Omm Ali is a middle eastern type of bread pudding. It is typically made with puff pastry however I recently subbed out the puff pastry and used croissants instead. The results were perfection.

Ingredients:

-5 or 6 croissants
– 2 cans of qishta aka Puck pastry cream
-A 9×9 baking dish
-Raisins (and any other preferred dried fruit)
-Dried coconut flakes
-Pistachio and almond flakes
-Half a can of condensed milk (the 14 oz can)
-1.5 cans of evaporated milk (the 12 oz cans)

Directions:

1. My favorite way of making this bread pudding is pulling the croissants apart. I have seen some people leave the croissants whole and just shred small pieces to cover up the gaps that appear here and there but I feel the result is easier to cut into when the croissants are shredded into small pieces.
2. After shredding the croissants, spread out half the shredded croissants into your baking dish.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together your wet ingredients (the half can of condensed milk and 1.5 cans of evaporated milk.)
4. Take your wet mixture of 2 milks and drizzle it onto the shredded croissants. Use about half the wet mixture. The croissants will eventually soak up the liquid.
5. Once the first layer of shredded croissants is soaked, you can now spread out your qishta. Qishta tends to harden in the can sometimes so give it a good stirring before you pour it out of the can.
6. You should now have in your dish: the first shredded croissant layer soaked in half the liquid and covered in 1 can of qishta.
   It is now time to sprinkle your dry ingredients. Whichever your favorite combination of nuts and dried fruit happens to be, you can go with that. I personally like my Omm Ali with pistachio, coconut flakes and golden raisins or currants.
7. Onto layer 2. Add the other half of the shredded croissants and repeat with soaking it in the leftover liquids.
8. Cover in the 2nd can of qishta.
9. Sprinkle the top with your remaining dried fruit and nuts of your choice.
10. Optional: I typically refrigerate this over night and serve it the next day. You can serve it cold like I do or you can bake it in the oven at 250F for 15 minutes. I prefer this dish served cold though.

Here is how mine ends up looking. A super simple and refreshing dessert for summer or winter!