Basbousa with pistachio and almond

Name: Basbousa with pistachio and almond
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: about 30
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 450g fine semolina; 220g castor sugar; 200g thick plain yoghurt; 50g desiccated coconut; 50g almond meal; 75g self-raising flour; 60ml milk; 200g melted butter; 1 tsp vanilla essence; About 30 bright-green shelled pistachios; About 30 blanched almonds; Rose petals, optional

Karen Martini

May 23, 2013

Basbousa with pistachio and almond.Marina Oliphant

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:about 30

Basbousa is a classic semolina cake, cooked throughout the Middle East and around the Mediterranean. My meme made it when I was growing up, using honey and rosewater, but she never worked from a recipe, all by feel. This is my version.

Ingredients

450g fine semolina
220g castor sugar
200g thick plain yoghurt
50g desiccated coconut
50g almond meal
75g self-raising flour
60ml milk
200g melted butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
About 30 bright-green shelled pistachios
About 30 blanched almonds
Rose petals, optional

Syrup

300g castor sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp rosewater

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees fan-forced or 190 degrees conventional. Butter a shallow baking tin about 30 centimetres wide - square or round is fine.
2. In a large bowl, mix the semolina, sugar, yoghurt, coconut, almond meal, flour, milk, butter and vanilla until well combined. The mix will be a dense paste.
3. Spread into the baking tin, pushing it flat with a spatula. Cut into a four-centimetre diamond pattern and dot each diamond with a pistachio and an almond. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.
4. While the cake bakes, make the syrup. Boil the sugar with 200 millilitres of water for three minutes. Take off the heat, add the lemon juice and rosewater, then cool.
5. Once cooked, remove from the oven and while still hot, pour the syrup over. Cool and decorate with rose petals (if using).