STELLA'S COOKBOOK
FOOD & ART
About the Recipe
Shavuot is often described as Festival of the Roses by the Sephardim of the East Mediterranean as their homes were decorated in greenery and flowers, especially roses. As dairy is the usual fare on this festival I like to offer this heavenly, delicate milk pudding fragrant with orange blossom water layered over a refreshing orange base. To elevate this sütlach, Turkish in origin, I top it with a rose and raspberry syrup and pistachios or rose petals. Sütlach kon portokal makes an elegant dessert served chilled in individual glasses of your choice. Try it for Shavuot!!
Ingredients
For the milk pudding: 1⁄2 cup corn flour (cornstarch)
1⁄2 cup water 5 cups whole milk 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp orange blossom water
For the orange pudding: 3⁄4 cup corn flour 1⁄2 cup water 31⁄2 cups fresh orange juice 11⁄2 cups sugar 1 tbsp candied orange peel, chopped
For the topping: 2 tbsp rose syrup diluted in 2 tbsp water, mixed with 1 cup of raspberry purée
100g pistachios, unsalted and crushed
Preparation
Make the milk pudding: Blend the corn flour and water in a small bowl and stir to a smooth paste. Combine the milk and sugar in a deep, heavy-based pan and set it over medium heat. Stir in the corn flour paste and bring gently to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to stir for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the orange blossom water and remove from the heat.
Make the orange pudding: Blend the corn flour and water in a small bowl and stir to a smooth paste. Pour the orange juice into a medium heavy-based pan. Add the corn flour paste and sugar and stir constantly over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue stirring for a further 5 minutes.
Pour the warm orange pudding into individual glasses. When cooled, gently ladle the milk pudding over the orange pudding.
Set aside until cool and then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
To serve: Drizzle a spoonful of the rose and raspberry syrup over the top of the pudding and sprinkle with pistachios.