Sfouf Sofor (Yellow Cake with Turmeric)

    Sfouf is a cake a little bit on the dry side. We were brought up eating with 2 different kind of Sfoufs: Sfouf bil Debs which is made with Debs el Kharoub ( Carob Molasses) (see previous blog) and Sfouf Sofor (yellow) which is made with turmeric, hence the name.

   Sfouf Sofor is simple and fragrant with a distinctive colour from turmeric.

Ingredients:

4 cups Flour

2 ¼ cup Sugar 
½ cup corn oil ( or any vegetable oil)

¾ cup Butter

1 Tbsp Turmeric

1 Tbsp Aniseed powder

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 ½ lukewarm water

1 handful of pine nuts( for decoration optional)

 

Preheat oven to gas mark 5 (350F). Mix flour, spices & baking powder.  Cut butter into small pieces and use the tips of your fingers to thoroughly incorporate into the flour and spice mix. Add oil.  Dissolve sugar in the lukewarm water. Add the water and sugar to the flour, mix and incorporate thoroughly with a spoon. The yellow colour will now come through brilliantly.

Pour in grease baking tray. With wet hands, flat the top of the sfouf. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top if you like it. I made my tray half with pine nuts & half without due to different preference in the family!

My tray size is 25cm diametre.

 Cook in medium heat oven, gaz mark 5, for 25-30 min or till you feel it is done.

Once cooled, cut it into squares

& sahtein!

Sfouf Bil Debs ( Carob Molasses Cake)

        Debs el kharoub, or carob molasses, is a thick sweet syrup made by soaking milled carob pods in water and reducing the extracted liquid. In Lebanon, carob molasses was traditionally used as an alternative to sugar.

   

  Sfouf  is a cake a little bit on the dry side ...So easy to make and absolutely wonderful....

Ingredients:

4 cups Flour

1 cup corn oil

1 cup Debs el Karoub (Carob Molasses)

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp Ground Aniseed
   a bit of water ( if needed)

Sesame Seed  (for decoration optional)

  Preheat oven to gaz mark 5 ( 350F). Mix all ingredients together. Grease the cake tin with butter or it would be very authentic if use tahini instead to coat the baking tray before pouring the mixture. It will give a crunchy crust and deep flavour. Put the mixture into the baking tray.  Smooth the top with wet hands. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top a very thin layer and bake in medium oven gas mark 5 ( 350F) for approx 20-30 mins Cut into small squares once cooled.

 

     Another typical Lebanese dessert with Debs is Debs bi Tahineh (Tahini and Carob Molasses).  It is a mix tahini (sesame seed paste) with the molasses in a small bowl and you would use pitta bread to dip and eat. Proportion is really up to the individual taste.  Try equal proportion at first and adjust to taste. I love the idea of mixing a sweet syrup with tahini as a dessert.