Umm Ali is a well-known Egyptian baked pudding of pastry soaked in sweetened milk and cream with nuts and raisins, often served in Ramadan. Serve it with hot mint tea.
Umm Ali (Egyptian Pastry and Nut Pudding)
Dessert
Custards puddings creams
Vanilla: Extract
Easy
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Crisp baked puff pastry is broken into a dish, covered with sweet milk and cream, scattered with nuts and raisins and baked until bubbling and golden. It is served warm and spoonable. Makes 1 8-inch baking dish in about 1 hr 10 min.
Prep
20 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 hr 10 min
Yield
1 8-inch baking dish
Ingredients
Adjust yield
8-inch baking dish
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
- 10 ½ oz (300 g)puff pastry sheet, thawed
- ⅓ cup (40 g)slivered almonds
- ⅓ cup (40 g)unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp (15 g)pine nuts
- ⅓ cup (50 g)raisins
- ⅓ cup (30 g)unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups (500 ml)whole milk
- ¾ cup (200 ml)heavy cream, for the milk mixture
- ⅔ cup (130 g)granulated sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (1 g)ground cinnamon, for the milk mixture
- 7 tbsp (100 ml)heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks, for the topping
- 1 ½ tbsp (10 g)powdered sugar
- ½ tsp (1 g)ground cinnamon, for the topping
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Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Bake the puff pastry on a parchment-lined sheet for 15 minutes, until puffed and deep golden. Cool and break into rough 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
- Lower the oven to 350 F (175 C). Spread half the pastry pieces in a buttered 8-inch (20 cm) baking dish.
- Scatter half the nuts, raisins and coconut over the pastry, then add the remaining pastry and top with the rest of the mix.
- Heat the milk, 200 ml cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a saucepan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the milk is steaming.
- Pour the hot milk mixture slowly over the pastry so it is soaked but not flooded; press gently with a spoon.
- Whip the 100 ml cream with the powdered sugar and spread it over the top. Sprinkle with the cinnamon.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and the top is golden brown in spots.
- Rest 5 minutes and serve warm, spooned into bowls.
Tips
- Bake the pastry until deeply golden so it stays pleasantly soft, not mushy, after soaking.
- Add the milk gradually and stop when the pastry is wet but the pieces are still visible.
- Toast the nuts first for a deeper flavor.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165 F (74 C) before serving.
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Recipe FAQ
How long does it take to make umm ali (egyptian pastry and nut pudding)?
Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 1 8-inch baking dish.
How should I store umm ali (egyptian pastry and nut pudding)?
Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and rewarm in the oven or microwave; the pastry will be softer.
Can I make umm ali (egyptian pastry and nut pudding) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
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