Namoura (نمورة)
Namoura (نمورة), is a delicious Lebanese cake/dessert that is super easy to make and widely known across the Middle East. It is topped with almonds, baked and then soaked with an aromatic sugar.
servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups semolina flour coarse
- 1 cup semolina flour (ferkha) fine
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt regular not greek
- 1 cup evaporated milk carnation, warm
- 3 tbsp. orange blossoms water
- 2 tbsps. tahini paste for rubbing the tray
- 1/2 cup almonds peeled, halves
SUGAR SYRUP:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1.5 tbsps. orange blossoms water
Instructions
- In an electric mixing bowl, mix the sugar, semolina, and butter together. Add in the milk, orange blossoms water, baking powder, yogurt and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes to obtain a thick batter.
- Line a nonstick half sheet pan (17.5 inch x 13 inch) with parchment paper. Brush with the tahini paste and then place the batter on it and spread out evenly on the pan with a spatula or your palm. You can wet your palms to help spread it out.
- Let it sit for about 45 minutes to an hour (until the semolina absorbs the moisture and becomes softer) and then cut out the namoura into square patterns or diamond shape patterns, whatever you prefer.
- NOTE: You do not have to do the cutting now. You can just add the almonds on top and cut out after the namoura cools down but this helps the sugar syrup get into the cake better after baking as well as make it easier to cut.
- Bake the Namoura cake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30- 40 minutes (depending on your oven and thickness) until the edges start to brown up. Turn the top broiler on to broil the top a few minutes to obtain a darker golden color on top. Watch very close so you do not burn it.
- Remove from the oven and pour 1¼-2 cups (based on your preference) of sugar syrup evenly over the Namoura while it's hot. Let it cool at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
SUGAR SYRUP:
- In a small pot, mix the sugar and water well until the sugar dissolves. Bing to boil and then start timing 5 minutes time on medium heat.
- Add in the lemon juice and orange blossoms water and boil for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool down.
Notes
- Prepare sugar syrup during bake time or before.
- This recipe comes out about 3/4 inch thick after baking. I like mine thin that's why I use the half sheet pan tray so it spreads out thinly. If you like your namoura thicker than that, use a smaller pan. The smaller the pan the thicker the thickness would be. The thicker the cake, the longer the cook time will be. I would not recommend using a pan more than 2 inches smaller than the one I use. It will come out really thick.
- Let the namoura cool for 3-4 hours before serving so it absorbs the sugar syrup and holds up more. The first day, the cake texture will feel a little crunchy (we like it like that at our house). By the next day the cake will be much softer because semolina has absorbed all the liquids.
- Store in an air tight container after completely cooling and cutting into pieces to preserve it's freshness.
- Use more or less sugar syrup to your preference. But it should have at least 1.5 cups of syrup to come out a bit moist and not too dry. I do not add too much syrup either because it becomes way too sweet. It's all based on your preference and what you like. So adjust according.
Nutrition
Serving: 32serving | Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg
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