Namoura

Name: Namoura
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 400g White Sugar; 240ml Water; 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice; 1 tsp Orange Blossom Water; 1 tsp Rose Water; 320g Coarse Semolina; 160g Fine Semolina; 200g White Sugar; 375g Whole Milk Yogurt, plain; 120g Ghee, melted; 1 tsp Baking Powder; Some Fine Salt; 1 1/2 tbsp Tahini, for greasing the pan; 30 Blanched Almonds, halved, for topping

Namoura is a tender, honeyed semolina cake with a delicate floral syrup — a classic Middle Eastern dessert that's crisp on top, soft and moist inside, and studded with almonds. The combination of coarse and fine semolina with yogurt and ghee gives it a satisfying crumb, while orange blossom and rose waters perfume the syrup for an irresistible finish.

Namoura is a tender, honeyed semolina cake with a delicate floral syrup — a classic Middle Eastern dessert that's crisp on top, so... Show more

Traditional Middle Eastern Recipe

Health Grade

E · Indulgent

Time

1 hr40 min

Price

0,21 €

Calories

361 kcal

vegetarian

easy

potluck

holiday/special occasion

Method

Make the syrup

In a small saucepan, combine the White Sugar, Water, and Fresh Lemon Juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves, then let it simmer 8 minutes until slightly thickened but still pourable. Take it off the heat and stir in the Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water. Set the syrup aside to cool while you make the cake.

Preheat the oven

Heat the oven to 375° F with a rack in the center.

Prepare the pan

Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with Tahini, spreading a thin, even layer over the bottom and sides. If your Blanched Almonds are still whole, split them in half lengthwise.

Mix the batter

In a large bowl, stir together the Coarse Semolina, Fine Semolina, the remaining sugar, plain whole milk yogurt, melted ghee, baking powder, and a pinch of fine salt. Mix until everything is evenly moistened and you have a thick, spreadable batter with no dry patches. Stir gently rather than beating it, so the cake stays tender.

Rest the batter

Let the batter rest 10 minutes so the semolina can absorb the moisture and thicken slightly.

Spread and score

Scrape the batter into the prepared dish and spread it into an even layer, pressing gently into the corners. Smooth the top with slightly wet fingers or a spatula, then score it all the way through into 16 pieces; squares or diamonds both work well. Press an almond half into the center of each piece.

Bake the cake

Bake on the center rack for 30–35 minutes until the top is deeply golden, the edges are a richer brown, and the center looks set rather than wet. If it still seems pale at 30 minutes, keep baking until the color is well developed.

Soak and rest

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, run a knife through the scored lines again. Slowly pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot cake, pausing between additions so it has time to soak in instead of flooding the surface. Let it rest 30 minutes until the syrup is absorbed and the cake is moist all the way through.