Around The World: Egyptian Umm Ali

I'm baking and painting my way around the world for my latest illustrated baking series - and this time we're in Egypt to explore the darker history of this delicious dessert!

Revenge is a dish best served….warm with nuts and spices! The Umm Ali is delicious Egyptian dessert that has a mysterious and quite dark past (depending on which story you believe) Umm Ali (also written Om Ali, Um Ali and a few other variations) literally translates to ‘Mother of Ali,’ but don’t be fooled by its humble name! Let me tell you a bit more about this dessert, and how to make your own (it’s really easy!)

But first, what is it?

To be honest, my first thought after tasting it was that it’s a more fragrant bread and butter pudding, however what I loved about it was that the recipe itself if incredibly flexible, and completely customisable to personal taste. You can make it as rich or as light as you like, using different types of nuts, fruits, and sweeteners to suit your taste. Generally though, it’s layered with crispy pastry, creamy milk, nuts, and dried fruits, all baked to golden perfection. Umm Ali is traditionally served warm, making it quite a comforting cosy dessert, and in Egypt it’s apparently served at special occasions like Ramadan, family gatherings, or holiday celebrations.

Serving up Revenge!

The origins of Umm Ali are shrouded in mystery, and there are a few widely accepted tales about how this delicious dessert came to be - and actually the reason I was drawn to this dessert was it’s alleged backstory. One story alleges that the dish was made as an act of revenge…

Once upon a time, there was an ambitious women in the Mamluk court, known as Shajarat al-Durr. She was a former slave who had risen to power, and eventually became the wife of the Sultan, stealing him from Umm Ali. What’s worse, she was jealous of the Sultan’s power so eventually murdered him so that she could become Queen.

After the Sultan’s death, Umm Ali plotted her revenge, in a bid have the queen removed from power. In a final act of betrayal, Umm Ali encouraged the palace to declare Shajarat al-Durr’s reign illegitimate, and some legends say she killed her in a fit of revenge.

Umm Ali, now left with the responsibility of the royal household, wanted to make a grand statement to show her dominance, and to celebrate the end of her rival, Umm Ali created a sumptuous dessert using ingredients she had at hand—puff pastry, milk, sugar, nuts, and fruits—and presented it to the court.

I did a lot of research into this and there are so many conflicting versions, yet this very simplified version seemed to be the most common. Whatever happened, a delicious dessert was created!

Key Ingredients of Umm Ali

As I mentioned, it’s a very flexible dish, and you can customise it depending on your tastes, but also what you have in your cupboards. To make an Umm Ali though, you'll need a few key ingredients that combine to create its signature rich texture and flavour:

• Puff Pastry: The base of Umm Ali is usually puff pastry - although people use various types of pastry and bread. I used croissants! The layers pastry crisp up during baking, adding texture to the soft, creamy milk mixture.

• Milk and Cream: The heart of the dessert is the milk and cream, which are infused with a sweetener, vanilla, and sometimes a hint of rose or orange blossom water in more traditional recipes. This rich custard-like base brings everything together.

• Nuts and Dried Fruit: Almonds, pistachios, and dried coconut are the usual nuts added to Umm Ali, along with a medley of dried fruits like raisins or apricots. These provide an earthy crunch and subtle sweetness.

• Spices: The warm touch that binds all the ingredients together, giving the dish its lovely fragrance.

To make my version, you will need:

• 5 large croissants

• 100g raisins

• 70g chopped pistachios

• 35g flaked almonds

• 20g desiccated coconut

• 150ml double cream

• 1 litre whole milk

• 1 tin (397g) condensed milk

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground cardamom
  
  
  1. Roughly chop the croissants into chunks, and layer half into a large baking dish.
  2. Sprinkle half the raisins, nuts and coconut on top
  3. Repeat with the rest of the croissants and toppings.
  4. Bring the whole milk, condensed milk, vanilla, and spices to the boil, and pour overt the croissants, ensuring they are all soaked into the mixture.
  5. Whip the cream to soft peaks, and dollop around the top (it will melt into the croissant)
  6. Bake for around half an hour at 180C (fan) until golden and crispy.
  7. Enjoy! (I found this was better reheated the next day!)

Don’t forget to check out my other Illustrated Bakes from Around the World pages to learn more about different delicacies from all over the world, and the stories and recipes behind them!