Recipes Desserts Mhalabiyeh (Fragrant Milk Pudding with Cranberries) 4.0 (1) 1 Review Mhalabiyeh—the Palestinian version of panna cotta—is commonly flavored with mastic, which has a pleasant flavor reminiscent of licorice or pine. Purchase mastic at amazon.com. Alternatively, Reem Kassis suggests substituting 1 teaspoon of rose water or orange blossom water. By Reem Kassis Reem Kassis Reem Kassis ia a Palestinian writer focused on the intersection of food with culture, history, and politics. She is a two-time cookbook author and winner of The Guild of Food Writers Award and Gourmand World Cookbook award for The Palestinian Table (2017).Experience: Reem Kassis is a Palestinian writer whose work focuses on the intersection of food with culture, history, and politics. You can find some of her writings in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Her debut cookbook, The Palestinian Table (2017), won The Guild of Food Writers Award and Gourmand World Cookbook award, was nominated for a James Beard Award, was short-listed for the Andre Simon Award and the Edward Stanford Award, and was picked as one of NPR's best books of 2017. Her second cookbook is The Arabesque Table (2021).Education: Reem holds two undergraduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Wharton, and a MSc in Social Psychology from The London School of Economics. A former McKinsey consultant, Reem's work uses food and storytelling to share the narrative and culinary history of the entire Palestinian region with the world.Expertise: Arabic Cuisine, Middle Eastern Food, Food HistoryLocation: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 1, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Greg DuPree Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Yield: 12 Ingredients 4 mastic gum pieces 1 1/4 cups plus 1 pinch granulated sugar, divided 4 cups whole milk, divided 1/2 cup cornstarch 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1/4 cup water Directions Grind mastic gum pieces and a pinch of sugar in a mortar and pestle until finely ground. Whisk together ground mastic gum mixture, 1 cup milk, and cornstarch in a small bowl until dissolved. Whisk together cream, 3/4 cup sugar, and remaining 3 cups milk in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium. When milk mixture is about to boil, add mastic mixture, and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Carefully ladle hot pudding into 12 (6- to 8-ounce) heatproof dessert bowls or glasses. Press plastic wrap or wax paper directly onto surface of each pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool slightly, about 20 minutes; refrigerate until set and chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Meanwhile, combine cranberries, 1/4 cup water, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over low, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and release their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve puddings cold, topped with cranberry sauce. Make Ahead Pudding may be made up to a day in advance. Rate it Print