Umm Ali — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A warm, comforting bread pudding made with layers of flaky pastry soaked in sweetened milk, topped with nuts and raisins, then baked until golden and bubbling.

Ingredients

6 sheets puff pastry, baked and crumbled
1 liter whole milk
200g sugar
100g mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews)
50g raisins
50g shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter
Whipped cream for topping

Instructions

1 Bake puff pastry sheets until golden and crispy. Let cool then crumble into rough pieces. Spread evenly in a large baking dish.
2 Scatter mixed nuts, raisins, and shredded coconut over the crumbled pastry, distributing them evenly throughout.
3 Heat milk with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot but not boiling.
4 Pour the hot sweetened milk over the pastry and nut mixture, ensuring all pieces are soaked. Let stand for five minutes to absorb.
5 Dot the top with small pieces of butter. Bake at 200C for fifteen minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling.
6 Serve hot or warm, topped with a dollop of whipped cream. This is best eaten immediately while still warm from the oven.

Did You Know?

Umm Ali is traditionally served during Ramadan as a rich, celebratory dessert to break the fast at iftar.