Maamoul Mad Pistachio with Ashta recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cup sfarina .
• 1 cup semolina .
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast.
• 1/2 cup sugar.
• 1 cup butter, room temperature.
• 3 Tablespoon rose water.
• 3 Tablespoon orange blossom water.
• For the Ashta filling:
• 3 cup swater.
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk.
• 3/4 cup corn starch.
• 2 teaspoon orange blossom water.
• **For garnishing: ground pistachios, I used around 1 cup.
• ***For serving: 1/2 cup Simple Syrup.

Instructions

1. In a deep bowl, combine first 5 ingredients mixing very well with your hands to cover all the granules with butter.
2. Add rose water and orange blossom water and mix. Cover and let it rest for an hour.
3. Meanwhile prepare the filling, in a deep pot over medium heat boil 2 ½ cups of water.
4. Add the condensed milk and stir to combine.
5. In a separate bowl add the starch to the remaining ½ cup of water stirring vigorously with a whisk.
6. Pour the starch mixture to the pot and stir with the whisk until it is smooth and no visible lumps is forming.
7. Keep stirring for 2 3 minutes until it thickens, this happens real quick.
8. Remove from heat, set aside to cool down a bit.
9. Preheat oven to 325F. for dark pans and 350 for glass and shiny pans.
10. Prepare a 9x9 oven pan, by brushing it with some butter from sides and bottom.
11. Press half of the semolina mixture on the bottom in a uniform thick layer.
12. Pour the ashta over leveling the surface.
13. Add the remaining semolina mixture and press gently with your hands.
14. Bake in the oven for 30 40 minutes or until it browns nicely.
15. Take it our of the oven and sprinkle some ground pistachios on top.
16. Let it cool down completely before cutting and serving.