Basbousa Egyptian

Method

1. 1 Mix semolina with shredded coconut, yogurt, half of the sugar, and melted butter, then let it rest for 25 minutes.
2. 2 Allow the semolina to rest and absorb enough water; skipping this step will result in a grainy texture after baking.
3. 3 Spread the dough 2.5 cm thick on the baking tray, then score each square with a diamond shape and place a slice of almond in each square.
4. 4 Bake at 180 degrees for 35 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown.
5. 5 Cook the remaining half of the sugar with 100 ml of water, lemon juice, and orange blossom water for 8 minutes to make a syrup.
6. 6 Pour the cooled syrup over the still-hot cake and let it soak for 30 minutes before cutting along the scored line.

With an appliance

• Air fryer 1 hr

  Replace step 4: spray a thin layer of oil onto the sides of the mold, use a 195-degree hot air oven for 23 minutes, rotating the tray at minute 11. The strong airflow shortens the time by about one-third compared to a conventional oven and browns the surface faster.