Semolina bars filled with delicious creamy Ashta. One of the best semolina flour recipes I've ever had. A delicious Lebanese treat with a new ashta recipe.
These are special Lebanese treat, one of their specialty desserts that shows up in the holy month of Ramadan. Creamy white filling sandwiched between crunchy, buttery semolina layers. These have a very distinct flavor and texture.
Today is the first day of Ramadan, I probably will be fine until 3:00 may be 4:00 PM. Then, my guess is, I will suffer caffein deprivation. Afterwards, probably I will be on the couch until 8:15 which is the time we break our fasting day :). Although I practiced caffein controlled life that last couple of days, but still I know I will get headache may be later in the day.
Do not worry, I've been through this many times before and it lasts for the first couple of days then, Ramadan days become easier and easier.
Life has been very busy in my little home lately, finishing school year with lots of activities and tests for the kids. Spirit week, fun days, field days, and graduation!!!. My soon to be a freshman is having lots of graduation things. Like ceremony, party, Elitch gardens day... and so on. Lots of pictures taken and parting with some Middle school friends, teachers are crying ... this is so emotional. I never knew that Middle school has graduation now :).
Not to mention preparing for our summer trip to Egypt, it is really getting super busy here. With all this stress- adding to the caffein deprivation 🙂 - everybody needs something sweet. I believe Lebanese people are masters in Middle Eastern desserts along with the Syrians. I love everything they do, but just drop down the rose water a notch to accommodate my family's taste. These bars/squares are heavenly good, we all loved them and this recipe is so easy to make too. Let me show you how.
In a deep bowl, we will add all the flours, sugar, butter and yeast.
Mix them well with a spoon first, then rub between your hands to make sure that flour granules are all covered by butter, them mixture will be like sand.
Add rosewater and orange blossom water, mix well then set aside covered for an hour.
Meanwhile, we will make the Ashta by combining all its ingredients.
Until it becomes thick, turn off the heat and let it cool down.
Press half of the mixture at the bottom of the prepared oven dish.
Then the Ashta layer.
Then press the other half on top, you can moisten your hands with cold water to make this process easier. Bake in the oven until golden brown.
Now, some people prepare simple syrup and pour it over the Ma'amool, but really I did not think it needed all that sugar. The dough itself has enough sugar and the filling is made with sweetened condensed milk, so my guess is, you will not need more sugar.
I garnished mine with ground pistachios, which is the most common way, but of course it is your call. Also I've seen Ma'amool mad filled with agwa paste and also a pistachio filling made with coarsely ground pistachios, condensed milk, rose water and orange blossom water.
I hope you'll like this recipe and please if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #amiraspantry — I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter!
Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for the FREE Amira's Pantry newsletter delivered to your inbox with lots of tips and surprises! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the latest updates.
Ingredients
- 2 cups farina .
- 1 cup semolina .
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast.
- ½ cup sugar.
- 1 cup butter , room temperature.
- 3 Tablespoon rose water.
- 3 Tablespoon orange blossom water.
- For the Ashta filling:
- 3 cups water.
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk.
- ¾ cup corn starch.
- 2 teaspoon orange blossom water.
- **For garnishing: ground pistachios , I used around 1 cup.
- ***For serving: ½ cup Simple Syrup.
Instructions
- In a deep bowl, combine first 5 ingredients mixing very well with your hands to cover all the granules with butter.
- Add rose water and orange blossom water and mix. Cover and let it rest for an hour.
- Meanwhile prepare the filling, in a deep pot over medium heat boil 2 ½ cups of water.
- Add the condensed milk and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl add the starch to the remaining ½ cup of water stirring vigorously with a whisk.
- Pour the starch mixture to the pot and stir with the whisk until it is smooth and no visible lumps is forming.
- Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes until it thickens, this happens real quick.
- Remove from heat, set aside to cool down a bit.
- Preheat oven to 325F. for dark pans and 350 for glass and shiny pans.
- Prepare a 9x9 oven pan, by brushing it with some butter from sides and bottom.
- Press half of the semolina mixture on the bottom in a uniform thick layer.
- Pour the ashta over leveling the surface.*
- Add the remaining semolina mixture and press gently with your hands.
- Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until it browns nicely.
- Take it our of the oven and sprinkle some ground pistachios on top.
- Let it cool down completely before cutting and serving.
- Enjoy!!
Video
Notes
Sign up and learn more about Mediterranean flavors
Would you like to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Heba
The dry yeast mentioned in recipe is the dry active yeast we use in bread and dough or you mean baking powder??
Amira
Heba, it is not baking powder.
Martha Bordonaro
Amira, I am curious if Marina is different in the United States than it is in egypt, am I just going to the store and buying Farina cereal or is it just another name for all purpose flour? Thank you for answering me, I've made many of your recipes and I'm actually starting to be a home Baker specializing in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Sweets! Thank you for all your inspiration and delightful recipes!
Amira
Martha, for this recipe we use semolina, you can buy it from your Middle Eastern store or at amazon. The brands I usually use are MidEast or Ziyad. I hope this helps.
Tal
How long does this dessert stay good for and what’s the best way to store it?
Amira
Tal, this stays good in the fridge for like 4-5days. Store it in the fridge covered in an airtight container.
Tal
Hello again! One more question - Would it freeze well?
