MIDDLE EASTERN, SWEET TREATS & DESSERTS
ELDERFLOWER TURKISH MILK PUDDING (MUHALLEBI)
- Timescale In A Hurry
- Serves 4
- Difficulty Simple
If you’ve been to Turkey or any country in the Middle East, you will have probably been served a little rose perfumed pudding at the end of your mezze feast. Muhallebi. I’ve always found it to be deliciously refreshing after one of those generous spreads of dips and kebabs. Here, I’ve flavoured it with Elderflower Syrup rather than the more traditional rose or orange blossom water, and it works a treat. The delicate floral taste of the elderflower compliments the crushed pistachios and makes this dessert an ideal palate cleanser to serve during warmer days.
Ingredients
HOMEMADE ELDERFLOWER SYRUP
1 Cup of Water
5 Large Fresh Elderflower bundles
1 Lemon
225g Sugar
MILK PUDDING
30g Cornflour
500ml Milk
60g Caster Sugar
60ml Elderflower Syrup
1 Vanilla Pod
A handful of Crushed Pistachios
METHOD
FOR THE ELDERFLOWER SYRUP
You can use store-bought elderflower syrup or cordial for this recipe, but I made Elderflower Syrup from scratch using elderflowers I foraged – and it was unbelievably easy.
1. To make the syrup, remove any debris or bugs from your elderflowers making sure to remove as much of the branches as you can (as they are toxic), leaving mostly flowers.
2. Place the flowers in a bowl or jar and add the water to cover them. Cover and set aside to infuse at room temperature for 24-48 hours.
3. Strain into a medium-sized saucepan. Add the sugar and lemon juice and heat until the sugar melts and the mixture is clear. And that’s it! This will last about a month in the refrigerator.
FOR THE MILK PUDDINGS
1. Add the cornflour to a small bowl, add in a few tablespoons of the milk and mix well.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, add the sugar and the milk, followed by the cornflour mixture. Stir to dissolve.
3. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways, scrape the seeds out and add to the saucepan, then add the pod to the milk (the pod will flavour the mix even further).
4. Gently heat over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
5. Once thickened, add the elderflower syrup and mix well for a further minute.
6. Pour the mixture into four individual ramekins. Sprinkle a little bit of the crushed pistachios on top of each one.
7. Once cooled, wrap the ramekins in cling film and place in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours, until ready to serve.
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