Eggless Basbousa | Middle Eastern Sweet Cake

Basbousa is a Middle Eastern sweet cake made with cooked semolina soaked in a simple sugar syrup(flavored with orange blossom  or rose water).Coconut is an added addition which adds flavor but you can always omit if you don't like the flavors and increase the semolina for that quantity.The cake is made rich with butter,sugar,yogurt,eggs and topped with blanched almonds.This is also a  popular dessert among Coptic Christians for fast such as Great Lent and the nativity fast.I have adapted this recipe from here and the author uses egg in that recipe but I substituted it with more yogurt just to cut down calories.I made this on one of our potlucks here and all liked it.The cake is moist with buttery flavor and sweet with sugar syrup.The only drawback was that I didn't get the golden brown color on top though the crust was nicely golden at the corners and bottom(may be because I used a glass pan for bake).But we liked the texture very much and all enjoyed.I have added the amount of eggs in the notes section in case if you wish to make it more richer !!

Ingredients
for basbousa
coarse semolina 1.5 cups
fine semolina 1/2 cup
shredded coconut 1 cup
sugar 2/3 cups
baking powder 2 tsp
unsalted butter,melted 2/3 cup
plain yogurt 1 cup + 1/4 cup
vanilla extract 2tsp

for sugar syrup
sugar 200 gm(7/8 cup)
water  2 cups(474 ml )
rose water 1tsp
lemon juice 1/4 tsp

Method

• MAKING SUGAR SYRUP- Add the sugar and water and bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved.Add the lemon juice and boil for 10 minutes till syrup is thickened.Pour in a bowl and leave aside to cool.Add the rose water and mix well.

• MAKING BASBOUSA-In  a bowl,measure out the coarse & fine semolina,sugar,baking powder and dessicated coconut.Add the melted butter,yogurt and give a quick stir.Add tsp of vanilla extract and mix well to combine.If its too thick,add milk.Grease a baking tray of 8*8"  or12* 8" with butter and pour the contents in the tray/pan.Level it evenly and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 380 degrees F or 19 degrees C.Score lines to make squares or diamond shapes and gently press,place a blanched almond in each piece.Bake in pre heated oven to 40 minutes.Remove from oven and pour the sugar syrup all over the baked basbousa.Wait to drench completely and pour slowly.Bake again in  oven for 15 mins.Remove from oven,leave to cool completely.Score over the lines,cut in slices and enjoy !!

(that's a phone click)

Servings~ a tray of 8*8 size

NOTES
* If you don't find fine semolina ,use coarse alone.If you don't like coconut flavor then replace with same amount of semolina.
* You can use ghee in place of butter.
* Score the lines after you refrigerate so that the batter gets firm.
* Use 2 eggs to this recipe if you wish to have a richer flavor.In that case reduce the 1/4 cup extra yogurt mentioned in the recipe.
* Add hot boiling water to whole almonds and leave for 3 minutes.Drain water and blanch the almonds if you don't have blanched almonds.
* If you have left overs then refrigerate and microwave for 45 secs/place in oven at 200 degrees F for 10-15 mins before serving .
* Use all the sugar syrup,you may not be able to pour all at once then wait till the syrup is absorbed slightly to add the rest.
* I have used rose water to flavor the syrup but you can always use orange blossom water too.

One more to tempt all,