Like My Grandmother Used to Make: Basbousa

Arij shares this sweet, syrup-soaked semolina cake that reminds her of home in our regular feature ‘Like My Grandmother Used to Make’.

by Arij Alnajjar

Photo Courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

There are so many nice desserts in Syria, it was hard to choose one. But basbousa is not only tasty, it also has nice memories for me. Usually, my mum would bake it in the morning and the great smell would fill the home and wake me up. During Eid, people used to bake and then eat it together, which was always an amazing feeling. Every time I make it, it makes me feel nostalgic for my family and home country. 

Makes around 12 pieces 

For measuring, use any drinking glass you have in the cupboard 

Ingredients

For the cakes

4 eggs 

½ tsp  vanilla extract

1 glass sugar

 ½ glass oil

½ glass yogurt

¼ glass milk 

1 glass fine semolina

1 glass plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 glass of desiccated coconut

For the sugar syrup

1 glass of water

1-2 glasses of sugar

1 tbsp of lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree.

2. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk together with the vanilla extract. 

3. Pour in the sugar and mix until dissolved.

4. Add the oil, yogurt, milk and mix. 

5. Sift in the flour, semolina and baking powder and mix until there are no lumps

6. Add in the desiccated coconut.

7. Pour the mixture into a lined or greased baking tin.

8. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.

9. While the mixture is baking, make the sugar syrup. 

10. Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and warm on a low-medium heat up to boiling point – do not mix it at any point or it will crystalise.

11. Take off the heat and add the lemon, mix it a little once it is a bit cooler and then leave to cool on the side

12. Prick some holes into the cake and then pour the sugar syrup over the basbousa 

13. Slice into little rectangles and serve.

In early February, a devastating earthquake struck in Turkey and Syria, killing tens of thousands of people. Many more have been left without shelter, their lives shattered. If you are in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to support those who need it most: donation.dec.org.uk/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal or akut.org.tr/en/donation

Arij recently featured on BBC Radio 4 with our other regular contributors Ibrahim and Robbie. On the programme they talk about finding home in Glasgow through food. Check it out here!