Sfouf

Ingredients

• 250g fine semolina
• 150g plain flour
• 250g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground aniseed
• 300ml water or milk
• 150ml mild vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp tahini, for the tin
• 3 tbsp pine nuts or blanched almonds

Before you cook

• Grease a 23cm square tin generously with the tahini, working it into the corners
• Whisk the semolina, flour, sugar, turmeric, baking powder and aniseed together in a large bowl until the colour is completely even

Steps

1. Heat your oven to 180C.
2. Pour the water and oil into the dry ingredients.
3. Whisk for about a minute, until you have a smooth, loose batter roughly the consistency of double cream.
4. Let the batter stand for 5 minutes so the semolina begins to drink the liquid.
5. Pour the batter into the tahini-greased tin and tilt it to level the surface.
6. Scatter the pine nuts evenly across the top.
7. Bake for 35 minutes, until the surface is set and springs back and a skewer comes out clean.
8. Leave the cake in its tin for 15 minutes to firm up.
9. Cut it into diamonds by slicing straight lines one way and diagonal lines the other.
10. Lift the pieces out and serve warm or at room temperature.