This no-bake dessert features alternating layers of savory pistachio-studded semolina and a cooked cream called kashta, set into a springform cake pan and chilled in the refrigerator overnight. If you are feeding a crowd, double the recipe and forgo the cake shape for a looser presentation: Spread all the semolina mixture on a large platter, spoon the kashta over it, and garnish with the nuts and powdered sugar; then spoon it into dessert bowls.
There is no English translation for kashta, pronounced "ahshta," but it is often described as the Arab equivalent of clotted cream. This fragrant cake filling is also delicious as a breakfast treat, drizzled with honey or swabbed on a piece of toast.
•To peel almonds, put them in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover, bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat. Pour the almonds, with the water, into a bowl and set aside. When the nuts are cool enough to handle, peel them by squeezing one at a time between your thumb and forefinger—the skin will come off right away. Put the peeled almonds on a paper towel to dry. (Alternatively, you can blanch the almonds in a microwave oven by spreading the nuts in a single layer on a microwave-safe dish and heating them on high power in 30-second intervals, checking after each interval to ensure that the nuts do not cook. When the skins feel loose, pinch the nuts as described to remove the peel.)
•The trick to getting uniformly golden nuts is to stir them constantly as they fry—and to remove them from the heat just before they turn the color you want them to be; they continue to cook in the oil even when they're off the heat, and they can burn very easily.
