaps. Toast all the nuts in a dry pan until fragrant and lightly coloured, then cool them.
- Toast the nuts. Raw nuts in a milk pudding go soft and taste of nothing. Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes and drain them.
- Scatter half the broken pastry across a wide baking dish. Sprinkle over half the nuts, coconut and raisins. Add the rest of the pastry and then the rest of the nuts and fruit.
- Heat the milk with the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until steaming, but do not let it boil. Pour the hot milk evenly over the whole dish.
- Pour it hot and pour it slowly, letting it soak in as you go rather than flooding one corner. Press the pastry down gently with the back of a spoon so everything is wet. Now let it stand 10 minutes so the pastry drinks the milk.
- Whip the cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks and spread it over the surface. Spread the cream right to the edges, because the exposed pastry at the rim burns without it. Scatter more nuts over the top.
- Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cream has browned in patches and the whole dish is bubbling at the edges. Serve it immediately, still bubbling, straight from the dish. It must go to the table hot and bubbling.
Technique
- Qishta, the Middle Eastern clotted cream, is used in place of whipped cream in many Egyptian versions.
- It is often made with individual portions in small dishes.
- It does not keep and is made to be eaten straight away.
Substitutions
- Torn croissants or ready-made filo, baked crisp.
- Evaporated milk for part of the whole milk, which is richer.
Variations
- Made with coconut milk, which is dairy-free.
- With chunks of white chocolate, which is a modern touch.
- Made in individual ramekins.
History
A warm bread pudding, made from layers of pastry or puff pastry soaked in sweetened milk and cream, then baked with nuts and raisins until golden on top, documented across Egypt as one of the country’s most beloved traditional desserts, its name meaning literally Ali’s mother, with a popular though not fully verified legend attributing the dish’s creation to a wife of a 13th-century Egyptian sultan who commissioned an elaborate celebratory dessert to mark a significant political victory. Its rich, creamy, warmly spiced character makes om ali a dessert particularly associated with comfort and celebration within Egyptian culinary tradition. Om ali remains one of the most iconic and widely prepared traditional Egyptian desserts, especially popular during colder months and festive occasions.
Frequently asked questions
What is Om Ali?
Om Ali is a dessert from Egypt: baked pastry and milk pudding with nuts, raisins and cream, served bubbling. A warm bread pudding, made from layers of pastry or puff pastry soaked in sweetened milk and cream, then baked with nuts and raisins until golden on top, documented across Egypt as one of the country’s most beloved traditional desserts, its name meaning literally Ali’s mother, with a popular though not fully verified legend attributing the dish’s creation to a wife of a 13th-century Egyptian sultan who commissioned an elaborate celebratory dessert to mark a significant political victory. Its rich, creamy, warmly spiced character makes om ali a dessert particularly associated with comfort and celebration within Egyptian culinary tradition. Om ali remains one of the most iconic and widely prepared traditional Egyptian desserts, especially popular during colder months and festive occasions.
How long does Om Ali take to make?
Om Ali takes 20 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Om Ali?
Yes, within limits. Torn croissants or ready-made filo, baked crisp. Evaporated milk for part of the whole milk, which is richer.
What is the most important thing to get right in Om Ali?
Heat the milk with the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until steaming, but do not let it boil. Pour the hot milk evenly over the whole dish.
