Apricot and Milk pudding with pistachios and caramel graffiti

You know what happens when you mindlessly grab a box of dried apricots at the market and stare at it once home? A few days later, you make a pudding. At least, that’s my reflex. When in doubt, make a pudding!

In the Lebanese kitchen, puddings  are thickened with starch; gelatin is not used; so here is a pudding of apricots, pistachios and milk called muhallabiyeh in Arabic; with a caramel sculpture, for fun.

I am going to list the ingredients and explain the -extra easy- method of making a Lebanese pudding. You will never have to worry about eating something rubbery or heavy.

INGREDIENTS: For the apricot pudding

• 12 ounces of dried apricots
• water
• one cup of sugar (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• a generous handful of pistachios ( can use pine nuts instead, or  nothing!)
• 1 1/4 cup of cornstarch

For the milk pudding: (recipe can be multiplied)

• 2 generous cups of whole milk (or lower fat, if you like)
• 3 tablespoons of sugar (or more, to taste)
• 2  heaping tablespoons of cornstarch
• flavoring: a teaspoon of orange blossom water, rose water, or vanilla; some crushed mastic if you like.

METHOD:

1. Place the dried apricots in a bowl, cover them with water (one inch over the top of the fruits) and let them soak in the water for one or two days, refrigerated.
2. Transfer the apricots and their water into a pot, add more water if needed and cook on a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes or until the apricots are soft ( check by piercing with a fork). While the apricots are simmering, add the sugar and add the lemon juice at the very end, stirring a bit.
3. Transfer the apricots to a blender and puree for a minute or two until smooth. You should have 32 ounces or 500 ml.
4. Retransfer to the pot, and heat the mixture; while it is heating, dilute the cornstarch in a cup of water. AS  SOON as the apricot mixture starts steaming, add the cornstarch and armed with a wooden spoon or a whisk, start stirring continuously until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and place the pot on a flat surface; Take a large sieve and a large bowl and pour it into the sieve to strain it and get it as smooth as possible. Pat it with the spoon to help it through.
5. Throw a handful of pistachios in the apricot mixture and stir to distribute them evenly. Set aside. If not using right away, you can keep it in the fridge for a couple days.

NOW YOU CAN WAIT TO MAKE THE MILK PUDDING UNTIL THE NEXT DAY OR THE DAY AFTER!

1. Place the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat and add the sugar, stirring till melted.
2. Dilute the cornstarch in a bit of milk or water. When the milk mixture starts steaming, add the cornstarch mixture and stir continuously until thickened. Add the flavorings at the end, stirring all the while.
3. Pour the milk pudding through a strainer into a bowl (or easier yet, a bowl with a spout).
4. Start dividing the milk pudding onto the apricot pudding bowls or verrines.

TO MAKE THE CARAMEL GRAFFITI: Recipe from Nick Malgieri, light desserts

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 cup of sugar
• parchment or wax paper as needed

METHOD:

1. Place the water, sugar and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Stir and heat till all is dissolved. Use a brush dipped in water to go around the circumference of the pan to make sure no sugar remains stuck to the walls of the pan.
3. Cook the syrup until the color turns golden-brown or amber.
4. Remove from heat and to stop the cooking, place the pan in the sink in a little water; be careful, it will sputter! Leave it only a few seconds.
5. Lay a large piece of parchment paper on a metal cookie sheet; using a spoon, take bits of caramel and thrown into the paper in an up-and-down motion, going one way and then the other way; sprinkle some nuts on top if desired.
6. Let the caramel cool, then cut with scissors or your fingers the shape of your liking and insert in the pudding right before serving. The caramel will keep in a tight container in the fridge for a few hours or in a metal box for a few days.

A recent article in the New York  Times about Beirut, with a photo of Tawlé, Kamal Mouzawak’s restaurant-kitchen.