Qashtuliyah with Kunafa Threads

Ingredients

• 300 g kataifi pastry (shredded kunafa)
• Vegetable oil for frying the kataifi
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup ground pistachios
• For the qashtuliyah:
• 2 cups milk
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups liquid cream (heavy cream)
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 mastic pods, ground with 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons rose water
• 2 tablespoons orange blossom water

Method

1. Mix the cream with the milk and sugar and place it in a pot over the heat.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup of cold water or milk.
3. When the milk and cream mixture begins to boil, add the dissolved starch and stir quickly with a wooden spoon or whisk.
4. Keep the mixture on the heat, stirring continuously, until it boils, bubbles appear, and it reaches a medium thickness.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and add powdered mastic, rose water, and orange blossom water, then stir.
6. Pour the qashtuliyah mixture into a heatproof glass dish or Pyrex and set aside to cool to room temperature; after that you can place it in the refrigerator.
7. Begin preparing the topping: put 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a nonstick pan and fry the shredded kunafa threads until golden.
8. Add the sugar and continue frying until the kunafa strands are golden.
9. Let the kunafa cool, then spread it evenly over the qashtuliyah.
10. Sprinkle ground walnuts and pistachios on top, and serve the qashtuliyah with the kunafa threads.