Namourah Dessert Recipe

By Mary Markarian

My name is Mary and I am a wife and mother of 3. The kitchen is the heart of my home. It's where we gather, eat, cook, laugh, entertain, and make memories. I am a second generation Armenian American. My family is originally from Aleppo, Syria. I come from a long line of amazing home cooks, and enjoy sharing my love of cooking with my Facebook & Instagram family and friends.

@mimosas_and_samosas | @maryandshalini

About Namourah
A classic Middle Eastern dessert that can best be described as a dense, semolina cake that's been soaked in simple syrup infused with orange or rose blossom water.

Serving Size: 12-15 pieces | Recipe Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cups Coarse Grain Semolina or Farina
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Plain Yogurt
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 3 tsp Sadaf Orange Blossom Water or Sadaf Rose Water
• 1/2 stick Melted Butter
• 1/2 cup Sadaf Organic Sesame Tahini (to baste the baking dish)
• Slivered or Halved Raw Almonds (for topping)

Simple syrup

• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Orange Blossom Water

Recipe Preparation

• First prepare the simple syrup by dissolving water and sugar in a small pot over medium heat.
• Cook about 4-5 minutes and add the lemon juice and orange blossom water. Mix and set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 350
• In a 13 x 13 baking dish add the tahini and baste the pan.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the semolina, sugar, yogurt, baking powder, orange blossom water, butter, and stir together to combine. You can use a rubber spatula or your hands. The mixture will be pretty dry, not like your average cake batter.
• Empty semolina mixture into prepared baking dish and flatten with your hands. Let sit for about 20 minutes.
• Cut into squares or diamond shapes, and top with the almonds.
• Bake until golden brown (my oven took almost 40 minutes)
• Remove from oven, re-score the squares, and pour cooled syrup over entire dish. The syrup will be completely absorbed into the cake.
• Let cool completely and serve!