Dessert Recipes That Take Arab Traditions in New Directions - WSJ

Step 1

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.In a food processor, combine graham crackers, pistachios and sugar, and process until finely ground. Add melted butter and salt, and mix until evenly incorporated. Press crumb mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan. (No need to take it up the sides.)Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool completely while you prepare the filling.Make the muhallabiyeh: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of milk, cream and sugar, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir remaining ½ cup milk into cornstarch until fully dissolved. When milk and cream are nearly at a boil, pour in rose water and cornstarch mixture, and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.Pour mixture into tart shell and lightly tap pan to even out surface. Refrigerate.Make the hibiscus topping: In a saucepan, combine hibiscus flowers with 2 cups water and sugar, and bring to a boil. Simmer to make a tea, 1-2 minutes. Strain tea and return to saucepan over low heat.In a small cup, stir ½ cup water into cornstarch until dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture and rose water to hibiscus tea, whisking constantly. As soon as it thickens, remove from heat and let cool, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Pour hibiscus mixture over muhallabiyeh and lightly tap pan to smooth out surface. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Before serving, garnish with crushed pistachios and rose petals, if using.

Step 2

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round or a 9-by-13-inch rectangular cake pan.In a food processor, combine dates, ¼ cup boiling water and vanilla. Gradually add remaining boiling water and blend into a smooth purée. (If you add it too fast, the water may overflow and create a mess.) Transfer to a bowl and set aside.In the same food processor bowl, blend butter, sugar and cream until pale and well combined. It won’t fluff up as it would in a mixer, but that’s fine. Add eggs and tahini, and process until you have a pale, smooth purée.Tip flour, baking soda and baking powder into the food processor and mix until combined. Fold date mixture back in and process until just combined, taking care not to overbeat batter.Scrape batter into prepared cake pan and transfer to oven. Bake until a skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. (You can start testing at 35 minutes.)Make the toffee sauce: In a small saucepan, combine cream, butter, brown sugar and date molasses, and cook over low heat until butter melts. Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add tahini and salt, and give one final stir. The tahini sauce should be warm when served and can be reheated on the stovetop or the microwave. Sauce keeps in the fridge up to 1 week.To serve, place an individual slice of cake on a serving plate, top with ice cream or yogurt, if using, and drizzle with warm sauce.