Da'oqiya (Pistachio Semolina Dessert)

Ingredients

• Pistachio semolina dough:
• 2 cups pistachios
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup fine semolina
• Green food coloring — optional
• Syrup (for the dough):
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp rose water
• 1/2 tbsp orange blossom water
• Qishta (fresh cream):
• 1 liter liquid milk
• or
• 10 tablespoons powdered milk dissolved in 1 liter water
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• Pastry cream (for filling):
• 1 can (170 g) Qaimar cream
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups liquid milk
• A pinch of ground mastic mixed with a little sugar
• 1/2 tsp rose water
• 1/2 tsp orange blossom water
• How to make qareesha (fresh clotted cream):
• How to make the pastry cream (for fillings):
• In a pot, combine the liquid milk with the sugar and cornstarch and stir.
• Da'oqiya recipe from a Shou Tabkhin Today friend and cook:
• ندى حدرج
• Click her name to visit her profile on our site and see the full details of her delicious recipes
• For more rich and tasty desserts see: Bassbousa with Qishta

Method

1. Put the pistachios in a blender with the powdered sugar and grind until fine...
2. We begin making the semolina dough... first prepare the syrup (shira)...
3. In a small pot, put the sugar, water and lemon juice...
4. Leave them over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
5. Let the syrup simmer gently for only 5 minutes; do not overboil the syrup or it will become heavy and the dough will become hard, so the syrup should be light in consistency.
6. While the syrup simmers, melt the butter in a deep pan and add the semolina on top...
7. Stir the semolina over low heat until it turns golden, stirring continuously because semolina burns quickly; it will need about 10 minutes to take color... then add the hot syrup to it, stir and immediately remove from the heat.
8. Add the ground pistachios to the soft dough obtained and mix well...
9. Finally add rose water and orange blossom water and you may add a few drops of food coloring at this stage, then mix well...
10. Place plastic wrap in the bottom of the mold you will use, then take small balls of dough and press them into the base of the mold to cover it completely; wet your hands slightly if the dough sticks to them.
11. Spread a layer of cream made from curd qashta mixed with homemade or ready‑made cream for desserts...
12. Finally spread another layer of the pistachio semolina dough on top... you can also make mini da'ouqiyas in cupcake molds: spread a thin layer of dough in the base and along the sides of the mold, then add a spoonful of cream and a final layer of pistachio semolina dough.
13. Put the liquid milk in a pot over medium heat and stir.
14. When the milk boils, add 1 tablespoon vinegar and the juice of half a lemon.
15. Let them boil for another 5 minutes until the milk separates from the water.
16. Strain the milk well then place it in the refrigerator until completely cooled.
17. In a pot, put the liquid milk with the sugar and cornstarch and stir.
18. When the mixture boils, add a pinch of ground mastic with a little sugar and stir for about 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
19. When the mixture cools, add a 170 g can of qaimar cream (qashta) and 1/2 teaspoon rose water and 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water and stir.
20. Nida Hadraj
21. For more rich and tasty desserts, here is the link: 'Basbousa with qashta'.