Mahalepi
Mahalepi is a very old fashioned Cypriot summer pudding. It’s very refreshing and is made with just water and cornflour, no sugar, although it can be added when served with rose cordial (Τριαντάφυλλο), ice water and rose ice-cream.
I think you have to be a Cypriot to really appreciate this dessert. My grandmother and mother used to make this for us in the summer and when the village ice-cream man would pass by our house on his battered old bicycle, he would give us a bowl to put the Triantafyllo ice-cream – those where the good old days!
To each cup of water you add one tablespoon of cornflour.
Ingredients:
6 cups water
6 tbsp cornflour / Νησιαστέ
For serving:
Rose-cordial
Sugar
Iced water
Rose ice-cream, optional
Method:
Place 5 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Dissolve the cornflour in the remaining cup of water and add it to the boiling water on a low heat, whisking until it thickens like a custard.
Pour into 6 bowls (wet them first), or glasses, half filling them; they should be about 2cm thick. Set aside to cool and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
To serve, add 1 tablespoon of rose-cordial, iced water and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, or as much as you like.
