Egyptian Basbousa

Get your kids in the kitchen to help make this age-old Ramadan treat that will have you licking your fingers - no doubt! For big kids: have them measure out the ingredients. For little kids: let them mix it all together in a bowl. Both big and little kids can help spread out the mix onto the tray.

--Ingredients--

2½ cups coarse semolina

90 g (1 cup) desiccated coconut

220 g (1 cup) caster sugar

75 g (½ cup) self-raising flour

200 g thick yoghurt

200 g unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

25–30 g blanched almonds

Milk, if needed

--Syrup--

330 g(1½ cups) sugar

250 ml(1 cup) water

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp rosewater

--STEP 1--

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Mix the semolina, coconut, sugar, flour, yoghurt, melted butter and vanilla in a bowl. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little milk, but it should still be fairly stiff.

--STEP 2--

Spread the mixture with your hands into a buttered 30 cm x 25 cm x 5 cm baking tray.

--STEP 3--

Cut it into diamond shapes, pressing hard. Place an almond in the centre of each diamond.

--STEP 4--

Bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden brown.

--STEP 5--

For the syrup, place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

--STEP 6--

Simmer for 5 minutes without stirring.

--STEP 7--

Stir in the lemon juice and rosewater and remove from the heat. Leave to cool.

--STEP 8--

Pour the syrup over the cake while the cake is still hot. Cool to serve.


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Image credit and recipe: www.sbs.com.au