Recipe for Basbousa
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter – unsalted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tspn vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups fine semolina (suji)
- 1 tspn baking powder
- 1/2 tspn soda-bicarbonate
- 3/4 cup plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt
- 12-15 almonds – blanched and split
- For the Syrup Topping:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tsp rose essence
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Cooking Directions
Take a bowl and mix the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
Sift the semolina, baking powder and soda in another bowl.
Add this slowly into the butter mixture alternately with yogurt.
Beat well so you can allow semolina to expand once it gets into the oven.
Now grease a cake pan and spread batter into it. Pinch in the almonds on top of the cake at equal distances so that when you cut into pieces later, each piece has an almond topping in the center.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and bake for 30-35 minutes until cake is cooked.
Making the Syrup:
To prepare the syrup topping, dissolve sugar in water over medium heat, add the lemon juice and the rose essence and bring to a boil.
Let it boil for 5-7 mins, then allow to cool by placing the container in another larger bowl filled with cold water (indirect cooling).
Assemble the Cake:
When the cake is done, slowly pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake.
Let the cake soak the syrup and set it aside for 15 mins or so.
Once it is completely cooled, cut into diamond or square shapes.
Serve each piece topped with whipped cream or desired fruit topping!
by Pak101.com (few years ago!) / 1132 views