This summer my parents went overseas to Palestine and Jordan to visit our extended family. On one occasion, my parents were downtown enjoying a fruit cocktail with Ashta. This is a treat that I almost always purchased when I would go out to the city at a cafe.
What Is Fruit Cocktail With Ashta
I know you may think cocktail and automatically figure it is some sort of a drink but no, it is just like a fruit parfait. Think of all fresh seasonal fruits layered with creamy Ashta infused with orange blossom water then topped with nutty pistachios and a drizzle of honey or syrup. My summer nights overseas consisted of these.
Last night, we had friends over for dinner. For dessert, I assembled these fruit cocktails with Ashta and it was a hit! Right away, our guests recognized this as something they enjoyed back home too, which made me very happy.
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These would make for such a nice treat at gatherings, parties, or even as a light dessert for any occasion. It is simple to put together and super tasty.
I would love to see your take on them! Tag me at @fufuinthekitchen on Instagram!
Fruit Cocktail with Ashta (Middle Eastern Cream Dessert)
Ingredients
Ashta Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup milk of choice almond milk works well
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ tablespoons sugar add 2–3 tbsp for more sweetness if desired
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water optional
Fruit Salad
- 10 strawberries cut into quarters
- 10 blackberries halved
- 1 cup diced cantaloupe
- 1 banana sliced
- 2 kiwis sliced
- 1 cup seedless grapes
- 1 peach or nectarine diced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Juice of ½ lemon
Garnish
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios
- Honey for drizzling
Instructions
Make the Ashta Cream
- In a small pot, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, flour, and cornstarch until smooth and no lumps remain. Do this off the heat.
- Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat, whisking constantly.
- Continue whisking until the mixture thickens and begins forming large bubbles.
- Add the orange blossom water and keep stirring.
- Remove from heat once thickened.
- Chill the Cream
- Transfer the ashta to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, letting the wrap touch the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until cooled and thickened.
Prepare the Fruit
- In a bowl, gently mix together the strawberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, banana, kiwi, grapes, and diced peach or nectarine.
- Add the honey and lemon juice and toss gently.
Assemble the Dessert
- In serving cups or bowls, add a layer of fruit salad.
- Add 2 spoonfuls of ashta cream on top.
- Add another layer of fruit.
- Top with another spoonful of ashta, chopped pistachios, and a drizzle of honey.
Notes
This dessert was the best! It’s so fresh and light and the ashta is to die for. Thanks (once again) for sharing such an amazing recipe with us!
I’ve never had this before, but it looked like a great summer dessert idea that I could impress some guests with. They look fancy, but they were easy to make and were very delicious! The perfect amount of sweetness!
I doubled the recipe for my guests and had an extra 2 cups assembled which I refrigerated for the next day. Just a tip – They refrigerated very well and we enjoyed them on days 1 and 2.
So light and refreshing. The Ishta was delicious and paired so well with the tangy fruit salad. The whole family loved it !
Made the Ashta for atayef and it was great! Super quick and easy, accidentally added the orange blossom water earlier than I was supposed to and it still worked thankfully!!
Awesome! Yes, it is perfect in atayef!
Out of this world. Super light and delicious. I’m definitely going to make this again.
These were a hit at our house for when we had company over. They were light and refreshing and very easy to make! Thanks for the recipe and reminding of us of back home!
I am so happy to hear that, Jenan