1. 1 Cup = 200ml

For the sugar syrup

Ingredients

1. Sugar – 1 ½ cup
2. Water – 1 cup
3. Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
4. Orange blossom water – 1 tsp
5. Rose water – ½ tsp

Method

1. Boil together water and sugar, reduce the flame and add lemon juice and heat it for another 5 – 6 minutes over low flame. Add orange blossom water to this and remove from flame. Keep it aside.

For basbousa

Ingredients

1. Semolina/ rava – 2 cup
2. Sugar – 1 cup
3. Desiccated coconut – ¾ cup
4. All purpose flour – ½ cup
5. Baking powder – 1 tsp
6. Unsalted butter – 75 gram (at room temperature)
7. Yogurt – 1 cup
8. Oil – ½ cup
9. Almonds – ¼ cup (blanched and halved)

Method

1. Grease a round baking tin with butter and keep it ready.
2. In a deep bowl, combine together semolina, sugar, desiccated coconut, all purpose flour and baking powder and combine well.
3. To this add butter, yogurt and oil and combine evenly. Pour this batter to the greased cake tin and spread evenly. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Line it with a sharp knife to get diamond shape. Place the almond halves at the center of each piece and press very lightly.
4. Preheat the oven to 190 degree and bake it for about 45 – 50 minutes or the top turn golden brown. Remove from the oven. Line it with a sharp knife again.
5. Heat the sugar syrup for 2 – 3 minutes (if it is cooled) and pour it over the baked basbousa. Let it sit till the sugar syrup is completely absorbed. Serve cooled the next day.

Note : If you cannot find orange blossom water, add 1 tsp rose water instead of ½ tsp.