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Basbousa bel Goz el Hind

Some years ago, when a block of flats crumbled in the suburbs of Cairo, a newspaper jokingly asked people to save any leftover basbousa to rebuild it.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups semolina
1 cup superfine sugar
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
A few drops of vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the syrup first by boiling the sugar and water with the lemon juice for about 7 minutes, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Allow to cool, and chill.

    Step 2

    Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients and beat well with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed. Pour the mixture into a large buttered oven dish or baking pan, making a thin layer. Flatten out as much as possible. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 20–30 minutes. Look at it after 20 minutes to see if it has cooked enough. It should be crisp and a rich gold.

    Step 3

    Cut into squares or lozenge shapes as soon as it comes out of the oven, and pour the cold syrup over the hot basbousa.

    Step 4

    Serve hot or cold.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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