Basbusa (Egypt)

Baking tool:

• ovenproof baking dish 30x22x3 cm,
• greased

Syrup:

• 450 ml water
• 450 g fine granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• thin zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

Batter:

• 300 g fine durum wheat semolina
• 1 tsp baking powder (4 g)
• pinch salt
• 100 g butter, softened
• 125 g fine granulated sugar
• 2 very fresh eggs
• 1 tsp grated unwaxed orange zest
• pinch vanilla seed
• 150 ml Greek yoghurt
• 24  blanched almond halves

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‘An Arab who does not love sweets is like a Muslim who does not believe in Paradise’. A bold assertion, but the fact is that the fondness for sweet things in the Arab world leaps to the eye everywhere. Sweet cakes and candies are offered at every festivity, religious or not, even at funerals. Already in the Middle Ages sugar was an ordinary ingredient in Arab countries and not as expensive as in Western world where it was called ‘the white gold’.

A nice example of the original processing of sugar is this Egyptian version of the semolina cake Basbusa: soaked with syrup without making it cloying.

As to ‘semolina’, this should be the smied from Middle Eastern shops, which gives a beautiful yellow pastry. Soft wheat semolina does not have that effect. Sometimes the cake is made even more yellow by adding a spoonful of turmeric or a pinch of saffron. Instead of with almonds it can be garnished with pine nuts. That is up to you. But keep this rule of thumb: the cold syrup has to be poured over the warm pastry.