Basbousa with Spiced Citrus Syrup
The beloved Middle Eastern semolina cake soaked in fragrant spiced syrup inspired by the syrup used for South African Cape Malay Koesisters
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp tahini or ghee for greasing the pan
- 250 g semolina
- 170 g sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- zest of 1 lemon finely grated
- 250 g plain full fat yoghurt not Greek yoghurt
- 125 g melted ghee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- almonds for decorating
- Syrup
- 250 ml water
- 175 g sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves
- 2 cardamom pods gently cracked
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- peel of one orange cut into strips without the pith
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Make the syrup by combining all the ingredients and bring to a boil while stirring until the sugar dissolves
- Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C
- Grease a 20cm or 22cm square baking tin with the tahini
- Combine the semolina, sugar, baking powder, salt, zest, yogurt, ghee and vanilla in a bowl and mix with a spoon until combined into a wet cookie dough like batter
- If the batter is too wet add more semolina to firm it up - you want to be able to cut the shapes before baking
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking tin and smooth the top
- Cut into squares or diamond shapes and lightly press an almond into the centre of each shape Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out dry
- When the cake has 5 minutes left to bake reheat the syrup to simmer Remove the cake from the oven and immediately pour the hot syrup evenly over the surface - using a strainer to catch the aromatics
- Use a knife to recut the shapes if needed and set the cake aside to absorb the syrup and cool for an hour
- Serve at room temperature