#basbousa

1 2/3 c semolina flour

1 c unsweetened, dessicated/dried coconut

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c melted butter or ghee

1c sugar

2 eggs

1c plain yogurt

2 tsp vanilla

24 whole almonds

For the syrup:

1 1/2 c water

1 1/2 c sugar

Zest of one lemon-- use a vegetable peeler to take it off the lemon in strips

Juice of half a lemon; recipe says half a teaspoon but, like...why even bother at that point. Maybe lemon extract would make more sense with that measurement. You can also use orange extract or fiori di sicilia or rose water here.

Oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment.

Whisk together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix the sugar into the melted butter. Beat in the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla.

Dust your wets: use a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula to mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Don't over mix; the batter will be pretty thick.

Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Use a knife or spatula to draw shallow lines in the batter, dividing it into 12 squares. Divide the squares diagonally into 24 triangles, and press an almond into each triangle.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

While it bakes, make the syrup: heat all the ingredients together on the stove over low heat, stirring frequently, until all the sugar is dissolved and it begins to simmer. Recipe says 4-8 minutes; I wasn't paying attention. Discard the strips of zest.

When the cake finishes baking, remove from the oven and immediately pour the syrup over it. You're going to think it's too much liquid for the cake, but I promise it isn't- pause a bit while pouring if it starts to puddle, but between the coconut and the semolina this thing can absorb a *lot*.