Namoura Egyptian Honey Cake Recipes

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over high heat, boil sugar and 1 cup/240 milliliters of water, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add lemon juice and extract, and stir to combine. Simmer until thickened into a syrup, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Place the semolina, melted butter and sugar in a large bowl and stir until well combined; set aside.
• Place the yogurt and baking soda in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside until the mixture has nearly doubled in size, about 10 minutes.
• Pour the yogurt mixture over the semolina mixture and mix well to combine. Transfer to the buttered baking dish and press into an even layer. Using a knife, score the surface of the namoura on the diagonal into 2-inch diamond-shaped pieces. Top each diamond in the center with an almond. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Place baking dish on a wire rack and drizzle the cooled syrup over the top of the hot namoura. Let cool to room temperature before recutting along the scored lines and serving.

Steps:

• 1. Gather Ingredients.
• 2. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
• 3. Put the butter in the microwave-safe bowl, and heat 15 seconds at a time until mostly melted.
• 4. Mix farina, sugar and butter in a bowl.
• 5. Mix the baking soda and baking powder, then stir into the yogurt in another bowl. When mixed, add it to the farina mixture and blend together.
• 6. Grease the baking pan with a little shortening and pour the batter inches (As an option, you can drizzle the top with 2 tablespoons of yogurt.).
• 7. Using a knife, score the top of the batter into medium-sized rectangles -- or to be a bit fancier, try diamond shapes! (You'll probably make 12-16 pieces.) Place a blanched almond in the middle of each piece.
• 8. Using your oven mitts, put the pan into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until it's brown on top.
• 9. When the cake is done, it out of the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes while you clean up the kitchen.
• 10. Drizzle honey over the top. Cut along the lines you scored.

Steps:

• 1. Prepare 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.
• 2. Prepare 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.
• 3. 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!