Last Updated on June 12, 2022
Layali Lubnan – Lebanese Nights Dessert Recipe
Lebanese Nights Dessert Recipe, aka “Layali Lubnan” is an amazingly aromatic dessert that is quite refreshing in summer time.  It has a rich complex taste stemming from subtle hints of  Mastic (aka Mistika, or Mastika in Greek, or “Arabic Gum” (not to be mistaken with “Gum Arabic”) , orange blossom water and rose water.  The bottom layer is made of the actual pudding, topped with a layer of whipped cream and a layer of coarsely ground fresh pistachios and sugar syrup.
Layali Lubnan
 
You can serve Layali Lubnan in small cups/shots or you can lay the pudding in a tray as shown in the photos and then cut it into pieces. The pudding can last 3-5 days in the fridge but if you’re planning on keeping it that long you may want to keep the whipped cream in a separate container and add it only for serving. Whipped cream is known to lose volume after a few hours.
FAQs For Lebanese Nights Dessert Recipe
How do you make Lebanese Nights?
The complete recipe and procedure are given below. All you have to go follow those instructions
What are the Layali Lubnan Ingredients?
Ingredients are also provided in the recipe section
Lebanese Nights Dessert Recipe
Ingredients
Pudding Ingredients (10 servings)
- 8 cups of whole milk
- 3/4 cup of semolina
- 1 teaspoon of ground Mastika Find Mastika in Pantry Section
- 6 to 8 tablespoons of sugar
- 3 tablespoons of rose water
- 3 tablespoons of orange blossom water
- 1 cup of coarsely ground fresh pistachio
Sugar Syrup Ingredients
- 1 cup of brown or white sugar
- 3/4 cup of water
- 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water
Whipped Cream Ingredients
- 2 cups of Heavy Cream preferably pasteurized, but ultra-pasteurized is also ok
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Mix milk, semolina and sugar well in a cooking pot then bring to a boil on medium to high heat while continuously stirring and scalping the bottom (this is important so the semolina doesn't clump or stick).
- As soon as it boils, lower heat to minimum, add ground Mastika all while stirring.
- When the pudding starts to thicken, remove from heat, add the rose water and orange blossom water, stir a bit so they are well dissipated and then immediately pour the hot pudding into your serving containers.
- The serving container could be a 2 inch-deep pyrex tray or small serving cups/bowls. Make sure to leave some room on the top for the whipped cream.
- Let rest and cool down at room temperature for about 40 minutes and meanwhile you can prepare the sugar syrup and the Whipped Cream.
- Mix water and sugar well then bring to a boil in a saucepan on medium heat.
- When boiling occurs, lower heat, add 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice and let it simmer for 10 minutes after which you remove from heat, add orange blossom water and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Place Heavy Cream in a chilled stainless steal bowl (or place bowl on ice) and with a whisk whip your way through it for a few minutes vigorously.
- If you are using an electric whipper, start on low speed then increase the speed gradually.
- After a few minutes of whipping the Heavy Cream will increase in volume and turn into whipped cream as soft peaks start to form. At which point add the sugar and optional vanilla and whip a bit more to mix it in. Don't over-whip the cream so it doesn't turn into butter. Keep whipped cream chilled.
- Once the pudding has rested and cooled down place it in the fridge for a few minutes to chill, then top it with a 1/2 to 3/4 inch layer of whipped cream, add a sprinkle of coarsely ground Pistachio and serve with sugar syrup (optional).
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Please remove the gluten free tag. Semolina is the main ingredient and that is a Wheat product.
Can you suggest a alternative to ‘Mastik’ which is not locally available in our part of the world.
Rajiv I’m not sure if there is an imitation or alternative for Mastik. You could possibly buy it from the internet though.
Thanks for your response. I think it will be best to stick to the original and what seems to be a wonderful recipe and pick this ingredient during a visit to the middle-east.
is there a dessert with using ricotta cheese
I was wondering if the whole milk is required and if i can use lactaid that is reduced fat? 🙂
Lactaid should be fine
This is a new flavour for me. Good result, although I made the syrup too thick and it went chewy and nearly solid! Kind of like the mastic which I didn’t know how to grind… in the end, I threw in a few pieces whole and just hoped that it would melt!
can u tell me how to make leabanese delight with mascarpone and flour and semoline and sugar ingredients i cant rememeber how to do it as its been so long i made it how many cups sugar how many flour please help it so beautifull this way
This looks sooo delicious!!
This looks wonderful and I’ve actually never had it before but I will be trying it soon now. I’ve had versions of the semolina pudding but not like this. Is “ashta” the more traditional topping as opposed to whipping cream? Or do they actually use whippign cream in Beirut?
Hello Elie – I’ve had the Lebanese Nights With Whipped Cream only so far, however I believe Ashta would also taste great with it.. and perhaps some honey instead of sugar syrup.
This looks like a pudding recipe I can really sink my spoon into!