Oriental pomegranate dessert

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 4 eggs
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup semolina, fine
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup fig(s), dried
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup of coffee, freshly brewed, strong
• 1 liter milk, 3.5% fat
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 packets of vanilla sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 pomegranate, for garnishing
• Butter, for greasing
• possibly cinnamon powder

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes

a recipe from my sister from Istanbul

Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan). For the dough, finely chop the walnuts and cut the dried figs into small cubes. Beat the eggs, vanilla sugar, and sugar with a mixer until creamy. Add the semolina, then stir in the baking powder and flour. Finally, fold in the walnuts and figs. Grease a large glass baking dish with butter, pour in the dough, and bake at 160°C (320°F) for about 20-25 minutes. The dough should be just a light brown. Spoon the coffee into the hot dough and spread it evenly over the dough. For the custard, pour the milk into a saucepan. Add all the other ingredients with a whisk, stirring constantly, and simmer until the milk has a thick consistency (like pudding). Spread over the dough and let cool. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours. Remove the pomegranate seeds from their shells (a bit time-consuming, but worth it) and scatter them over the custard. The dessert has a wonderfully oriental flavor thanks to the combination of walnuts, dried figs, and pomegranate seeds. You can also add a sprinkle of cinnamon if you like. You can also prepare the dessert the day before, as it tastes better when it’s been left to marinate. I would recommend adding the pomegranate seeds the next day, though, as they won’t look or taste quite as fresh and crisp otherwise. You can also peel the pomegranate, or deseed it, the day before if you store the seeds in an airtight container in the refrigerator.