Another Ramadan specialty in Egypt is a cream made of sheets of dried pressed apricots (amareldine) soaked, then boiled in water. I was in Cairo during the Ramadan month a few years ago and saw hundreds of bowls of this tart-tasting fruit cream offered free at street parties. The sheets of amareldine available these days do not have the pure taste they once had—perhaps due to preservatives. It is better to use natural dried apricots. Pistachios or almonds and thick cream are optional embellishments. Sometimes cornstarch is used to give the cream the texture of jelly. For this, see the variation.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Soak the apricots overnight in the water to cover. Put them through a blender or food processor, with enough of their soaking water to have a thick puree, adding orange-blossom water, lemon juice, and sugar to taste. If you like, stir in half the pistachios or almonds. Otherwise use them all as a garnish.
Step 2
Serve chilled, sprinkled with the remaining pistachios or almonds, accompanied by whipped heavy cream or yogurt.
Variation
Step 3
For Syrian muhallabeya amareldine, which has a jellylike texture: Dissolve 2 tablespoons cornstarch in 1/2 cup water and add it to the apricot puree in a pan. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring constantly, then simmer, stirring, until the mixture thickens. Stir in the almonds and pistachios and pour into a bowl. Serve chilled.
