Harisseh/ Basbousa - Semolina Cake - New year 2011 special

Basbousa- semolina coconut cake soaked in simple syrup.

It is a middle eastern traditional sweet cake flavored with rose water or cinnamon stick water. 

My kids love this with honey. So I added honey.

Brown sugar I used is turbinado sugar.

Ingredients:

Rava- 2 cup - fine variety

Dessicated coconut powder - 1 cup

Brown sugar - 1cup

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Butter - 3/4 cup - melted

Milk - 250ml

Almonds blanched -20

For syrup:

Brown Sugar - 1 1/2 cup

Water - 1/2 cup

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Honey - 2 tbsp

For syrup:

1. Place sugar in a pan and add water so that sugar just immersed in it.

2. Heat in a medium flame till sugar dissolves and the syrup slightly coats the back of the spoon.

3. Switch off and remove from the flame and add lemon juice.

4. When it is lightly warm, add honey and mix well. Then pour it on the baked and slightly cooled cake.

How to make/bake it?

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

2. Add melted butter and milk and mix well.

3. Pour this in a greased pan (I used 13*9 Pyrex glass pan) and level it with spatula.

4. Cover it with a plastic wrap and let it sit for 30-40 mins.

5. Then place half almonds leaving space inbetween and press them lightly.

6. Bake it in a preheated oven 345 F for about 30 mins or until the top is lightly golden.

7. Remove from the oven and Cool for 10 min. Cut into squares now itself to get a nice shape.

8. Pour the warm syrup on the cake and let it sit overnight for better taste.