Ingredients
- Cake
- 125 grams (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) melted ghee, plus more for greasing the pan
- 250 grams (about 1½ cups) semolina flour
- 198 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 250 grams (about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) plain whole-milk yogurt, plus more for serving
- Whole roasted almonds, for decorating (optional)
-
Syrup
- 198 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 227 grams (1 cup) water
- 21 grams (1½ tablespoons) lemon juice (from about ½ a lemon)
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 7x11-inch baking dish (or an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan) with some of the extra melted ghee.
- Combine the semolina, sugar, baking powder, yogurt, and ghee in a bowl and mix with a spoon or your hands until combined into a wet cookie-dough-like texture.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish, flattening it out into an even height with a flexible spatula if need be. Cut into about 18 squares or diamonds. (You can cut more or fewer to your desired size; this won’t affect the baking.) If using almonds, lightly press one into the center of each square.
- If using a 7x11-inch pan, bake for 35 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. (If you're using an 8- or 9-inch cake pan, the baking time will increase. Continue baking until golden brown.)
- When the cake has 15 minutes left to bake, make the syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as it boils, add the lemon juice, stir, and turn off the heat.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately pour the hot syrup evenly over the surface. Using a knife, cut the shapes again if they need a touch up. Cover with foil and set aside so the cake can absorb the syrup and cool completely, at least 25 minutes or up to overnight.
- Serve the cake plain, or with an additional dollop of yogurt.
HALAWET EL JIBN (SWEET CHEESE ROLLS)
