Ashta — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A luscious Lebanese clotted cream dessert made by skimming the skin off simmered milk, layered with rose water syrup, pistachios, and honey. It is the base for many iconic Lebanese sweets and pastries.

Ingredients

1 liter whole milk
250ml heavy cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon rose water
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
3 tablespoons crushed pistachios
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1 Pour the milk into a wide, shallow pan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, being careful not to let it boil or scorch on the bottom.
2 As a skin forms on the surface of the simmering milk, carefully skim it off with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a bowl — repeat this process for twenty minutes.
3 In a separate saucepan, heat the heavy cream with cornstarch and sugar, stirring constantly until thickened into a smooth, pudding-like custard.
4 Combine the skimmed milk skins with the thickened cream custard, fold in the rose water and orange blossom water, and pour into individual serving glasses.
5 Chill the ashta for at least two hours until set, then serve topped with a generous drizzle of honey, crushed pistachios, and a light dusting of ground cinnamon.

Did You Know?

Ashta is the essential filling for Lebanese knafeh and many other pastries, and skilled sweet makers can tell the quality of ashta by its silky texture and ability to hold its shape when piped.