This was so much fun to develop a delicious Um Ali recipe and create a step-by-step video. if you don’t know now you know the BEST croissants in the country have to be from Osk Croissanterie located in the heart of Abu Dhabi (Al bateen, Abu Dhabi) right in the Edition hotel. trust me you’ll want to make a visit and try their scrumptious croissants. for this recipe, I used their Almond croissants to create Um Ali a traditional dish mostly made in Ramadan. Hope you try this recipe and share your thoughts!
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Um Ali
Ingredients
- 4 large Almond Croissants from OsK croissanterie
- 4 cups 1 litre full fat milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup Condensed sweetened milk
- Vanilla bean or vanilla extract
Cream topping:
- 1 can cream 160 grams can
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- vanilla bean
- pistachio for garnish
- edible flowers for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°
- Using a serrated knife carefully cut thick equal pieces of your almond croissant vertically. Then transfer the cut pieces to your baking dish assemble the cut croissants however you like i put them flat. set the baking dish aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, combine all of your wet ingredients + vanilla bean or vanilla extract. Heat the mixture over medium heat while continuously whisking the mixture. (We only want to heat the mixture (do NOT bring to a boil)
- Remove from heat and carefully ladle your heated milk over the croissant. I filled the baking dish a little over half way but allowed the top layer to only be moist. So that when you bake the dish the top layer gets crispy. You’ll have left over milk mixture, leave this for later. Set aside.
- Cream topping method:
- In a medium bowl, whisk your good quality whipping cream and vanilla bean until soft peaks (it took me 2-3 minutes)then add your cream(eshta) and only mix to combine.
- Add dollops of your cream over the croissant then sprinkle your pistachio and in to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve right away, for those that want additional milk mixture add it to the top of the um ali depending on the desired taste.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Because I used Almond croissants in this recipe I reduced the amount of condensed milk in the ingredients, if you are going to use plain butter croissants I would recommend maybe adding a little more than what the recipe asks if you prefer it sweeter.
