TO PREPARE THE ASHTA FILLING:

1. Prepare the ashta cream as per the recipe instructions and cool it completely. Once cool, transfer it to a piping bag with the end snipped off to expose a 1cm opening.

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2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Pipe 1 teaspoon sized dollops of ashta all over the sheet. Lightly wet the tip of your finger with water, then press on the peaks to flatten so that they're more round.

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3. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer until fully frozen and solid; about 1 hour, no longer than 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the mafroukeh dough.

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TO MAKE THE MAFROUKEH DOUGH:

1. In a food processor, pulse together the pistachios and 2 tablespoons (25g) of the sugar until very finely ground. Be careful not to over-process the mixture, to avoid turning the pistachios into pistachio butter.

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2. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Add in the semolina and stir until all the grains are well coated with the butter. Continue sautéing until just begins to smell fragrant; about 2 more minutes. It should barely change color.

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3. Add in the water and the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (125g) sugar and stir to combine; mixture will be very loose. Continue cooking the mixture, stirring continuously, until the semolina has absorbed all the moisture, is no longer loose, comes together in one mass and pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan, about 3 minutes. Mixture should resemble mashed potatoes in consistency.

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4. Add in the ground pistachio mixture, both the orange blossom and rose waters, and stir until well combined and homogeneous.

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FOR THE SINGLE LAYER VARIATION:

1. Transfer to a serving platter and spread into a 2-cm thick, about 9-inches circle (or any shape you prefer), and let cool completely (at room temp or in the fridge) before topping with the ashta.

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2. Once cool, spread the ashta all over the top. Use as much or as little ashta as you like; I use all of it. Then garnish with chopped pistachios. Keep refrigerated until serving time. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.

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FOR THE TRUFFLE VARIATION:

1. Transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate until cooled to room temperature or colder; about 30 minutes. Once cool, be sure not to stir it again, as this soften the dough and makes too sticky.

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2. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Once cool, use a tablespoon-size ice cream scoop (or a measuring tablespoon), to scoop dough balls onto the baking sheet.

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3. Using your thumb or finger, make a deep indentation into each dough ball.

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4. Take the ashta balls out of the freezer and working quickly, peel the frozen ashta from the baking sheet and place one inside each indentation of every dough ball. If you're working in a warm kitchen, you might want to keep the frosting scoops in the freezer, taking only one by one as you work, to prevent them from softening.

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5. Gather the dough over the ashta balls to completely cover them. Roll the dough into smooth balls, making sure the ashta is completely wrapped inside and nothing is peaking out.

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6. Roll the mafroukeh truffles in ground pistachios to coat. Top with dried rose petal, if available. Place in mini cupcake liners if desired and arrange on serving platter. Keep refrigerated until serving time. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.

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7. Both mafroukeh variations will keep well in the fridge, well covered, for 2 days. For the truffles, it is best to coat them with the outer layer of pistachios, on the same day they're served.

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RECIPE NOTES

1. Feel free to substitute the Homemade Ashta Cream filing with about 200g of store-bought fresh ashta, not canned. Mascarpone cheese may be used to.

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2. I have tried this recipe with blanched and skinned pistachios, and didn't love the taste as much as I like the one made with the pistachios skins. So although the skin adds specks of brown color into the dough, it does add a much nicer and deeper flavor. As for the smoothness, the difference is unnoticeable. So don't bother with skinning the pistachios and use them as is.

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3. I like to very lightly toast the pistachios here, to bring out their flavor; its optional though. To toast them, place the pistachios in a 180C oven for 5 minutes or less...juuuuust until it starts smelling fragrant. Make sure they have fully cooled before grinding them.

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4. Semolina is known in Arabic as ‘semeed.' The one used here is white and medium grind, also referred to #2 semolina in some countries. I've use both Sonbolat Al Forat and 5 stars, Egyptian brands, with great results.

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5. Although usually optional, I urge you not to leave out the orange blossom and rose water here. They really bring out an amazing dimension to the pistachios that would otherwise taste flat. Use one or the other, reduce the amount if you to have to, but don’t omit them all together.

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6. The edible dried rose petals might be hard to find in some countries, including where I live, Egypt. I got these from a recent trip to Saudia Arabia, and I'm pretty sure they're available in Lebanon.

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7. Since sugar syrup is traditional accompaniment with mafroukeh, I added it to the ingredient list, although I don't feel it's necessary here. The dough has just the right amount of sweetness just the way it is. Feel free to add it in if you like the extra sweetness.

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