Umm Ali is a classic Egyptian bread pudding that's creamy, 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!
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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.
🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
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 add an Egyptian feel and texture, we'll add a mix of different nuts that will add a crunch to each bite and make the pudding taste even better. We'll use 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.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE
Making Umm Ali is straightforward and greatly rewarding. You'll end up with the most comforting pudding.
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”x8” deep casserole.
Step 3:
Add the whole milk and the evaporated milk in a saucepan 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:
Mix table cream with confectioner's sugar in a separate small bowl spread it 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.
💭 COOKING TIPS
- When it comes to Umm Ali, everyone has it differently. Some like it on the dry side others like more milk sauce. My recipe gives you something in between. If you want more milk sauce, add one and a half cups of whole milk plus one tablespoon of sugar and ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon to the puff mixture.
- You can skip the evaporated milk and add cream instead.
📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
Other nuts: You can add nuts to this delicious dessert since it's incredibly versatile. Hazelnuts will work well here as well.
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.
💬 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.
Yes, you can make Umm Ali without puff pastry. You can use other variations, such as palmiers or croissants, to make your delicious Egyptian bread pudding.
The name 'Umm Ali' translates to 'Ali’s mother,' It is believed to have been created by the wife of an Egyptian sultan in the 13th century, who then distributed it throughout the city for people to have as a celebration.
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🌡️ 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.
📖 Recipe
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
- When it comes to Umm Ali, everyone has it differently, some like it on the dry side others like more milk sauce in it.
- My recipe gives you something in between. If you want more milk sauce, then add an extra one and half cup whole milk to the sauce plus one tablespoon sugar and add ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon to the puff mixture.
- You can skip the evaporated milk and add cream instead.
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!
What a beautiful bread pudding, and with puff pastry! I've never had one like it.
Muna
Hi Jeff, this is an amazing version of bread pudding. It is rich but tastes great!