Skip to main content
Epicurious

Basbousa bel Loz

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6

Ingredients

3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup blanched almonds
2/3 cup butter
1 cup semolina
To garnish: whole blanched almonds, eishta (the rich cream from water buffalo’s milk, page 407), or clotted or whipped heavy cream

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring water, sugar, and lemon juice to the boil in a pan. Simmer for 8 minutes.

    Step 2

    Chop the almonds finely and fry them in the hot butter together with the semolina until they are a beautiful golden color.

    Step 3

    Add the hot syrup slowly, stirring constantly, over low heat until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let it cool a little.

    Step 4

    Pour into individual greased molds and flatten out on top. Turn out immediately and serve warm. Decorate each portion with an almond or a dollop of cream.

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.
TagsPastriesEgyptianNorth AfricanAfricanAlmondNutSemolina FlourFlourRamadanCookbooks
Read More
Mango Sticky Rice
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
Easy Egg Custard
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
Simple Hot Cocoa for One
With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.
Béchamel Sauce
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Crunchy and crowd-pleasing, this salad can be prepared in advance and customized to your heart’s content.
Chicken Meatballs With Sesame Green Beans
Baking meatballs and green beans on two sides of the same sheet pan streamlines the cooking process for this saucy, savory dinner.
Dulce de Leche
Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.
Sun Gold Tomato Pasta With Pistachio Gremolata
A garlicky pistachio topping takes this sunny summer pasta from good to great.