Recipe: Firnee Almond Cardamom Cream Pudding

Title: Firnee (Almond & Cardamom Cream Pudding)
Categories: Ethnic, Desserts
Yield: 6 servings

Karen Mintzias 1/2 c Slivered blanched almonds
3 c Milk 1/4 ts Ground cardamom (or more)
1 pn Salt 1/4 ts Saffron threads (pounded)
1/3 c Granulated sugar 1/4 c Finely chopped pistachios
1/2 c Cornflour (cornstarch) -- (blanched)
1/4 c Cold water

Put all but 1/2 cup milk into a heavy pan and add salt and sugar. Put on to
heat gently, stirring to dissove sugar. Blend cornflour into reserved milk
with the 1/4 cup water and pour into warm milk, stirring constantly. Add
almonds and keep stirring until mixture thickens and bubbles. Use a whisk
if mixture becomes lumpy. Add cardamom to taste and the pounded saffron.
Cook on low heat for 5 minutes, letting pudding simmer very gently. Stir
occasionally.

Pour into 6 or 8 individual sweet dishes, spreading evenly. Sprinkle
pistachio nuts around edge of each dish. To serve firnee in the
traditional manner, the pudding should be poured into two plates, decorated
with pistachio nuts and cut into quarters to serve in wedges.

From: "The Complete Middle East Cookbook" by Tess Mallos.
: ISBN: 1 86302 069 1 Typed for you by Karen Mintzias