Description
Assida Zgougou is a traditional Tunisian dessert made with ground Aleppo pine seeds, layered with creamy vanilla custard and topped with toasted nuts. Rich, silky, and deeply comforting, it’s a staple for festive occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 200 grams Aleppo pine seeds (zgougou)
- 1 liter water
- 100 grams flour
- 250 grams sugar
- 1 liter whole milk
- 60 grams cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- Mixed chopped nuts (pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts) for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare your equipment: Set up your blender, sieve, saucepans, and serving bowls.
- Blend the zgougou seeds with water into a thick paste. Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
- Mix the strained liquid with flour and sugar until smooth.
- Cook the zgougou base in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour into serving bowls.
- In another saucepan, whisk together milk, cornstarch, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Cook until thickened into custard.
- Pour the custard over the cooled zgougou base. Let it cool fully.
- Garnish with chopped nuts and chill before serving.
Notes
- Toast your nuts before garnishing for added flavor.
- Let the layers cool slightly between steps to keep them separate.
- Use full-fat milk for best custard texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 60mg