1109. Mini Fustuqia

For such a simple dessert, the result was fantastic both in presentation and flavor. I would almost consider it a cheat's fustuqia, because compared to my (also amazing) pistachio mafrooka of  five years ago (!), the pistachio crust consists of three ingredients versus the classic eight. The "secret ingredient"? Powdered tea biscuits.
So what is a fustuqiya? It is quite generally a pistachio-based dessert. What is this particular fustuqia? It is mini maamoul-shaped non-bake cookies of a sort, with a soft pistachio dough exterior, and a fragrant saffron-infused milk pudding interior.

Ingredients:

For the pistachio crust:
200g powdered pistachio
200g powdered tea biscuits
1 can (400g) sweet cond. milk

For the filling:
2 cups milk
4 Tbsp cornflour
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup qishta
generous pinch saffron
1 Tbsp rosewater

Method:

Prepare the filling ahead of time as it needs to be fully cooled.
In a saucepan, whisk together the cold milk, cornflour, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring all the while to prevent scorching and until very thick. Remove from the fire and whisk in the qishta, saffron, and rosewater until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a bowl, press some clingfilm directly on the surface and refrigerate until chilled through.
To make the crust, combine the powdered pistachio and powdered biscuits in a food processor. As the machine is running, drizzle in the can of sweet condensed milk until a dough if formed. You can optionally add a drop or two of green food coloring to enhance the pistachio effect.
Using maamoul molds and a folded sheet of cling wrap, press a walnut-sized piece of the crust into the mold with the plastic warp between them for easy extraction. Hollow out the crust, insert a teaspoon of the chilled filling, and seal to enclose completely with the crust. Remove the formed fustuqia and refrigerate for up to 1 day covered until ready to serve.

صحة و عافية