Basbousa

Ingredients

• 400g coarse semolina
• 150g caster sugar
• 100g desiccated coconut
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 250ml plain yoghurt
• 120g ghee or butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 24 blanched almonds
• 300g granulated sugar
• 200ml water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp orange blossom water

Before you cook

• Put the granulated sugar and water in a small pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes until slightly syrupy
• Stir the lemon juice and orange blossom water into the syrup, then set it aside to cool completely
• Brush the base and sides of a 20cm by 30cm baking tin generously with the tahini
• Heat the oven to 190C

Steps

1. Whisk the semolina, caster sugar, desiccated coconut and baking powder together in a large bowl.
2. Stir in the yoghurt, melted ghee and vanilla until you have a thick, sandy batter with no dry patches.
3. Cover the bowl and leave the batter to stand for 20 minutes so the semolina swells.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and press it out level with wet hands.
5. Score the surface into diamonds with a sharp knife, cutting right down to the base of the tin.
6. Press a blanched almond firmly into the centre of each diamond.
7. Bake the basbousa for 32 minutes until the top is a deep even gold and the edges pull away from the tin.
8. Take the tin out of the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup evenly over the whole surface.
9. Listen for the hiss and watch the syrup disappear into the cake within a minute or two.
10. Leave the basbousa in its tin for at least 1 hour so the syrup settles all the way through.
11. Cut along the scored lines and lift the diamonds out to serve.