Semolina Pistachio Layer Cake
Servings: 8-10:
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups coarse semolina
1 gallon whole milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons rose water
2 tablespoons orange-blossom water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups unsalted pistachios
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pine nuts and/or peeled almonds (See Tips below)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
Mix the melted butter and semolina in a medium bowl, and set aside at
room temperature for at least 6 hours or as long as overnight.
Pour the milk into a large pot and bring it to a boil over high heat,
stirring occasionally. When the milk rises to the top of the pot, stir
in the lemon juice and remove the pot from the heat. Set it aside to
cool until the milk separates, 10 to 15 minutes.
Pour the milk through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, stirring to
release the whey. Discard the whey. Transfer the curds in the strainer
to a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons rose water and the orange-blossom
water with a wooden spoon. The kashta should look like small-curd
cottage cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Kashta will
keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.)
Combine the sugar, pistachios, and remaining 1 tablespoon rose water in
a food processor and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of
coarse sand. Add the pistachio mixture to the flour mixture, and using
your hands, mix them together, breaking up the lumps until the mixture
feels like damp sand.
Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with wax paper, using two pieces
crossing at right angles and allowing lengths of paper to hang over the
sides of the pan. Spoon half of the semolina mixture into the pan and
smooth it out to the edges with the back of the spoon. Follow with all
of the kashta, spreading it over the semolina in an even layer. Spoon
the remaining semolina mixture on top and spread it out in an even
layer. Fold the overhanging wax paper over the top, and press to smooth
the semolina. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Pour the olive oil into a skillet that is large enough to accommodate
the nuts in a single layer. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the
nuts, reduce the heat to low, and stir actively until they begin to
darken slightly, about 1 minute (see Tips, below). Remove the pan from
the heat, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the nuts to a paper
towel-lined plate to drain. (Alternatively, dump the nuts into a
medium-mesh sieve set over a container to catch the cooking oil.) Let
them cool completely. (Fried nuts can be stored in a sealed container in
the refrigerator or freezer for up to 3 months.)
One hour before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator, invert
it onto a serving plate, and release it from the pan. Sprinkle the
powdered sugar on top: Hold a fine-mesh sieve over the cake, pour the
powdered sugar into it, and gently tap the rim to release the sugar.
Garnish with the nuts, and serve in wedges.
Tips:
• To peel almonds, put them in a small saucepan with enough cold
water to cover, bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat. Pour the
almonds, with the water, into a bowl and set aside. When the nuts are
cool enough to handle, peel them by squeezing one at a time between your
thumb and forefinger â€" the skin will come off right away. Put the
peeled almonds on a paper towel to dry. (Alternatively, you can blanch
the almonds in a microwave oven by spreading the nuts in a single layer
on a microwave-safe dish and heating them on high power in 30-second
intervals, checking after each interval to ensure that the nuts do not
cook. When the skins feel loose, pinch the nuts as described to remove
the peel.)
• The trick to getting uniformly golden nuts is to stir them
constantly as they fry â€" and to remove them from the heat just
before they turn the color you want them to be; they continue to cook in
the oil even when they're off the heat, and they can burn very easily.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
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