Nagam
Is farina same as fine semolina?
Amira
They are sold here under different names one is fine grind and the other is coarse. For more about this with photos please check my basbousa recipe I have detailed everythin out there.
Mary-Ann
Oh my gracious, Anira -- This is getting tried at my next opportunity!! My heart jumped at the sight of it in your email, so I came here to find the recipe. Easy peasy, but too much sugar for me so I will have to put my thinking cap on and adapt it. Maybe unsweetened coconut cream instead of condensed milk?
Also, can 2 x the rosewater (I love the stuff) be substituted for the orange blossom (?) water?
Shukran,
Mary-Ann
Amira
May-Ann, thank you so much for your comment. Feel free to play with the recipe and adapt it to your liking. Use any sweetener you like or maybe reduce the amount of sugar used. To be honest, I haven't tried making it with coconut milk before. As for the rose water or orange blossom sure you can use any or double it if you like it this way. Hope this helps.
Jenny
Thank you for posting this recipe! I just tried maamoul mad for the first time yesterday and it was wonderful, but the nearest Lebanese bakery is a bit of a long drive from me. Now I can just make it at home, I'm so excited to try this out!
Amira
Jenny, thank you for your feedback. I am happy you liked it.
Iman
How much in the can of condensed milk ?
Amira
Iman, sorry for the confusion dear. It is the 14 oz can.
Dana
Excellent recipe that is not easy to find! Tastes great!
Amira
Dana, thank you so much for your feedback. I am happy you liked the recipe.
Yemna
Is there any substitute for farina flour?
Amira
Unfortunately no, in this recipe it is a key ingredient to give it its texture. Will try to ask around if anyone has an idea but I do not believe so. Sorry about that.
Kate
Made this for a tea tray to serve for friends. I used roasted almonds to garnish as I ate all the pistachios before they made it to the plate. Your recipe and method works a dream! Thank you for this collection and sharing what you know. I did add some ground mehlab to the semolina for extra rich flavour.
Amira
Kate, Thank you for trying this recipe. I am glad you liked it. A question though, where did you get mahlab from?
Kate
Our Middle Eastern grocery has it. I’ve noticed it more places lately. I bought it for the maamoul with date filling.
Amira
Thank you, I need to check ours. I've never found it here though.
Lisa P
This is so incredibly good. I love the texture of the ashta filling. The extra garnish of the ground pistachios is so good. I didn’t use the simple syrup as I was very happy with the not overly sweet taste of this wonderful desert. For people such as myself I thought it interesting that farina flour can be substituted with the same amount of Cream of Wheat.
Amira
Lisa, Thank you so much for trying this recipe out and for leaving a feed back. I am so glad that you've liked it.
Olivia
Lisa p. I just ordered expensive bag of farina Flour .next time cream of wheat.thanks
Eileen K
This turned out so delicious.. I used rose water instead for my Lebanese friend who is crazy about rose water ☺️ .
Amira
Oh this is great Eileen, I am happy your friend liked it 🙂
Evelyne CulturEatz
Oh my gosh this recipe looks so amazing. i love semolina cake like this, topped of with pistchio is heavem. Wow ending Middle school! And wishing you a great Ramadan and no caffein crash. Enjoy breaking your fast, 4 hours to go! As for the comment above, I think water or any liquids is out too, right?
Amira
Yes, you are right Eve., I have to wait until sunset to drink too so I guess taking it before fasting and right after breaking the fasting day would be ideal.
Jacqueline G. Emrys
Hi Amira.
I don't think it would be cheating, it would probably be good for all of you & it certainly helps me at altitude & also when I have to change time zones...I take a product that is a compressed tea tablet called Yerba Mate. While it isn't a caffeine product per se, what it does is boost the immune system, give energy when needed & calmness when energy needs to be toned down.
You can take them every 5 hours, they aren't going to hurt the kids or the hubby & they shouldn't transgress Ramadan if you take them just before dawn before you get up & then again at 8pm when you break fast.
IF you can manage it, & consider it a supplement, If you can drink tea during the fast, then you can drop one of the tablets into your blender with water & then heat it up to drink.
But if that transcends the letter of the holiday, forgive me. I would rather that you take them when you can to stave off the dreaded caffeine withdrawal during the day.
I have always had mamoul as a little cookie made with a mamoul mold. Which I cannot find ours, but with over 60 boxes from my mother's house in our new shed I have a way to go, but I really don't remember seeing it.
So this is a recipe that I'm going to for sure try. How do you get the pistachios to keep from being rancid tasting? It always seems that I have at least one that can spoil the whole batch of ground pistachios. Do you use Nuts.com to get your supplies or do you use Sahadi & Son's out of Brooklyn NY? I use both.
Many Hugs
Jacqueline the herbalist
Amira
Jacqueline, Thank you for your recommendation. Actually I can use this product even out of Ramadan. I do not know why I recently feel energy drained all the time !!. I know I need to watch my diet as well, I hope I will behave :). I cannot take it during the day in Ramadan but certainly I can befor and after as you suggested. I always buy my nuts from local farmers market here and I buy then in small amounts. If I buy big amounts, I usually seal them well and put in the freezer to keep them from going bad. If you need Ma'amoul molds look in the international market near you, I've found them here in the Middle Eastern market. Thanks again for your suggestions I appreciate it.