Umm Ali(Step by Step Pics) | Om Ali | Eyptian Sweet Pastry Dessert

 Umm Ali is a Egyptian sweet pastry dessert that is easy to bake with a very few ingredients and tastes delicious.'Umm Ali' in its literal meaning is 'Mother of Ali',an interesting name of the dessert.When Meena @ Elephant and The Coconut Trees posted this recipe,I bookmarked immediately and waited for the right time to bake.And finally I baked for a potluck here,all loved it and am happy that I tried this dessert.This simply tastes yumm,though somewhat similar to bread pudding you may say.But puff pastry sheets adds a nice flaky crunch in between.We had it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.I saw a few videos of Umm Ali on you tube in which the heavy whipping cream is whipped  to soft peaks and added as a top layer and then baked.I hadn't tasted this before and was making for potluck so didn't wish to do a try on that day (with new steps) so just skipped that(may be next time will try that way) and followed the same recipe.Thanks Meena for sharing this recipe.Just a word of caution-this is a rich dessert with nuts,whipping cream,condensed milk and puff pastry sheets,so plan accordingly.
Check out- Baklava Rolls 

Preparation time~ 20 minutes
Baking time ~ 30-40 minutes
Recipe source ~ Elephant and The Coconut Trees
Serves ~8
Ingredients
*puff pastry sheet 1pkt /croissants4-5/bread 4-5 slices
dry fruits and nuts 2.5 cups(I used almonds,cashews,raisins(black & golden),cranberry,apricot)
dry unsweetened coconut 1/4 cup
cardamom powder/vanilla/cinnamon 1/2 tsp(I used cardamom powder)
condensed milk 1/2 tin or 1/2 cup granulated sugar(I used condensed milk)
whipping cream 1 cup
milk 1.5 cups

Method

• Chop the dry fruits like apricot in small pieces and also the dry nuts like cashews,pistachio,almonds in small pieces.Mix them in a bowl and divide in two.
• Bake the puff pastry sheets and bread in separate tray until crisp and flaky as per packet instructions(I use Pepperidge brand and so baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F)

• Roughly break the puff pastry sheets and bread,divide in two portions and arrange one portion in a lightly greased square pan (8*8) as a single layer.I used a glass baking tray.Add half of the roughly chopped nuts and dry fruits.
• Add dry unsweetened coconut and arrange the second layer of puff pastry sheets and bread.
• Heat the milk,condensed milk,heavy cream until just warm.Add the flavoring(vanilla/cardamom powder/cinnamom powder).I used cardamom powder,mix well.

• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F and pour the whole milk mixture to the arranged layers in the tray(without disturbing the layers) such that the puff pastry sheets look floating in them.
• Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the top looks crispy and the liquid is mostly dried up.In the last 10 minutes,add the remaining the dry fruits and nuts chopped as the top layer(so that it doesn't get burnt up).
• Cool on wire rack for 10-15 minutes and cut in slices,serve warm at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla or whipped cream.

NOTES
* Puff pastry sheets or croissants give the actual flaky taste in between the pudding.But you can always substitute bread and puff pastry sheets too.
* I added an extra layer of dry unsweetened coconut in the top layer too along with dry fruits and nuts(optional step)
* You can add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup whipped cream too for a lesser fat version.
* You can serve Umm Ali just like that or with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.
* You can warm up the milk and condensed milk more as per your preference.You can even add whipped cream as top layer covering the nuts and dry fruits and then bake too.