Middle Eastern Tart-Style Maamoul with Ashta, Pistachios and Jazarieh
No offence to classic tarts, they are delicious for a reason, but if you are looking for something with inventive Middle Eastern flavors, you’re 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.
Middle Eastern Tart-Style Maamoul with Ashta, Pistachios and Jazarieh
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.
Anyone who has been to the Middle East is probably familiar with maamoul, it is a classic shortbread cookie that is bound with butter and scented with mahlab and orange blossom water. The crust I used in this tart is sort of a hybrid between a Lebanese style maamoul dough and a shortbread tart crust.
The crust is then topped with an emarald layer of sweetened pitachios, followed with a generous layer of ashta (clotted cream) and finished with jazarieh. The combination of four – jammy jazarieh; fluffy ashta topping; crunchy, sweet pistachios and crumbly crispy maamoul crust – provides a gorgeous quality contrast.
You don’t 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.
The tart features three Middle Eastern items that you might need to familiarize yourself with. These are commonly found at Middle Eastern specialty stores.
- Mastic gum: Used as a flavoring predominantly in oriental sweets. Mastic is the dried resin that steeps through the bark of the Pastacia lentiscus, a tree native to the Mediterranean. Mastic is also believed to be good for digestion.
- Orange blossom water: A clear fragrant water distilled from the macerated blossom flowers of Seville oranges; used liberally in most Arabic sweets.
- Mahlab: An aromatic white spice made of cherry pits used in numerous baked goods in the Middle East.
Unfussy butter cookie maamoul crust: 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.
You don’t 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.
Emerald layer of pistachios: 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.
What is Ashta/ Middle Eastern Clotted Cream?
Ashta is 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’ve 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.
Back in the days, ashta was made of unpasteurized raw milk of cow or sheep; 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. 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.
Spread the ashta on top so that it covers the emerald layer of pistachios
Spread Jazarieh evenly to cover the ashta: 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). Read more about jazarieh .
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 quince jam, it works beautifully as well to dress up this tart.
Make Ahead:
- The maamoul crust and ashta may be separately prepared and tightly wrapped and refrigerated, up to one day in advance.
- The jazarieh can be prepared and refrigerated two weeks in advance.
Storage:
- The assembled tart can be refrigerated covered for 4-5 days.
The tart has a striking balance of flavors and textures. Be the talk of the town with this fabulous showstopper dessert!
- Author: Hadia Zebib Khanafer
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Serves: 10 persons
- Cuisine: Lebanese
For precise results, 1 cup is equivalent to 250 ml
Ingredients:
For the unfussy butter cookie maamoul crust:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup semolina
- 200g / 7 oz butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon mahlab
For the emerald layer of pistachios:
- 2 cups raw shelled pistachios
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons orange blossom water
For the ashta, Lebanese clotted cream: Ashta, Lebanese clotted cream, use a 250 ml calibrated cup for precise results
- 4 cups whole milk/ 1 liter whole milk
- ¾ cup/ 200 ml heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon semolina
- 1/4 teaspoon mastic gum, crushed with a pinch of sugar, optional, by highly recommended
- 2 cups of jazarieh, or quince jam as a substitute.
Directions:
To make the unfussy butter cookie maamoul crust:
- Preheat oven to, 200°C/400°F. Place a rack in the center of the oven.
- Place the flour, semolina and powdered sugar in a bowl.
- Melt butter over low heat and pour over the flour mixture. Add mahlab and orange blossom water. Using your fingers, mix well the ingredients until you end up with a malleable dough.
- Grease a round tart tin, preferably a removable bottom, of about 30 cm/ 12 inches in diameter.
- Dump the malleable dough into the tart tin and spread it out evenly with your fingers along the bottom and sides of the tart tin. Prick evenly with the tines of a fork.
- Bake about 12-15 minutes or until it turns light golden in color. Let the tart cool in the pan. Loos the edges with a knife and delicately transfer it to a large flat serving plate.
To make the emerald layer of pistachio:
- Place the pistachios in a food processor and pulse a few time to a coarse consistency.
- Transfer to a bowl, add the sugar and orange blossom water, mix to fully incorporate and set aside.
To make the ashta, Lebanese clotted cream:
- Place the milk, heavy cream, semolina, crushed mastic gum and cornstarch in a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk constantly.
- Continue whisking until the mixture boils and thickens, it should have the consistency of custard. Add orange blossom water. Stir and place a piece of waxed paper on top to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to completely cool down.
To assemble:First off, make sure the crust has completely cooled down. Evenly smear the emerald pistachio mix onto the cooled baked tart crust. Spoon with the cooled ashta and garnish with jazarieh (Lebanese Candied Pumpkin). Happy eating!
If you make this, leave a comment below, or share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!! Hashtag, #Hadia’s lebanese Cuisine
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Instructions
No Steps Found !
- Course : DESSERTS, jazarieh
- Recipe Type : DESSERTS, DESSERTS, LEBANESE RECIPES, RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORD
- Ingredient : pumpkin
13 Responses to Middle Eastern Tart-Style Maamoul with Ashta, Pistachios and Jazarieh
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About Chef
Hadia Zebib
I am Hadia, the face behind Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine. I grew up in Beirut Lebanon and I currently reside in Kinshasa, Congo with my husband and my three adorable sons, ...
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Wow, just wow! I was intrigued by this dessert from the pictures, but even moreso now that I’ve read your description of all the layers and textures!!! I am dying to try it, but I think I’d have to make a few substitutions. Thank you for sharing this beautiful creation, Hadia.
Thank you so much, Ann, for the sweet comment. All I can say is that this tart has a super decadent taste. I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do. Xo xo!
I Followed blindly the recipe, except that I covered the tart with my mom’s apricot jam. Thank for the explosion of fabulous flavors. Will be making it again
By the way the tart crust will be my go to any tart I will be making in the future . Thanks a lot.
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So so happy to know that you made this Middle Eastern tart, and what a clever substitute to use apricot jam instead of jazarieh. Yes, the unfussy butter cookie maamoul crust is so easy to make and the result is amazing. Thank you for taking the time to write your review. Xo xo.
I am thrilled that you described the etiology of the authentic ashta. When I tell people today, even Lebanese, they look at me as if I had been struck by lightning! I remember the large trays of unpasteurized Jersey milk resting over low heat all night on the stove and waking up in the morning and watching my mother cut the ashta into squares for refrigeration!
Thank you Lawrence, how lucky you are to have been able to experience the process of ashta making at your home. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh Ashta. Xoxo
This sounds amazing..thank you!! Is there a recipe for the jazarieh??
This looks delicious indeed. I have your book too and I love it. Please share the jazarieh recipe. Thnx
Hi Hoda, happy to know you are enjoying the book, Xoxo, and here is the link for jazarieh: https://hadiaslebanesecuisine.com/newsite/recipe-items/jazarieh-lebanese-shredded-candied-pumpkin/
Hi, I really want to try this recipe, but I can’t find pumpkin anywhere. can I substitute by using carrots, if so do i still have to soak them in pickling lime? Thank you.
Hi Vian, honestly I haven’t tried making jazarieh with carrots, but I remember my mom used to make something similar with grated carrots, and as far as I remember, she didn’t use pickling lime, alternatively, you can substitute jazarieh with your favorite thick jam. My pleasure Vian.
Do you think butternut squash can be substituted for the pumpkin in the jazarieh recipe? Thanks again!
Yes Vian, butternut squash is doable here, follow the same process of marinating the grated butternut squash in pickinglime, but I woul rather use the grated method rather than the hand chopped method.in making jazarieh. It looks prettier on top of the tart. My pleasure and happy eating.