This is a homestyle version of one of the most popular desserts served in traditional Lebanese restaurants and pastry shops in Beirut. It comes either in a large pie format or in individual servings.
It is composed of a super crispy base of fried or oven-toasted shredded phyllo dough, topped with unsweetened ashta or clotted cream and served with a small pitcher of syrup.
To buy shredded phyllo online, click here. I buy it in the frozen section of my neighborhood mid-eastern store.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 pound of Kadaifi or shredded phyllo dough (1/2 package)
- 6 ounces of clarified butter
- 1 batch of ashta (can substitute ricotta cheese)
- 1 batch of syrup or honey
METHOD:
- Separated the strands of shredded phyllo with your fingers; dip them in the clarified butter until all the strands are moistened with butter. Form into the shape you want, either small nests or one large pie.
- I used the dome molds but a mini-muffin pan could be used just as easily. Heat the oven to 375F and bake them till well browned all over.
- Remove delicately from the molds and place on paper towels to get rid of the excess grease.
- Place on a serving platter, place a dollop of ashta on top of each nest and a smidgeon of orange blossom jam (or nothing). Serve with a pitcher of syrup or honey on the side.
NOTE: This dessert benefits from being prepared in advance: the nests of shredded phyllo can be formed in muffin tins (ungreased) and then left to dry out in the open for a day or two; then dipped in melted butter, placed back in the pan, and baked in the oven till extra crisp and golden-brown.
The syrup can be prepared in advance and the ashta or cream as well (the day before).
71 Comments
I’ve never seen this before, oh boy does it look good, where do you find the shredded phyllo?
@Patty: Shredded phyllo can be found in any ethnic grocery stores or online through purveyors of Greek goods.
This is absoulutly divine, and luxury dessert. Light crunchy on the outside, and creamy flavorfilled on the inside, just perfect. I am gonig to try making them in the globe silicone baking pans, where to you order them from Joumana those red ones the ones you also used for your potatoes way back. This recipe looks great for a sit down dinner. I will serve it this way from now on. Thank you for an elite recipe.
Wow, what a nice looking phyllo pastry…it sure looks awesome with the cheese on top. Love the crunchy texture of the phyllo with creamy cheese
That looks so delicious .. I love the little nest you made with the mold.
Ohhh now I get it….had seen dis in a middle eastern store but cudn’t figure out wat it was….hey thks for sharing.
Infact we Indians too hv a sweet/mithai sumthing close to tis…called suthar feni…tis one wud sure pls my tastebuds.
Chao.
It’s great that we can make these in part ahead of time. I’ve used phyllo before, however, I have yet to try the shredded one.
These would be adorable for my next Easter pastry decorations ;o)
Thanks for sharing and flavourful wishes, Claudia
My goodness, what a pretty creation! Now I know I can pair clotted cream with something else other than scones. Brilliant use of phyllo!
Joumana – Your wonderful blog is fast becoming one of my favorites! I’m half inclined to donate my middle eastern cookbooks to the local library and let you guide me through your wonderful cuisine. Would you ever eat this dish with a little fresh fruit tossed on top? If so, what would be in keeping with Lebanese tradition? Thanks for the tip on the 7 hour lamb, it sounds fantastic. I think I may be giving it a try this weekend. Cheers – S
Sylvia: I got the mold from “Sur la Table” they also have an online catalog.
Thanks for the tips on how to make this successfully! I have never used the shredded pastry.
Oh! This looks and sounds heavenly. I’d love a bite right this minute, please.
Paz
My goodness! I remember a coworker from the office bringing a plate of these dessert nests, and I ate more than my fair share. They were delicious, and I was so embarrassed about going up for seconds, thirds and fourths. LOL!
This sounds fantastic.
Merci beaucoup à toi de nous faire découvrir une autre cuisine et j’adore. Merci de ton passage sur le blog et je l’espère à bientôt ! Bonne journée !
Ah oui, j’ai déjà vu ces petits nids sucrés, mais honnêtement la pâtisserie orientale m’intimide je crois que c’est l’effet compliqué qu’ils dégagent. J’adore ta crème toute blanche comme un nuage, et ces petits fils qui ressemblent à des vermicelles ne sont que de la pâte filo! Quelle idée de génie! Tout me donne faim chez toi!
