Steffi's Authentic Middle Eastern Basbousa
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 3 cups semolina
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups yogurt or labneh
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 cups syrup
Preparation
In a medium-sized pot, place some water and let it boil on high heat. Add the almonds and let them sit for a few minutes, then peel them while hot.
Bring a 13-inch round baking pan.
In a deep bowl, place semolina, sugar, yogurt, ghee, vanilla, coconut, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a wide plastic spoon, mix the ingredients to form a liquid dough.
Spread the basbousa mixture in the pan.
Place the basbousa on the kitchen counter to rest a bit.
Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Garnish the basbousa with almonds as desired.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately after removing from the oven, spread the hot syrup over it.
Let it cool completely then cut for serving.
