Moroccan cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Jawhara (Milk Pastilla)

Crisp baked pastry sheets layered with warm almond cream made from milk and orange blossom water.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 8 sheets phyllo pastry
• 40 g butter
• 1 l whole milk
• 100 g sugar
• 40 g cornstarch
• 150 g ground almonds
• 3 tbsp orange blossom water
• 50 g flaked almonds
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, lay the phyllo sheets individually on two baking sheets, brush thinly with the melted butter and bake for 6–8 min. until golden and glassy-crisp.
2. Add the flaked almonds to the oven for the last 4–5 min. until light brown, then set aside.
3. Bring 800 ml of the milk to a boil with the sugar; mix the remaining 200 ml milk with the cornstarch until lump-free and stir into the boiling milk.
4. Add the ground almonds and simmer the cream gently, stirring constantly, for 3–4 min. until it coats the back of a spoon, then season with the orange blossom water.
5. On each plate, cover one phyllo sheet with warm cream, top with a second sheet, spread with more cream again and finish with a third sheet.
6. Sprinkle immediately with flaked almonds and cinnamon and serve while the pastry is still crisp – Jawhara does not wait.