Umm Ali
Umm, Ali is a classic Egyptian bread pudding made of crispy puff pastry and creamy sweet milk sauce; it is comforting and filled with nuts such as pistachios, almonds, and pecans, along with raisins and shredded coconut for a wholesome, delicious combination. You’re bound to fall in love with!
While it might not be as well known in the US, Umm Ali (or Om Ali) is a classic that Egyptians and people from other parts of the Middle East love, and for a good reason! It combines the taste and feel of a bread pudding with nuts and raisins that elevate it to the next level!
What’s best is that this is an incredibly simple and easy recipe that looks fancy and tastes delicious. It’s perfect for serving holidays and dinner parties, but also when you want to make something easy yet tasty for the family. Try this recipe today; I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
WHAT IS UMM ALI?
Umm Ali translates to (Mother of Ali – أم على). The Sultan of Egypt Izz Al-Din Aybak’s wife was known as Umm Ali, most probably because her older and first son’s name is Ali.
It was said that she asked the chefs to compete in making a delicious dish that reflects the celebration of a special occasion. (I won’t mention what the celebration was about; it is an interesting read, though).
The Om Ali recipe won and became popular; it was later named after Sultan Izz’s wife’s nickname. You can find this Egyptian dessert written as “Om Ali” or “Um Ali” on the internet.
🥘 INGREDIENTS
You need simple ingredients to make this delicious Umm Ali dessert at home. Let’s take a look at what these are.
You can scroll down to the recipe card for further details and instructions.
Puff pastry: We’ll use puff pastry as the base of this delicious Egyptian bread pudding! It’ll soak up the sauce and get the perfect texture as it bakes in the oven.
Nuts: To give the pudding an Egyptian feel and texture, we’ll add a mix of nuts that will add a crunch to each bite and make it taste even better. We’ll use toasted pistachios, almonds, and pecans in this recipe.
Raisin: We’ll also add some raisins to elevate the flavor to the next level and give it that authentic feel.
Milk: Of course, we’ll also need some milk for Umm Ali since it is a Middle Eastern bread pudding. We’ll be using whole milk and evaporated milk for our recipe.
Table cream: To add a luxurious feel to this dessert and enhance its flavor, we will use table cream. It is thick, tastes great, and also gives a beautiful golden layer.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE UMM ALI
The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but let’s look at the main steps to making this treat.
Step 1:
Start by preheating the oven to 350F/180C. Once preheated, bake the puff pastry as per the instructions on the packaging. It should take around 15 minutes to turn golden.
Step 2:
In a mixing bowl, break the cooled puff pastry. Then, add the nuts, shredded coconuts, raisins, and cinnamon powder. Mix well with your hands. Transfer the previous mixture to a 9”x 8” deep casserole.
Step 3:
In a saucepan, add the whole milk and the evaporated milk with the sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Let the milk boil, turn off the heat, and gradually pour it over the puff pastry and nuts mixture.
Step 4:
In a separate small bowl, mix table cream with confectioner’s sugar. Spread the cream evenly over the puff mixture and dust it with another tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar.
Step 5:
Next, turn on the broiler and place it in the oven until it gets brown patches on the surface. Once done, remove it from the oven and garnish it with chopped pistachios.
Your delicious Umm Ali is ready to be served. Serve it warm.
💭 EXPERT TIPS
- Everyone likes Umm Ali differently. Some like it dry, while others like more milk sauce. My recipe gives you something in between. If you want more milk sauce, add 1.5 cups of whole milk plus 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon to the puff mixture.
- You can skip the evaporated milk and add heavy cream instead.
📖 VARIATIONS
Other nuts: This delicious dessert is incredibly versatile, so you can add different nuts, including toasted hazelnuts and peanuts.
Puff pastry substitute: Traditionally, puff pastry is used to make Umm Ali, but you can also get creative and use other variations, such as palmiers or croissants, to make your delicious Egyptian bread pudding.
USING CROISSANT IN UMM ALI
Honestly, I prefer to make Om Ali using croissants; they’re richer and mouth-wateringly delicious.
Place the croissants on a baking sheet and bake until crisp. Tear them into medium-sized pieces and use them instead of puff pastry in the recipe.
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Umm Ali is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert that originated in Egypt. It is a bread pudding with puff pastry, nuts, raisins, and milk sauce.
Yes, you can use other variations, such as palmiers or croissants, to make your delicious Egyptian bread pudding.
Yes, you can bake the puff pastry and mix it with the dry ingredients. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it. The same goes for the milk sauce; you can cook it, and later, when it cools, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble and bake.
Related Recipes
- Ghraybeh Cookies.
- Barazek Cookies.
- Authentic Knafeh.
- Maamoul Cookies.
- Sekerpare Recipe.
- Easy Baklava Recipe.
- The best Qatayef Recipe Ever.
- Khabeesa made with semolina.
🌡️ STORING AND REHEATING
Fridge: Umm Ali can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: You can freeze Umm Ali for 2 to 3 months by placing it in a freezer-safe container and popping it into the freezer.
Reheat: To reheat, place it in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for 10 minutes or until heated through.
⭐PLEASE REVIEW AND RATE
If you have tried my Umm Ali recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
Umm Ali
Ingredients
- 7 puff pastry squares from the 400 grams package
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup chopped almonds
- ½ cup shredded coconuts
- 2 tablespoon raisins
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
FOR THE MILK SAUCE
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon sugar
FOR THE TOPPING
- 2 tables cream each is 170 grams
- 2 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
TO DUST THE TOPPING
- 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Bake the puff pastry as per instruction on the package, it will take around 15 minutes to bake and turn golden.
- In a mixing bowl, break the cooled puffs. Add the nuts (make sure they are toasted). Then add the shredded coconuts, raisins, and cinnamon powder. Mix well with your hands.
- Transfer the previous mixture to a 9”x8” deep casserole.
- In a saucepan, add the whole milk and the evaporated milk with the sugar and vanilla. Mix well.
- Let the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add gradually pour it over the puff pastry and nuts mixture.
- In a small bowl, mix the table cream with confectioner’s sugar and spread it evenly over the puff mixture.
- Dust with 1 tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar.
- Turn on the broiler and leave it in the oven until it gets brown patches on the surface.
- Remove from the oven, and garnish with chopped pistachios.
- Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Everyone likes Umm Ali differently. Some like it dry, while others like more milk sauce. My recipe gives you something in between. If you want more milk sauce, add 1.5 cups of whole milk plus 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon to the puff mixture.
- You can skip the evaporated milk and add heavy cream instead.
What a beautiful bread pudding, and with puff pastry! I’ve never had one like it.
Hi Jeff, this is an amazing version of bread pudding. It is rich but tastes great!
Hi! I would love to make this recipe but i have a quick question. When you say table cream, do you mean heavy cream? Thank you
Hi Eric, Table cream is different than heavy cream, it is thick almost like yogurt texture. But if you don’t have it you can use in this recipe heavy cream whithout whipping it.