Maamoul Mad with Cream and Nataf

Ingredients

• Sweet cream (qashta) for desserts:
• 2 cups liquid milk
• 170 g qashta (equivalent to one can)
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 1/2 teaspoon rose water
• Ground mastic with a pinch of sugar
• How to prepare the dessert cream (qashta):
• In a saucepan, combine the milk with the sugar and cornstarch and stir well.
• Qareesheh (curdled milk cream):
• 2 liters milk
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• 1 can qeemar (clotted cream)
• Ingredients for Maamoul Mad with Cream:
• 1 1/2 cups medium-coarse semolina
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon mahlab (or less)
• 1 cup cold syrup (qater/shira) to pour over the maamoul after baking
• For more of Nada's wonderful sweets see: Anise cake filled with date paste
• To make Nada's chocolate honeycomb also click: Chocolate Honeycomb

Method

1. Start by preparing the syrup: mix the sugar with the water and lemon juice and place over the heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. When the syrup boils, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes until it thickens.
   Timers: 10 min
3. Whisk the egg white with the salt and vanilla until it becomes very frothy.
4. As soon as the syrup is removed from the heat and while it is still very hot, pour it gradually over the egg-white mixture while whisking continuously.
5. Add the orange blossom water and mix until the nataf cools.
6. Store it chilled in an airtight container until serving with karabej, maamoul filled with walnuts, qashta (cream) or pistachios.
7. Place the pan over the heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil.
8. Add the mastic and keep on the heat for an additional 3 minutes, stirring, then remove from the heat.
   Timers: 3 min
9. Add the qashta (170 g can), rose water and orange blossom water and stir.
10. When this cream has cooled well, add the qareesheh (see the qareesheh recipe below) and mix thoroughly to obtain the dessert cream we will use for the maamoul.
11. Refrigerate the dessert cream until use.
12. Bring the milk to a boil.
13. When it boils, reduce the heat and add the vinegar and sugar. Wait a few moments until the milk separates (curdles), then turn off the heat.
14. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve and strain well.
15. Add the can of qeemar (clotted cream), the orange blossom and rose water and mix.
16. Let the qareesheh cool before using.
17. Mix the ingredients well using a metal hand whisk — you will get a soft dough.
18. Divide the dough into two portions and start working with it immediately; it does not need to rest or rise.
19. Grease the baking pan with the melted butter.
20. Spread the first portion of the dough evenly in the pan.
21. Spread the dessert cream (qashta) over it, covering the base layer but not reaching the pan edges.
22. Distribute the remaining dough gently over the cream without pressing down, just to cover the cream layer.
23. Place the pan in a preheated oven at 200°C (392°F) until it browns.
24. As soon as you remove the pan from the oven, pour 1 cup of cold syrup over it and allow the maamoul mad with cream to absorb the syrup.
25. After it cools to room temperature, cover it and refrigerate for about 4 hours so it firms up and won’t fall apart when cut.
    Timers: 240 min
26. Garnish the maamoul mad with cream with the nataf when serving.
27. Note: Use butter — do not use oil in the maamoul dough.