Basbousa I

Ingredients

 * 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
 * 1 cup superfine sugar
 * 2 small eggs
 * 2 cups fine yellow semolina
 * 1 tsp. baking powder
 * 1/2 tsp. baking soda
 * Blanched split almonds
 * Syrup (recipe follows)

Directions
1) Cream the butter and the sugar and then beat in the eggs. Stir in a 1/2 cup water.

2) Sift together the semolina, baking powder, and soda, and stir into the butter mixture to form a smooth batter.

3) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease an 8-by-12-inch cake pan and pour in the batter. Spread it evenly with the back of a spoon and then score across the top of the cake parallel lines going from the bottom left corner to the top right and vice versa, to form diamond shapes. Place an almond in the center of each diamond. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, when the cake should be firm and lightly browned.

4) Prepare the syrup as described below and pour it, spoonfuls at a time, over the hot cake. Stop when the cake will not absorb any more and set the cake aside to cool before serving.

SYRUP


 * 2-1/4 cups sugar
 * Juice of 1 lemon

Over a medium heat dissolve the sugar in 1-1/2 cups water, add the lemon juice and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and gently boil the syrup for 10 minutes.