That looks fabulous! The whole pastry case is like a bird nest.
One of my favorite dessert!! Your ossmaliyeh looks fantastic!
Oh my…this is perfect! Must try to make this..looks so yummy.
Woooww, I love kadaifi!
I love middle eastern deserts, I bet this one is delicious. Actually, I like anything with clotted cream
*kisses* HH
It is amazing how mediterranean countries have so many ingredients in common. I love kadaifi pastry. We wrap it with almonds, bake it and serve with syrup. This looks irresistible.
Beautiful and very new dish for me..
OMG, that dessert looks heavenly!
Cheers,
Rosa
bonjour Joumana!! hummm délicieux dessert ou gourmandise!! chez nous on prépare ça avec des noix. mais j’aime beaucoup cette version avec la achta qui me semble moins lourde et plus fraiche!! merci infiniment pour ce partage!! bises! kouky
All your dishes are so unique and beautifully presented…this might be really tasty too
Looks awesome.I don’t get phyllo dough here so will try this with an Indian ingredient-Vermicelli that resembles the shredded counterpart.The nest looks sooo cute..
These look like little nests of deliciousness! I really want to try some of that cream!
An easy dessert brought together with imagination and an eye for simple pleasures. The crunchy texture of the kataifi and the ashta cream sounds like a wonderful; contrast.
This is so stunning! A nest of tasty sweet goodness. I want five now, please?!
what cute little nests! and bonus–they’re tasty too. i don’t believe i’ve ever had clotted cream–it’s not a southern staple, that’s for sure–but i’ll bet it’s a delicious topper. great post!
They must just explode in your mouth with all that crispy goodness… oh my! I have never worked with ashta or kadaifi before… but would love to try! I think this would be great to have with m’semmen!
Well, I have had shredded phyllo in a Greek dessert, but nothing like this. So stunning!
Wow!!!! Such a gorgeous dessert… Crunchy and creamy
oh wow, I’ve never seen anything like that! Looks great!
Looks very delicious. I can imagine the beautiful crunch biting into each one, combined with the cream. Thanks for sharing.
They look like delicate little nests. Perfect for a summer evening dessert. I’m going to have to try this one.
Hi Joumana, how r u doing…i’m here after so many days, i should say weeks…..as usual I love these and my kids also gonna love this…..little individual nests…wow!
How beautiful! Like little birds’ nests.
I’ve never seen the likes of these before. They really do look beautiful. I live in an area of high humidity and wonderful how these would hold up against the damp. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary
another wonderful recipe..must be crispy and tasty
WOW…that looks divine…so tempting..thanks for sharing this recipe!
Don’t you ever wonder how these pastries came to be? The shredded phyllo – so intricate and inventive… and then, everything possibly unhealthy on it… butter -YUM – sugar syrup YUM – crispy in the oven YUM and then with rich soft creamy luxurious thick cream. How could one go wrong… soooooooo yummy. But, so rich and sweet. I don’t think I will make it, but I really want to eat it! if I make it, I know I will be eating them all!
I have seen these before but have never tried one, now I am really craving some!
What a fantastic idea to shred the phyllo dough! I would definitely have to try that!
How do you stay so slim with this wonderful dessert?! I suppose I could finely shred phyllo pastry sheets as I haven’t seen shredded phyllo here in France…
Un petit nid délicieusement fourré. Que demander de plus?!
Crystal: these shredded phyllo sheets are made by a special machine that spews out the dough through tiny holes into a very hot burner; I would not advise you to shred phyllo sheets yourself, it won’t work; if you have an ethnic or gourmet Epicerie nearby, they may carry it since a lot of groups use this dough, including Greeks and I think Turkish also, or you can order it online through Amazon and others.
How can you stay so thin making these incredible desserts all of the time? I’d be huge!
Shredded phyllo? Oh My Good ! Looks like Chinese noodles with eggs on top. What an amazing dessert and unusual idea:) Kind regards ….
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