Nammoura
Ingredients:
1 recipe sugar syrup (recipe follows)
2 1/4 cups semolina
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 1/4 cups yogurt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon tahini – sesame seed concentrate (to grease the baking dish, can probably use some oil)
1/3 cup blanched whole almonds
Instructions:
Prepare the sugar syrup and let it cool
Mix the semolina, softened butter and sugar with your hands until well blended. Add the yogurt and baking soda and mix well until you get a firm batter
Grease an 8 1/2? x 12 1/4? x 1 1/2? baking dish with the tahini then spread the batter evenly and flatten with a spoon. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 3 hours (the semolina needs time to absorb the yogurt)
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Score the uncooked cake into 2-inch squares and press one blanched almond in the center of each square. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden
Take out of the oven and pour the cooled syrup all over the cake. Leave to soak up the syrup (it might take up to an hour but the syrup will eventually be soaked up)
Serve at room temperature. The nammoura will keep up to a week in an air-tight container
Sugar syrup:
18 oz. white sugar
3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons rose water
1 1/2 tablespoons orange blossom water
Place the sugar, water and lemon juice over medium heat and bring to the boil, occasionally stirring the mixture. Boil for 3 minutes then add the rose water and the orange blossom water and boil for a few more seconds. Let it cool. You can store this syrup in a jar in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.