Anas says: “‘Aish’ means ‘bread’ in Egyptian, and ‘saraya’ means ‘palace’. This breadcrumb dessert has a regal allure. Just like so many other Syrian desserts, it is made with ashta, atter, and nuts.

“Ashta is a Middle Eastern fresh cheese and is a main ingredient in many Syrian dessert recipes. The cheese is almost always eaten in combination with atter (sugar syrup), so it itself is not usually sweetened. The atter is definitely sweet enough on its own! If you’re in a hurry, you can substitute ricotta for the ashta. But, for an authentic Syrian dessert, you really have to use homemade ashta. One of the simplest of Syrian desserts is a plate of ashta drizzled with atter and sprinkled with chopped pistachios.”

Serves 8

Ingredients

10 pieces of white bread
150g sugar
200ml water
30g butter
300g ashta (see below)

To serve:

15g pistachios (very finely chopped)
2 tbsp rose jam (as desired)
atter syrup (see below)

For the ashta (Syrian-style ricotta cheese – makes 800g):

2 litres full milk
60ml white vinegar
65g cornflour

For the atter (sugar syrup):

250ml water
440g sugar
1 tbsp rose or orange blossom water
grated lemon or orange peel
lemon or orange juice

Equipment

food processor
round springform pan (22cm diameter)

Method

To make the ashta, in a large saucepan, heat 1½ litres of milk on medium heat. The milk should get hot but should not start to boil. Stir in the vinegar to curdle the milk. The curd will start to float in transparent, watery whey.

Skim the curd out of the saucepan and set it aside in a bowl. Throw the whey out.

Heat the remaining ½ litre of milk slowly with the cornstarch, whisking constantly, until the milk starts to form a pudding.

Whisk the curd into the pudding and keep whisking for another 5 minutes, or until everything is mixed and takes on a texture similar to ricotta cheese.

Spoon the ashta into a heat-proof, airtight and sealable container. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill completely before using.

To make the atter, warm 250ml water and stir in 440g sugar in a pan. As soon as the sugar is dissolved and the syrup starts to boil, you add 1 tablespoon of rose or orange blossom water, as well a bit of grated lemon or orange peel and a bit of lemon or orange juice. Let it cool and store it in an airtight container. I usually prefer orange blossom water in my atter.

To make the cheesecake, toast the slices of bread in a toaster or under the grill. Break the toast into pieces and pulse them for 20 seconds in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. If necessary, you can do this in two batches to keep the food processor from overfilling.

In a wide pan, dissolve the sugar in the water on medium heat. Continue cooking the sugar solution for 10–15 minutes until it starts to bubble and caramelise to a golden brown.

As soon as the caramel syrup is golden-brown, add the butter and stir until it is completely melted. Remove from the heat.

Stir the breadcrumbs into the caramel sauce so that all the crumbs are coated. It should look like a thick paste. Keep stirring, adding some water if needed, until all the breadcrumbs are incorporated.

Turn the caramel crumbs onto the bottom of the greased springform pan. Spread the crumbs evenly, pressing on them evenly with the rounded side of a spoon to form a base 1½ cm thick. Spoon the ashta on top of the caramel and then smooth it with the round side of a spoon.

Refrigerate the saraya for at least 3 hours. Release the sides of the springform pan and remove. Garnish the dessert as desired with pistachios and rose jam.

Drizzle liberally with atter syrup and serve the slices with extra atter.

You can also make this dessert ahead of time and keep it, refrigerated, for up to 2–3 days.

From Sumac: Recipes And Stories From Syria by Anas Atassi (£25, Murdoch Books), out now

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