This is an Algerian breakfast cereal, and it is delicious. It is also super easy and quick to make. Traditionally, you should steam the cous cous in a couscoussière, but we don't have one, so we use a saucepan.

4 cups water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 whole cinnamon sticks, broken, or 1 tablespoon of Three C Spice Mix (whole cloves, whole cardamom, and broken cinnamon sticks) in a large teaball
1 1/4 cups sultanas
2 1/4 cups cous cous
cream or buttermilk, to serve
sugar, to serve

Bring water, butter, salt and whole spices to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.

Add raisins and cous cous, cover and turn heat off and allow to absorb liquid, undisturbed, for about 8 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and serve in cereal bowls with cream or buttermilk and sugar.

Cinnamon Nut Raisin Bread

This recipe began with the one in my book Rustic European Breads from Your Bread Machine. However, I wanted to add cinnamon and nuts, and I changed some of the ratios of the ingredients, and baked it a little differently. Here is the result of those modifications.

Sponge:
1/4 teaspoon yeast (I use SAF)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup bread flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

Dough:
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 1/2 cups sultanas
3/4 cup walnut pieces

Make sponge: Add yeast, water, and both flours to bread machine pan. Process on the dough cycle, and allow to sit overnight, or 10 hours.

When you are ready to make the dough, soak the raisins in water, and set aside.

Add bread flour, whole wheat flour, buttermilk, water, honey, cinnamon, salt and yeast to the bread pan and process again on the dough cycle. When the cycle is completed, drain the raisins (you may save the liquid to use in other sweet bread doughs) and add to the pan, along with the walnut pieces, and process on dough cycle one more time.

While the dough rises, sprinkle a peel or a rimless pan with semolina, and grease a baking sheet well with butter, or set aside a baking stone.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and work, with wet hands, to press out air bubbles and divide dough in half. Shape each half into a flat rectangle, about 12 X 6 inches, patting flat with your hands. Starting with the long side, roll each rectangle into a cyclinder, press the dough lengthwise down the middle with your hand, pinch the seam closed and turn over. Pinch ends to make tapered points. Place both loaves on the prepared peel or pan, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of flour over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap and slash with a lamé or sharp knife, straight down the middle of the loaf, going no deeper than 1/2 inch. Cover with plastic wrap again, and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 400˚F in the last 30 minutes of this last rising time, placing the baking stone in the oven, if you are using it.

Dampen the tops of the loaves with wet hands. Giving a quick jerk to the peel or baking sheet, slide the breads onto the prepared baking pan or baking stone. If you are using the baking pan, place it into the oven now. Quickly spray the oven floor with several squirts of water. Close the oven door immediately. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375˚F and bake for an additional 20 minutes. The breads should sound hollow when struck with your knuckle on the bottom. If not, continue baking another 5 minutes.

Remove breads to a rack to cool.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 1:25 PM