Levantine cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Hareeseh bi Joz al Hind

Dense semolina cake with plenty of shredded coconut, baked in a tray and soaked in sugar syrup while still hot.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 300 g semolina
• 150 g shredded coconut
• 250 ml milk
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut for sprinkling
• 400 g sugar for the syrup
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rose water

Instructions

1. For the syrup, bring 400 g sugar with 250 ml water and the lemon juice to a boil and simmer uncovered for 10 min. until it runs thin off the ladle, then stir in the rose water and chill.
2. Mix the semolina, 150 g shredded coconut, 150 g sugar and baking powder in a bowl and stir in the milk and 120 g melted butter.
3. Let the batter swell for 20 min. until firm and moldable – if poured in too wet, the cake will turn out gummy later.
4. Grease a dish of about 28 × 20 cm with the remaining butter, pour in the batter about 2 cm high, press smooth and score into diamonds.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C top/bottom heat for 30–35 min. until the surface is golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out just moist but clean.
6. Pour the cold syrup over the hot cake immediately, sprinkle with the remaining shredded coconut and let it steep for 2 hrs. before separating the diamonds.