7 November, 2015

Namoura

Posted in : Desserts, Recipes on November 7, 2015 by : el Meza Tags: delicioso postre libanes, delicious lebanese dessert, Dessert à la semoule, dessert libanais, Dessert libanais namoura, easy to make dessert, lebanese dessert recipe, lebanese sweets, nammoura, Namoora, namoura libanais, namura, postre libanes, postre natural, recette de dessert libanais, Semolina dessert, نمورة

NAMOURA – Lebanese Semolina Cake

Ingredients

FOR THE NAMOURA

• 5 cups of regular semolina
• 1 cup of fine semolina (if not found use regular semolina)
• 2 cups of butter or ghee, melted
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 1/2 cups of plain yogurt
• 2 tsp  of baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp  of orange blossom water
• 1 1/2 tsp  of rose water
• 1 cup of almonds, blanched

FOR THE BAKING PAN

• 3 Tbsp  of tahini

FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP

• 3 cups of sugar
• 3 cups of water
• 1 tsp  of lemon juice
• 1 tsp  of orange blossom water
• 1 tsp  of rose water

 Preparing the Namoura:
-In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients leaving out the almonds for garnish. The mix should be slightly thick and sticky.

-Spread the tahini on the bottom and sides of a 14-15 inch round pan to prevent sticking.
(feel free to use a square or rectangular pan, don’t go too small though, Namoura shouldn’t rise very high, not more than 1 inch thick)

-Pour the Namoura mix in the pan and smooth the top. (You can do that by dipping your fingers in some melted butter and smoothing out the top)

-Leave the cake to rest for 5-6 hours. (It’s OK to decrease the time if you’re in a hurry)

-Before you bake the cake, with a watered knife, cut the namoura with evenly spaced lines to create square or diamond shaped pieces. (you don’t have to cut it through to the bottom)

-Decorate each square with a blanched almond or any other nuts of your choice
(traditionally we use almonds or sometimes pine nuts)

-Bake the Namoura in a 400 degrees preheated oven until it’s golden.

 Preparing the Sugar Syrup:
-Boil together sugar and water.

-Add lemon juice, when the syrup starts thickening.

-Add rose water and orange blossom water just before you turn off the heat or right after.

-Cool the sugar syrup completely.

To Finish the Namoura:
-Take off the Namoura from the oven, while it’s very hot, pour the cooled sugar syrup all over. Preferably not all the syrup at once, let the cake absorb it then repeat.

-Cool the Namoura, then cut it (on the already existing lines) and enjoy!