Osmaliyeh with cream

Name: Osmaliyeh with cream
Prep time: 28 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 73 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 400 grams Kunafa dough (vermicelli); 150 grams melted ghee; 3 cups thick cream; 1/2 cup crushed pistachios; 1 cup cold syrup

Two layers of toasted, crispy vermicelli with cold cream in between — assembled at the moment of serving so it never gets soggy.

Vegetarian

Cooking time: 1 hr 13 min
Hands-on time: 28 min
Free time: 25 min
Difficulty: Medium
Cuisine: Levantine
Calories: 690
Contains: Nuts, Gluten, Dairy

Osmaliyeh is a masterful game of contrasts: two discs of crispy toasted vermicelli nestled in chilled cream, assembled just minutes before serving, so that crunch meets coolness in the same bite. A dinner dessert that will impress your guests without an oven.

Before you start

Before you beginRead the steps completely, measure the ingredients, and prepare the tools before turning on the fire or oven.
Heat and restingPrepare the ingredients precisely and allow the dessert time to cool or set before cutting.

Ingredients

8people

Amounts follow the number of people

To prepare osmalieh with cream

400 grams Kunafa dough (vermicelli) — Measured and prepared before starting
150 grams melted ghee — At room temperature
3 cups thick cream — Full-fat and refrigerated until ready to use
1/2 cup crushed pistachios — gently toasted
1 cup cold syrup — For serving

When doubling the quantity, use two molds of the same size instead of one deep mold, and maintain an even thickness for cooking.

Equipment

Two matching trays — Two separate discs baked together — the cream goes between them only at serving.
Serrated knife — Cut with a gentle sawing motion so the crisp disc does not collapse.

Method

Rub the kunafa dough with melted ghee until all the strands absorb it.
10 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The color of the threads changes slightly, and no dry white strand remains.
Tip: Rub with your fingertips, not your palm, so that the threads do not break.
Spread it in a tray in a thin, even layer.
5 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
An even layer, thin enough to see a little of the tray through it.
Bake at 190° until golden and crispy.
25 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
It is dark golden, even, and a crunch can be heard when pressed with a spoon.
Tip: Bake two separate layers, not one thick layer.
Let it cool completely, then split it in half horizontally.
20 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
Cold and firm, it breaks into two clean pieces.
Spread the thick cream on the first layer and then cover it with the second layer.
8 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
An even layer of cream that does not come out of the edges when pressed.
Drizzle it with cold syrup and garnish with pistachios before serving.
5 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Shiny and the cream is firm between two layers that are still crispy.
Tip: Add the syrup at serving time — osmalieh loses its crunch quickly.