Maamoul Mad (lebanese semolina cream dessert)

Maamoul Mad

Ingredients:
1/2 cup crushed pistachios + 1/4 cup for sprinkling at end
For the semolina dough
4 cups fine semolina
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups of butter melted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt tiny sprinkle
4 spoons of plain yoghurt
For the clotted cream ashta:
11/2 cups of heavy cream approx 350 ml
11/2 cups of milk approx 350ml
1/2 cup of cornstarch (cornflour)
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp orange blossom water 1/2 tsp ground mastic (mastixa)

For the orange blossom syrup
11/2 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of water
1/8 of tsp Tiny sprinkle of salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp orange blossom water
Instructions
To make the semolina doughCombine the semolina, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and stir together

Add the melted butter, yoghurt and mix together until you have a sticky dough
To make the clotted cream ashta

In a pot, combine the milk, heavy cream, cornflour and sugar and whisk well before putting it on a medium high heat

Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the orange blossom water, mastic and stir for another five seconds or so then turn off the heat. Set aside
To make the orange blossom syrup

Combine the water, sugar, salt, lemon juice and orange blossom water into a separate pot and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil on a medium high heat, then add the orange blossom and reduce to a simmer for about five minutes.
To assemble the maamoul mad

Heat the oven to 180 °C

Take half the semolina dough and line the bottom and sides of a medium baking pan by pressing down with your hands.

Add a layer of crushed pistachios then pour the ashta cream on and gently smooth out with a spatula. Add another layer of crushed pistachios on top of the cream.

On parchment baking paper , roll out the rest of the dough according to the shape of your pan. Carefully flip it over the cream layer and peel off gently.

Smooth out the top layer if necessary and patch any areas you might have missed.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. When done take out the pan and let it cool completely. Then turn it over onto a large platter and slice into squares.

Add a little crushed pistachio on each square and drizzle with a little orange blossom syrup

Serve either warm or cold. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.