Shredded Pastry with Cream (Osmalieh)
Golden strands of toasted kataifi pastry sandwich a cool, delicate milk cream, soaked in rose and orange-blossom syrup and finished with crushed pistachios. One of Lebanon's most loved sweets, best made the day you serve it.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the syrup
Put the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently, without stirring, for 8 minutes, then stir in the orange blossom water and rose water. Let it cool completely; a cold syrup is what keeps the toasted pastry crisp instead of making it soggy.
- 300 g sugar
- 200 ml water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 tsp rose water
✅ Done when: the syrup looks clear and slightly thickened, like a light honey
Cook the cream filling
Whisk the milk, cream, cornstarch, sugar and salt together in a pot while still cold, so the cornstarch dissolves with no lumps. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a smooth, pourable custard that coats the back of a spoon.
- 500 ml whole milk
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 30 g cornstarch
- 60 g sugar
- 1 pinch salt
✅ Done when: the mixture is thick enough to leave a visible trail when you drag a spoon through it
Chill the cream
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Toast the pastry
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Build the base layer
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Add the cream and top layer
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Finish and serve
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Make the syrup
Put the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently, without stirring, for 8 minutes, then stir in the orange blossom water and rose water. Let it cool completely; a cold syrup is what keeps the toasted pastry crisp instead of making it soggy.
- 300 g sugar
- 200 ml water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 tsp rose water
✅ Done when: the syrup looks clear and slightly thickened, like a light honey
Cook the cream filling
Whisk the milk, cream, cornstarch, sugar and salt together in a pot while still cold, so the cornstarch dissolves with no lumps. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a smooth, pourable custard that coats the back of a spoon.
- 500 ml whole milk
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 30 g cornstarch
- 60 g sugar
- 1 pinch salt
✅ Done when: the mixture is thick enough to leave a visible trail when you drag a spoon through it
Chill the cream
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Toast the pastry
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Build the base layer
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Add the cream and top layer
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Finish and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Osmalieh is closely tied to Tripoli, Lebanon's historic capital of sweets, where generations of confectioners perfected the craft of toasting fine shredded pastry and pairing it with ashta, the delicate clotted cream made from boiled milk. The name is thought to echo the Ottoman ('Osmanli') era, when this style of Levantine pastry-making flourished.
Today it remains a fixture at celebrations, Ramadan iftars and family gatherings across Lebanon, often assembled just before serving so the crisp pastry stays crisp against the cool cream.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The contrast of warm, golden, crackling pastry against cool, delicate cream, finished with floral syrup and bright pistachio, makes it one of the most beloved sweets in Lebanese patisseries.
💡 Fun Fact
Tripoli is widely known as Lebanon's sweets capital, home to confectioners who have specialised in knafeh-style, shredded-pastry desserts for generations.
Tripoli, Lebanon
34.44°N, 35.85°E
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