Middle Eastern Dessert (Muakacha)

Muakacha (moo-ah-ka-cha) is an Arabic word meaning "wrinkled." This is why some people refer to this dessert as "Crinkle Dessert Phyllo Dough" and "Phyllo Dough Crinkle." If you love Phyllo desserts like Baklawa, Burma Baklava, and Kadayif, you'll love this delicious Middle Eastern Dessert.

About This Recipe

I was not familiar with this Middle Eastern Dessert until my sister, Beni, told me all about it during a visit to Chicago. She was introduced Muakacha by one of her friends. Now I have the pleasure of introducing it to you! 

We spent many hours in her kitchen trying to make this phyllo dough crinkle recipe flawless. We took a hit for the team, and each gained a few pounds in the process... you're welcome!

It took about five batches of Muakacha until we achieved what we were looking for, worth every calorie, I assure you!

Why This Recipe Works

Muakacha/Phyllo Dough Crinkle is relatively easy to prepare. I'll show you a few ways to prepare it. One way is to crinkle the sheets and add them to a tray.

A lot of people are intimidated by working with Fillo Dough since it is so fragile, you don't have to worry about that when making Muakacha. All you have to do is crinkle the phyllo dough...talk about a fool-proof way of working with Fillo Dough!

The other way to prepare Phyllo Dough Crinkle is by rolling each sheet into a rose shape. If you prepare them like this, the end result will resemble a tray full of cinnamon rolls.

What You Need For This Recipe

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Phyllo/Fillo Dough: One-pound package of Phyllo Dough, defrosted in the refrigerator.
• Milk: Use whole milk to make a rich custard.
• Butter: Use unsalted butter. Start with ½ cup and use more, if needed, to cover all the sheets.
• Rose Water: Rose water is used in many Middle Eastern recipes and can be purchased at most Middle Eastern Markets. Rose water can also be purchased on Amazon. I use it in many of my recipes, including Muhallebi (milk pudding).
• Nuts: Instead of pistachios, you can use walnuts, pecans, or almonds. If you have a nut allergy, you can leave the nuts out of the recipe.

How to Make Muakach

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F

STEP 1: Melt butter in the microwave or on the stove. Use some of the butter to grease a large cookie sheet (affiliate link).

STEP 2: Begin by folding one sheet of dough at a time, back and forth, like an accordion, and add to the pan. Repeat this step with the remaining sheets. When you're done, fan out the sheets to cover the entire pan. Another option is to roll each Fillo sheet into a coil.

STEP 3: Pour butter over the sheets and bake for 15 minutes.

STEP 4: Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add milk, sugar, vanilla, and rose water and whisk to combine. Set aside until needed.

STEP 5: After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and pour the egg mixtures over the fillo dough, making sure it is evenly distributed.

STEP 6: Place the baking tray back into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the custard is set and the dough is golden brown.

STEP 7: Toast pistachios for five to 10 minutes, being careful not to burn. Once they've cooled, grind them into a fine texture, but not a powder. Mix in cardamom powder. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the Muakacha with the nuts. Cool completely before slicing into squares or triangles.

Pro Tips

• If you or a family member is allergic to nuts, you can easily leave them out of the recipe.
• Another way of preparing Muakacha is by sprinkling the nuts over each phyllo sheet before crinkling it. This way, the nuts are mixed into the pastry and don't need to be toasted separately.
• Instead of placing the Fillo dough in the pan as mentioned in the recipe step, another option is to coil them as you would with cinnamon rolls. Each roll would be considered one serving.

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