BASBOUSA

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2 sticks butter, unsalted

1/2 cup chopped almonds

extra almonds for decoration on top

1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup semolina flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Syrup-

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

juice from 1/2 lemon

Option- 1 TBSP rosewater

Option- whipped cream

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1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Fry almonds in 1 stick of butter until slightly golden

3. In large bowl, mix yogurt and 3/4 cup sugar

4. One at a time, mix in almonds and their butter, semolina, baking powder and vanilla extract until well blended.

5. Pour into oiled 9x9x2 pan and put into oven

6. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.

7. Make syrup right away while basbousa is baking

8. Stir together 1 cup sugar, water and lemon juice over medium heat until thick enough to coat spoon.

9. Mix in rose water and stir 2 more minutes

10. Remove from heat and put into refrigerator right away.

11. Once basbousa is finished in oven pour cold syrup on top.

12. Cut basbousa into squares or diamonds and put back into oven for another 5 minutes

13. Once basbousa is finished, pour 1 stick melted butter on top

14. Spread whipped cream on top or put dollops on individual servings

NUT & DATE FUDGE / RANGINAK

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 lbs white/vanilla chocolate bark, wafers or chips (craft stores, baking aisle at market, candy supply stores). Can also use "confectioners coating"
1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/8 tsp salt
1.5 tsp white vinegar
1 lb pitted dates
1/2 lb walnut halves (halved again, so you have quarters)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup slivered pistachios or almonds for garnish
1 tsp vanilla extract

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1. Put one piece of walnut into each date and fold it closed
2. Arrange dates facing up into a wax-paper lined 8 or 9 inch pan.
3. In large sauce pan, melt bark/wafers/chips over very low heat.
4. Once melted, stir in salt
5. Remove from heat
6. Stir in chopped walnuts, vanilla, condensed milk and vinegar. Mix well
7. Pour carefully around and then over dates/nuts, filling in crevices
8. Garnish with pistachios or almonds across the top
9. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature once cooled.

BAKLAWA / BAKLAVA

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Filo pastry sheets

1 lb melted, rendered butter (melt for 30 minutes over low heat, put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, scrape off & discard top residue)

1 lb ground, unsalted cashews or pistachios

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Syrup-
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
2 TBSP orange blossom flavoring or juice of 1 lemon or orange
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1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix nuts, sugar, allspice and cinnamon
3. Cut pastry sheets to fit 9x15 baking pan. Keep them covered with wet towels to prevent drying out
4. Spread one sheet across bottom of pan and brush with melted butter
5. Add alternating layers of sheets and brushed on butter until you have it 20 sheets deep
6. Pour nut mixture on top and spread evenly
7. Put layers of pastry & melted butter on top until all sheets have been used
8. Slice with knife into squares/servings
9. Bake for 1 hour at 350
10. While baklawa is baking, make syrup-
11. Combine sugar and water in pan and bring to boil
12. Continute to stir until syrupy - about 10 minutes
13. Mix in orange blossom flavoring
14. Put in refrigerator immediately
15. You need to baklawa to be done and the syrup to be COLD before combining
16. Once these conditions are meet, pour the cold syrup on top of of the warm baklawa.

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