Aish El Saraya is a quick and easy no-bake Middle Eastern dessert made with syrup soaked bread, ashta cream, and crushed pistachios on top. It's made with simple ingredients you probably already have at home like bread, cream, milk, and sugar.
This recipe makes homemade ashta cream from scratch using cornstarch, cream, milk, and flour. The simple syrup is made with sugar, water, lemon, rosewater, and orange blossom water. Use sliced white bread for the base and crushed pistachios on top.
Prepare the homemade ashta cream first. Mix together the cream, milk, cornstarch, and flour NOT on heat. Make sure the cornstarch and flour is fully dissolved.
Turn the heat on medium-high, whisking constantly until it starts to thicken and boil. Once the ashta thickens, whisk for 30 seconds more.
Set the homemade ashta cream aside to cool.
Make the sugar syrup by mixing the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small pot on the stove (medium-high heat). Bring to a boil, stirring until it thickens, then add in your rosewater and orange blossom water. Set aside to cool.
Remove the crust from the white bread. Add to the bottom of a 9" x 13" dish. If the bread is sliced thin, you can add two layers of the bread.
Spoon the simple syrup over the bread until it soaks it up.
Crush the shelled pistachios using a food processor or spice grinder. Don't mix for too long otherwise, the pistachios will form pistachio butter. Layer the ashta cream on top of the syrup-soaked bread.
Spread the ashta evenly.
Sprinkle the top with crushed pistachios.
Store aish el saraya in the fridge for up to 5 days.