Basbousa with Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup Flour
• 1 cup Fine semolina (ferkha flour)
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Coconut
• 3/4 cup Vegetable oil
• 5 Large eggs
• 1 sachet Vanilla
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 1 cup Sugar for the syrup
• 1 cup Water for the syrup
• 1 piece Small piece of lemon for the syrup
• 1 small spoonful of ghee Ghee or butter for greasing the Pyrex dish
• 1 teaspoon Animal ghee for the syrup
• Orange zest
• Lemon zest
• the same cup as the yogurt Milk with a squeeze of lemon instead of yogurt
• as needed Aleppo pistachios for garnish
• as needed Coconut for garnish
• as desired Ashta for filling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, with top and bottom heat.
2. Take all ingredients out of the refrigerator before starting so they come to room temperature, including the eggs and yogurt, in the kitchen.
3. Prepare the syrup in a saucepan over medium heat by placing 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, and a small piece of lemon in the saucepan.
4. Stir the syrup only slightly in the saucepan so the sugar does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
5. Let the syrup boil in the saucepan, covered, for 2 minutes, then remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool.
6. A teaspoon of animal ghee may be added to the syrup after it has cooled, if desired.
7. Grease the Pyrex dish with ghee, butter, or ghee, and line it with parchment paper if desired, then prepare the baking dish before mixing.
8. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl: 1 cup fine semolina, 1 cup coconut, 1 cup flour, and 2 tsp baking powder.
9. Whisk the eggs alone in another bowl until they begin to thicken.
10. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar to the beaten eggs while continuing to whisk, until the mixture becomes light in color and thick.
11. Add the vanilla to the egg-and-sugar mixture.
12. Gradually add 3/4 cup vegetable oil to the egg-and-sugar mixture while whisking, or add it all at once while whisking.
13. Add 1 cup yogurt to the liquid mixture and mix.
14. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture in batches using a spoon; do not use an electric mixer at this stage.
15. Mix only until combined and the batter is heavy and thick.
16. Pour the batter into the greased Pyrex dish, then spread it evenly and shake or tap the dish to level the surface and thickness.
17. Place the Pyrex dish on the middle rack of the oven at 180°C until cooked through and golden on top and bottom.
18. Do not open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking.
19. After removing the Pyrex dish from the oven, pour the cold syrup over the hot basbousa until it absorbs it.
20. Leave the basbousa for 15 to 30 minutes to cool and absorb the syrup.
21. Cut the basbousa into squares or the desired shape after it has cooled.
22. The basbousa may be filled with ashta as desired, and may be garnished with coconut or Aleppo pistachios.