Basbousa

Ingredients
  • Semolina flour/Rava – 1.5 cups
  • Yogurt – 1 cup
  • Butter – 1 stick (softened)
  • Baking powder – 1 tsp
  • Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
  • Sugar – 1/2 cup and 1/4 of a cup
  • Honey half a cup
  • Rose water – 4 tsp
  • Lemon juice 2 tsp
  • Almonds – 16 to 18
Method
  • Mix the butter and half a cup sugar thoroughly with a hand mixer. 
  • Add yogurt and vanilla essence and beat again for a couple of minutes with the mixer. 
  • Add the semolina flour (rava), baking powder and mix with a wooden or plastic spatula. 
  • The result will be a sticky loose kind of dough. Keep aside for half an hour.
  • Make a honey syrup in the meanwhile.
  • In a pan, combine honey, one fourth cup of sugar and 2 tsp rosewater, cook for 10 minutes to form a syrup. Turn the heat off, add the lemon juice and 2 tsp rosewater and mix well. 
  • The honey syrup is ready to use.
  • Now, transfer the dough in a greased baking dish or pan.
  • Level it as much as possible by gently pressing with hand or spatula. 
  • Bake it at 375 F for about 25 minutes first. 
  • Take the pan out, the dough will be partially cooked by then. 
  • Cut the in squares or diamonds as preferred and press an almond into each one of them. 
  • Don’t forget to wear your oven gloves while doing all this. 
  • Back in to the oven for another 20 minutes or till the edges appear brown. 
  • Once this is done, increase the temperature of the oven to “Broil” mode and bake further for 5 to 8 minutes so that a fine brown crust is formed on the Basbousa. 
  • Carefully watch the Basbousa every 2 minutes while it is on broil, food burns easily at that high temperature.
  • Pour the honey syrup all over the squares as your baking dish comes out of the oven. 
  • Cool and transfer the pieces to a serving dish or a storing box as this dessert tastes best the next day.
Serving suggestions
· With whipped cream on top.
· With strong coffee.
Tips
· Cooking times can vary depending on the Oven, adjust the timer accordingly.
· Reduce the amount of sugar if you prefer your sweets to be less sweet.
Interesting fact
· Basbousa is called by different names (Hareesa, Ravani) in the Middle Eastern regions.
· It is a very high calorie (220) per piece dessert.

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