Ramadan Kareem everyone! 🌙 First of all, I must say that I am finally relieved to see less chocolate ruining the classic Middle Eastern flavor profile of Ramadan desserts this year. In the light of that honor, here’s my recipe for Ramadan themed blondies. I added some ghee and semolina to the traditional blondie ingredients for a unique, Basboosa-inspired texture and a signature Middle Eastern flair.

• Ingredients:
  • 200g butter, melted
  • 2 Tbsp ghee (40g)
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 125g granulated white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 200g all-purpose flour
  • 100g semolina
  • 1/2  teaspoon salt
  • 40g Medjool dates (about 3-4 dates)
  • 40g dried apricots (about 5-6 dried apricots)
  • 50g mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachio, hazelnuts)
  • 75g white chocolate chips
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves or cinnamon
  • 10g shredded coconut (to sprinkle on top)
  • Qamar-el-din sheets for decoration

• Method:
  • Cut out shapes of Qamar-el-din sheets, or alternatively cut them into 1 cm squares.
  • Then add the butter, ghee and sugars to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, while stirring in between.
  • Mix the dry ingredients together (flour, semolina, salt, ground cloves and nutmeg) in another bowl.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix and stir well to combine.
  • Add the nuts, dried fruits and white chocolate chips to the batter and fold gently to incorporate.
  • Pour the batter into a baking pan (18-22cm), smooth the top and decorate with Qamar-el-din shapes and coconut.
  • Bake for 30 minutes at 170°C.
  • Optionally you could pour simple syrup over the baked blondies while they are still warm for a sweeter taste.
  • Indulge!