If you are looking for an easy recipe for a dessert then you are at the right place. Cypriot Kalo prama which translates to ‘good thing’ is more than a good thing it’s fantastic thing. And it’s even better when you see how easy the recipe is. No mixer required, just one big bowl and a whisk. It’s quite cheap to make too!
Kalo prama is a traditional Cypriot dessert which is similar to the Greek ravani. It’s usually served at room temperature with coffee or tea in the winter. As it’s a Cypriot dessert and as Cypriot and Greek desserts go, it’s uber sweet hence when it’s served it’s served in small portions (but if you want to go bigger, who am I to judge ha). I personally like it cold because I find that the flavour of the mastic is more subtle when the cake is cold. Let me know how you prefer it.
But first, let’s get cooking my darlings!
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cup semolina
1 1/2 cup Greek style full fat yogurt
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sunflower oil
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp mastic powder
20 almonds
For the syrup
2 1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 lemon rind
1 stick cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Make the syrup: Place all the ingredients in a pan and let it boil. As soon as it starts boiling, leave for a further 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Let it cool
Step 2
Blanch the almonds. In a small pan add the raw almonds and water. Bring to a boil. When the water starts boiling remove from the heat and rinse immediately with cold water. Squeeze the almonds one by one to remove the skin.
Step 3
Make the cake: In a bowl add the semolina, sugar,yogurt, oil, eggs, baking powder and mastic. Stir together until all ingredients are combined. On top, place the almonds one my one creating rows of four.
Step 4
Pour in a pyrex 35x23cm and bake in a preheated oven for one hour at 180°.
Step 5
Remove from the oven and pour the cold syrup evenly on the cake. Let it soak the syrup, ideally for a night.
♥Mastic is the resin of the mastic tree typically found in Chios island in Greece. It’s taste is slightly pine or cedar like flavour so very special. You can easily buy mastic online but if you don’t want to add mastic or you are too scared of the flavour, then just add some lemon zest.
Semolina can be bought from almost every supermarket. Ideally, coarse semolina is used for this dessert, but semolina flour will also do.
A big tip for the syrup. If you cook it too long then the cake won’t be able to soak it up but if you under cook it then the cake will get runny. Another big tip when adding syrup to a Greek or Cypriot dessert is to always have one cold. So if your cake is hot your syrup should be cold and vise versa. If both are hot then the dessert will crumble before your eyes beyond salvation ( based on personal experience!)
♥ LOVE THIS RECIPE? KEEP IN TOUCH AND DON’T MISS OUT ON ANY OF GREEK FOOD ALCHEMIST’S RECIPES. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK ♥
