What is this? Yes, another dessert. I still insist that I'm not much of a dessert person, despite recent posts to the contrary. Nick was making dinner, a delicious curried snapper soup with curried potatoes and home made paneer, an Indian cheese, and I felt I should bring a dessert. I don't do much Indian cuisine, but I make a good basbousa, which is a Middle Eastern dessert (cake-like, but definitely not a cake) with coconut and a whole lot of sugar. Oh, and those white thing sticking in it? Blanched almonds of course. It's simple, delicious, and odds are good you have most of the ingredients already. See the comments for the recipe.
2 comments:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup semolina flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
blanched almonds
Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup water
Instructions:
1) Make the syrup by dissolving the sugar and lemon juice in boiling water. Simmer until it thickens, then set aside to cool.
2) Melt the butter and mix with all other ingredients (except the syrup) in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly and spoon into a shallow baking tray. I used a pie pan greased with butter. You can too.
3) Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until it is golden, with the edges just beginning to brown. Meanwhile, blanch and peel the almonds.
4) Remove the basbousa from the oven and place an almond at regular intervals, either on top, or stuck into the "cake". Coat the top with the syrup, making sure all of it is covered. Once the syrup has begun to absorb, put the pan back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Serve hot after cutting into squares or diamond shapes. You will like.
Excellent Basbousa recipe. Thanks :)
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