Basbüssa aka Basbousa/Namoura
(Semolina Cake Soaked in Sugar Syrup)
This recipe is from Mediterranean Street Food by Anissa Helou. As I mentioned a few days ago, it's only recently (in the last few months) that I've been successful with any recipe of this sweet. Before that, it somehow always ended up like a brick. However, now I feel I can try different recipes with some confidence.
I made a basbousa last week, with a coconut-sugar syrup that I improvised, and it was too heavy and rich for me. (I have to be careful what I eat, but it's possible nobody else would've had a problem.) So, I decided to make this recipe, but to be careful following all the directions, and to use a sugar syrup with plain sugar (and to use less syrup than suggested). That result was much lighter and the cake itself tasted good. Once soaked in sugar syrup, the cake was sweet enough but not weighed down (like the one with the coconut-sugar syrup). I'm very glad, as this is my favorite Arabic sweet.
