RITZ Ashta Sweet Cream Bites

Name: RITZ Ashta Sweet Cream Bites
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 320 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 2 cups whole milk; 1 Tbsp. sugar; ¼ cup water; 1 Tbsp. cornstarch; 1 tsp. rose water; 20 RITZ Crackers; 2 Tbsp. pistachios, finely chopped; dried rose petals

Ashta is a sweet cream dessert from the Middle East, and this recipe will help you make these dessert bites flavored with pistachio and rose.

Low Cholesterol

Prep time:

0 min

Total time:

0 h 0 min

Servings:

Makes 4 servings, 5 topped crackers each.

Ingredient list

3 slices American-style (soft) white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups whole milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. rose water
20 RITZ Crackers
2 Tbsp. shelled pistachios, finely chopped
Small dried rose petals

Directions

Place bread cubes in large bowl. Add milk; stir to evenly soak bread cubes with milk. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.

Spoon bread mixture into large saucepan; stir in sugar. Cook on medium heat 3 to 4 min. or until heated through, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, mix water and cornstarch until blended.

Add dissolved cornstarch to ashta (bread mixture) in saucepan; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until thickened. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in rose water.

Pour ashta through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing solids through strainer to remove any lumps. Refrigerate ashta 1 hour or until chilled.

Spoon 1/2 cup ashta evenly onto crackers just before serving; top with nuts and rose petals. Store remaining ashta in refrigerator up to 3 days before using as desired.

Recipe Tips

Dried Rose Petals
Be sure to use edible rose petals that are sold for cooking or tea making. Look for them in Middle Eastern markets, health food stores or tea shops.
How to Use the Leftover Ashta
Serve the remaining unused ashta topped with your favorite fruits, such as raspberries, blueberries or sliced peaches. Or, use it as a dessert topping or filling for your favorite pastry.
Variations
Substitute orange blossom water or vanilla for the rose water. Or, top the ashta-topped crackers with rose jam or any other red jam instead of the rose petals. Or for a shortcut, you can substitute mascarpone cheese or clotted cream for the ashta. Stir in a few drops of rose water or orange blossom water before using to top the crackers.