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<\/p>\nNo offence to classic tarts, they are delicious for a reason, but if you are looking for something with inventive Middle Eastern flavors, you\u2019re in the right place. Put aside caloric concerns and step right up to the world of Lebanese and oriental sweets that excite the senses with their aromas and flavors. Be the talk of the town with this fabulous showstopper tart.<\/p>\n
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I spent several days bustling with every element and used the best ingredients I could find to get it right the way I want, in other words to meet the high standard flavors of Middle Eastern sweets.<\/p>\n
Anyone who has been to the Middle East is probably familiar with\u00a0maamoul,\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0it is a classic shortbread cookie that is bound with butter and scented with mahlab and orange blossom water.\u00a0 The crust I used in this tart is sort of a hybrid between a Lebanese style maamoul dough and a shortbread tart crust.<\/p>\n The crust is then topped with an emarald layer of sweetened pitachios, followed with a generous layer of ashta (clotted cream) and finished with\u00a0jazarieh<\/a>. The combination of four \u2013 jammy\u00a0jazarieh<\/a>; fluffy ashta topping; crunchy, sweet pistachios and crumbly crispy maamoul crust \u2013 provides a gorgeous quality contrast.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to roll the crust, just press it into a tart mold, pre-bake to a golden crust, fill with the pistachio layer, cover with ashta (clotted cream) and envelop it generously with jazarieh.<\/p>\n The tart features three Middle Eastern items that you might need to familiarize yourself with. These are commonly found at Middle Eastern specialty stores.<\/strong><\/p>\n Unfussy butter cookie maamoul crust<\/strong>: The crust is a hybrid mix of maamoul and tart; it is made of all-purpose flour, powdered sugar and just a bit of semolina for a little crunch; the butter is melted and poured over the ingredients where everything comes together easily with just a quick mix, creating a malleable dough, no bread mixer required.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to roll the crust, just press it into a tart mold and bake to a golden color. Orange blossom water and mahlab are added for a more earthy kick and sharp aroma; mahlab is an aromatic white spice made of cherry pits used in numerous baked goods in the Middle East.<\/p>\n Emerald layer of pistachios<\/strong>: A mix of coarsley ground pistachios, sugar and orange blossom water is smeared luxuriously onto the cooled baked tart crust; the contrast between the savory pistachios and the sweet sugar is a beautiful dance. This emerald layer enhances and tempers the overall flavor of the tart. It is made with almost any kind of nut, but it is especially lovely with pistachios.<\/p>\n Ashta<\/b>\u00a0is something you most likely have seen if you have been to Lebanon or the Middle East, a basic necessary component in Arabic sweets and a very popular delicacy with a narrow hint of sweetness from the natural sugar in dairy; it is used as a filler for lots of Lebanese and oriental sweet pastries, if you\u2019ve ever had znoud el sit, knafeh, atayef, osmalleyia mafroukeh, maamoul mad etc.. then you must likely had a part of this pure heaven called ashta; it has a thick and unique decadent milk pudding consistency with a silky texture.<\/p>\n Back in the days, ashta was made of unpasteurized raw milk of cow or sheep;\u00a0 milk is boiled and simmered for hours, later the cream is created on the surface where it is skimmed and left to chill, in other words the best part of the fatty milk with all its goodness is ladled to create ashta. You might be able to find fresh ashta at some sweet pastry shops in Lebanon, but one thing to consider when buying is that it has a very short shelf life. Alternatively, you can make your homemade version with pantry staples, I have more than one ashta recipe in my repertoire where I use each, depending on the type of sweet I am making.\u00a0 Here is a great ashta recipe that goes enticingly well with our tart-style maamoul and lots of other ashta-based sweets, it is handy to have it in your repertoire.<\/p>\n Spread Jazarieh evenly to cover the ashta<\/strong>: Jazarieh (Lebanese Candied Pumpkin) is perfectly happy when combined with ashta (clotted cream). If you are unfamiliar with it is a unique Lebanese-style candied pumpkin dessert with crispy and crunchy texture, a perfect match with the luscious ashta (Lebanese clotted cream).\u00a0\u00a0Read more about jazarieh .<\/a><\/p>\n While jazarieh is the perfect contrast to this tart, which is not overly sweet, you can swap and use your favorite thick jam or conserves, but not the the thin or runny stuff. Check my\u00a0quince jam,<\/a>\u00a0it works beautifully as well to dress up this tart.<\/p>\n Make Ahead:<\/strong><\/p>\n Storage:<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hadiaslebanesecuisine.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mish-44.jpg\")
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<\/p>\nWhat is Ashta\/ Middle Eastern Clotted Cream?<\/h2>\n
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