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Phyllo Pastry (Muachaka)

Ingredients

  • 1 package phyllo dough room temperature
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp rose water
  • 2 tsp cardamom
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup crushed pistachios

Instructions

Clarifying Butter

  1. Clarifying butter is a process that removes the water and milk solids from butter; clarified butter has a higher burning point than regular butter. 

  2. In a saucepan, add 1 cup of butter. On low heat, melt the butter until it comes to a gentle boil. 

  3. A layer of foam will develop on top of the butter as it melts. Skim off the foam with a spoon. The foam is milk solids. 

  4. Strain the melted butter with a cheese cloth or melted cheese cloth. 

Milk-Egg-Sugar Mixture

  1. Beat the eggs, sugar, cardamom, and rose water in a medium bowl. 

  2. Add milk and stir. 

  3. Strain the mixture. 

Phyllo Pastry

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Unroll the phyllo dough and cut the stack of sheets in half. Cover half of the dough so that it doesn't dry. 

  3. One half sheet at a time, gather the phyllo dough to form a crumbled bundle that resembles a carnation. Handle the sheets gently, and don't press too hard, since you want the final pastry to be fluffy. 

  4. Place the phyllo dough bundle on a baking sheet. Repeat the folding until you go through all the sheets. You should be able to fit about 5 bundles in a row. 

  5. Place the tray of phyllo dough in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

  6. Take the tray out of the oven. Evenly pour the clarified butter over the phyllo dough. Put the tray back in the oven for another 10 minutes. 

  7. Take the tray out of the oven. Evenly pour the milk-egg-sugar over the phyllo dough. Put the tray back in the oven for another 10 minutes. 

  8. When the phyllo pastry is done baking, sprinkle with crushed pistachios.