Since Yogurtland started, I meant to post this recipe and put it off longer than I wanted, as many things in life. A big portion of Turkish desserts are soaked in simple syrup after baked; baklava being the most famous one. This yogurt dessert and a close relative of it called revani is made the same way but have some ingredient differences. In fact I do not think I can make a distinction if you were to serve me a piece of each revani and yogurt dessert.

It asks for coarse semolina, also known as farina, which has been hard to come by in the US until I have realized that I can use Cream of Wheat cereal instead. And finally it dawned on to me that I can check the Indian stores and found that sooji is the same thing.

Since the measurements were using Turkish coffee cups, I tried to adjust them to American cups. Turns out one Turkish coffee cup is somewhere between 1/2 and 1/3 American cups. Here, I will list them as 1/3+ cups, so you know what that means; add a bit more. ;)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2/3+ cups coarse semolina
• 1 1/3+ cups flour
• 1+ cup sugar
• 1+ cup yogurt, in room temperature
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp lemon peel or vanilla

for the syrup

• 3.5 cups sugar
• 4 cups water
• 4 tsp lemon juice

if desired, a handful of pine nuts

1. Grease a 13×9inch baking pan, preheat the oven to 350F (175C)
2. If you want to use pine nuts, gently brown them on a pan
3. Make the cake, by adding the ingredients in the order they were specified, using a mixer and pour into the baking dish. Bake for about 25 – 30 mins, until the toothpick comes out clean
4. While the cake is baking, make the syrup so that it is ready to be poured on the cake as soon as cake is out of the oven. Mix the sugar and water, stir to boil on medium heat. Once boiled, add the lemon juice and let it boil once more. The syrup does not need to be thick, no need to boil too long
5. Take the cake out of the oven when it is baked, put it on a wire rack. Using a laddle, add the syrup slowly letting it soak
6. Serve when it is completely cool. Try adding a scoop of icecream, to your dessert!

Afiyet olsun!

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 19th, 2006 at 7:13 pm and is filed under Dessert, Turkish Food. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.