Arabic recipesSweets
Aish el-Saraya: Lebanese Caramelized Bread Dessert with Qishta & Pistachios
Aish el-Saraya - translating to palace bread - is a chilled two-layer Levantine dessert: crisp oven-toasted white bread is drenched in amber caramel syrup scented with orange blossom and rose water, then topped with a lush blanket of thickened qishta cream and crushed green pistachios.
Also known as:Eish el-Saraya / Palace bread pudding with qishtaLebanese no-bake caramel and blossom cream tray dessertChilled Syrian & Lebanese pistachio qishta dessert
Servings8
Prep time20 min
Cook time20 min
Ingredients
Add ingredients to cart- 10 slices crustless white sandwich bread, oven-toasted until crisp and golden
- 200 g granulated sugar + 250 ml warm water + 1 tsp lemon juice for the caramel
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water + 1 tsp rose water
- 500 ml whole milk + 3 heaped tbsp fine cornstarch + 2 tbsp sugar for the cream
- 2 tins qishta table cream (approx. 340 g total)
- 60 g peeled green pistachios, coarsely chopped
Preparation Steps
- 1Arrange the crisp, dry toasted bread slices snugly in a double layer across the base of a rectangular glass dish (approx. 20 × 28 cm).
- 2Melt the 200 g sugar over low heat in a dry saucepan without stirring until light amber, carefully pour in the warm water and lemon juice, simmer 2 minutes until smooth, then remove from heat and stir in the blossom and rose waters.
- 3Ladle the hot caramel syrup evenly over the toasted bread and press gently with the back of a spoon to form a cohesive, deeply soaked amber base.
- 4Whisk the cornstarch and 2 tbsp sugar into cold milk, cook over medium heat while stirring until thick, then take off the burner and fold in both tins of qishta until velvety.
- 5Spread the warm qishta layer smoothly over the caramel base, chill covered in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, and scatter generously with chopped pistachios right before slicing.
