Basboosa / Semolina Cake

Basboosa..as the name sounds different, this dessert tastes unique. This is an Egyptian dessert. Also called as semolina cake.

You Need:

Plain sooji  / rava - 1.5 cup

Butter - 1 stick 

Curd - 1 cup

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 cup

Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp (Optional)

For sugar syrup:

Sugar 1 cup
Water 1 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Take a bowl, add butter and sugar, mix well. Add curd and vanilla extract if required. Mix untill combined well. Add the baking powder and rava and mix well untill it has dough like consistency. Let it rest for 30 min. 

Preheat the convection oven to 375F. Grease a baking dish with butter and pour the dough into it. Level it with spatula. Bake for 20 min.

Take out and cut into squares or diamonds or whichever shape you like. Keep one almonds or cashew nut in each piece (Optional)

Now bake for another 12 to 15 min or till the edges are turned brown. Now put it in broil mode till the surface will turn golden brown for 2 to 3 min. 

Mean while prepare the sugar syrup until the sugar dissolves and has syrup consistency. This should not take more than 5-10 min. Add lemon juice - 1tsp to the syrup. Take the hot basboosa from the oven and pour this syrup over it.  If less butter is used or over baked, it may become little hard.

If you can resist from eating, well and good. But it tastes best after 24 hrs.

Baklava - A Middle Eastern dessert

You need:

•Phyllo pastry : 1 pack ( You can find this at most of the grocery stores in the frozen section in foreign countries. Alternatively you can use puff pastry sheets...it should taste similar.)
 •Sugar : 1/2 cup
 •Almonds flakes : 2 cups
 •Baklawa Fillings : 2 cups (Make it at home)
 •Butter : 2 sticks or  2 cups
 •Sugar syrup : 1 cup (At home)

Baklawa Filling:
 •Cream : 2 cup
 •Custard powder: 1/2 cup
 •Hazelnut Meal: 1 cup (or) Almonds flakes: 1 cup
 •Eggs: 2
 •Sugar: 1/2 cup

Sugar syrup:
 •Sugar: 3.5 cups
 •Water: 2 cups
 •Lime juice: 1/2 tbsp

Baklavaaa.....

Filling Mixture

Before it goes into oven

                        

After pouring sugar syrup

1.Bring the phyllo pastry sheets into room temperature. I read somewhere about trying the same recipe with puff pastry which we get in India. But, you wont get as the original recipe. I havn't tried. Keep checking desserts column, will try and upload soon.

2.For baklawa filling mix all the ingredients together, blend it well
and keep them aside

3.Now unwrap and roll out the dough and cover the phillo pastry sheets
( If you want you may cover them with a damp cloth to keep the sheets
from drying out)

4.Butter a 12×16 inch baking pan and layer with phillo sheets, spread
the butter in the phillo sheet by using a pastry brush or some cloth
dipped in butter

5.Sprinkle some almonds on it and place another phillo sheet and do
repeat this for three more times

6.Now pour the filling and layer with  phyllo sheet and almonds flakes
as before.

7.Finally  pour the remaining butter on top of the phillo sheets  .

8.cut them into diamonds , if the knife stick with sheets dip the
knife in hot water then it’ll be easy for cutting

9.Preheat the convection oven for 350 F and bake the above tray for 45 minutes to
50 minutes or until it becomes golden brown on top. (watch them
carefully at the last 5 to 10 minutes otherwise it will burn quickly)

In between that prepare the sugar syrup,

10.Boil 2 cups of water in  a sauce pan when its come to full boil add
the sugar and let them boil for about 20 to 25 minutes. After that
remove the syrup from heat and squeeze the lime and mix it well


11.Now after the baklawa done at the oven remove it from there let it
cool for few minutes and pour the prepared hot sugar syrup from one
side of the tray and let it run on to other side.

12.And garnish them with pistachios.Let it sit for 15-30 mins before
serving them.

A must-have dessert before you die!! Trust me, You can't just have one! My husband made this dessert for me on valentine's day.

Highly addictive... Highly calories...Highly delicious..