50min 4 ppl
Ashta (Lebanese Clotted Cream)
20 minutes
4 people
Easy≤30 min & ≤6 steps
20 min · 5 steps
Easy: ≤30 min and ≤6 steps
349 kcalper person
Protein 4g
Carbs 26g
Fats 27g
About this dish
Ashta is the silky, faintly floral clotted cream that fills Lebanon's best-loved sweets, thickened on the stove with a little cornflour rather than the traditional overnight reduction, then perfumed with rosewater and orange blossom water. Chilled until firm, it spreads and rolls without breaking, exactly what a good qatayef or halawet el jibn needs.
Allergy Info
Dairy
Diet Info
Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dairy & Eggs
- Milk300 ml
- Double cream200 ml
Dried Goods
- Caster sugar60 g
- Cornflour30 g
Spices & Seasonings
- Mastictears, crushed to a powder with a pinch of the sugar2
Oils & Condiments
- Orange blossom water1 tbsp
- Rosewater1 tbsp
Utensils
- Saucepan
- Mortar and pestle
- Ramekins
Method
1
Whisk the milk, double cream, caster sugar and cornflour together in a saucepan until completely smooth with no lumps of cornflour remaining.
Approx. 5 minutes
2
Set the pan over a medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, for about 8 minutes, until the mixture thickens into a smooth, spoon-coating custard.
Approx. 8 minutes
3
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the crushed mastic, rosewater and orange blossom water.
Approx. 2 minutes
4
Divide the cream between four ramekins, smoothing the tops, then press a piece of cling film onto each surface to stop a skin forming.
Approx. 3 minutes
5
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until firmly set and completely cold before using as a filling.
Approx. 2 minutes
