Milk cream (Hariré)

November 12, 2011  •  Category:

 

This is a simple milk “cream” that is prepared over the stove in  5 minutes with milk, starch and flavoring. It is similar to the muhallabieh, except here rose water is used (and starch instead of rice flour). It was traditionally consumed for breakfast according to Fayez Aoun, author of 280 recettes de cuisine familiale libanaise with dry cookies or toasted bread. The arabic name of this cream, hariré, means silky and is very fitting.


INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 1/3 cup of cornstarch less one tablespoon
  • 2 teaspoons of rose water
  • 3 tbsp of sugar

METHOD:

  1. Place the milk less 1/2 cup and the sugar  in a pan over the stovetop and heat it; add the cornstarch to the remaining milk and stir to dissolve. Stir the milk a little to dissolve the sugar and when it starts steaming pour the cornstarch mixture in it. Stir continuously until the milk mixture thickens. Add the rose water and stir to mix.
  2. Transfer the cream to a large platter or several small bowls and cool. Refrigerate until serving time.

NOTE: You can use wheat starch instead of cornstarch or even rice flour to thicken the milk.


Comments

20 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Margaret says:

    Is this kind of like a flan, but softer?

  2. Marina says:

    C’est simple et cela doit être doux et délicat…à essayer! Bises. Marina

  3. Rosa says:

    A delightful and refined tasting treat! Perfect with biscotti.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  4. A Canadian Foodie says:

    HI!!!!
    I have been snooping around here a bit and sometimes wonder if we are on the same planet… your food looks so delicious and nutritious and there is not a post where I don’t learn something new or see something I have never seen before. Isn’t that incredible? I think it is!
    🙂
    XO
    V

  5. Belinda @zomppa says:

    Looks so smooth and elegant – and lightly sweet!

  6. Priyanka says:

    That should very delighting….

  7. T.W. Barritt says:

    That does look smooth as silk!

  8. ummomar says:

    In Egypt, mahlabia is also made with cornstarch and rose water or orange blossom water added. Not very soft, we use 2 tbs of strarch per cup of milk.

  9. Natalie says:

    Very simple and it looks amazing.

  10. Lucy says:

    I am in love ,once again ! thank you for sharing your love of cooking and creating.

    I so wanted to try this – being vegan I made a few adjustments and it was well received.
    Please share this with your vegan fans :

    2 Cups of coconut milk or almond. ( I did not try soy)
    1/3 C cornstarch or I used arrowroot powder – I do not believe it matters much
    2 teaspoon rose water
    and instead of sugar , I used Agave nectar
    3T …
    I followed your recipe to a T and was so thrilled with the results. creamy and cool ,with such a unique flavor it surprises the palate 🙂 .
    love it love it love it.

    • Joumana says:

      @Lucy: Thanks so much for offering a vegan version of this hariré! so glad you enjoyed it! I am intrigued by the combo of coconut milk and rose water; will have to try it soon!

  11. familycook says:

    Hey Joumana, you dont know how much relief this beautiful post brought me. I love real cream but donot eat it for the fear of gaining weight. This cream is definitely going to be a perfect substitute for the cream I love. Thank you!

  12. Mónica Pinto says:

    Simple, aromatic and i´m sure delicious.
    I´ve been exploring your blog and found mouth watering recipes that i will try soon.
    :))

  13. Nuts about food says:

    I want to try making this for my kids. I am always on the look out for new, healthy recipes.

  14. sare says:

    We love this sweet, called “muhallebi” and my mom makes well. My father nearly eats it after every meal:)) She burns some the cream, puts a little on top of the muhallebi. Enjoy it.

  15. Kathy says:

    This looks and sounds so yummy! My mother use to make a pudding made with milk and cornstarch. I always loved it! Will have to try this one.

  16. Oui, Chef says:

    How simple is this? It would be fabulous with some fresh fruit and biscotti.

  17. hfriday says:

    I’m so happy to find harireh recipe! We make it a little different at home and it was our comfort food, especially when we’re sick. This recipe was passed down from my grandmother so I don’t have exact measurements.

    Sift two tablespoon of flour into a pot and heat over low heat. Stir constantly until it turns pink but be very careful not to burn. Slowly add milk and stir constantly to avoid lumps. Keep adding milk until desired thickness but it should be a little on the thick side. Add pinch of salt and add sugar to taste. Add small knob of butter, mix in and serve.

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