928- Jawhara with Cream and Almonds / جوهرة بالكريمة واللوز

Ingredients :

For the cream:
150 milliliters (1 cup) whipping cream (35 % fat)
150 milliliters (1 cup) milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons orange blossom water
4 tablespoons powdered sugar

For the pastilla sheets:
4 medium pastilla sheets
1 tablespoon butter, melted

For the almonds:
60 grams (1/2 cup) almond flakes
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For decoration:
Fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Directions :

Step 1: Preparing the cream
1- In a large bowl, whisk together the whipping cream, milk, cornstarch, orange blossom water, and powdered sugar.
2- Strain the cream mixture through a sieve to obtain a smoother texture.
3- Pour the mixture into a pot and cook it over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the texture thickens and becomes creamy.
4- Cover the cream with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour or until it is completely cooled.

Step 2: Preparing the pastilla sheets
5- Cut the pastilla sheets into medium-sized circles about 10cm in diameter.
6- Place the pastilla circles on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and brush each one with the melted butter.
7- Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) and bake for 10 minutes or until the pastilla sheets turn golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Step 3: Preparing the almonds
8- In a pan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the almond flakes, and fry while occasionally stirring until the almonds are golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
9- In a food processor, add the almonds and the powdered sugar, then pulse 2 to 3 times until the mixture has a chunky sand consistency.

Step 4: Assembling the Jawhara
10- Place the first sheet of pastilla on your serving plate. Add a generous layer of cream, then sprinkle with some of the almond mixture.
11- Add two more layers of pastilla sheets, cream, and crunchy almonds. Decorate the with fresh mint leaves and powdered sugar, then serve immediately.

Note:
Make sure to assemble the Jawhara dessert just before serving, so that the pastilla sheets stay crunchy and tasty.