Semolina Dessert with Mint and Berries
Automatically translated from Romanian. See the Romanian original
A Lenten dessert featuring a semolina base scented with cinnamon and orange zest, decorated with crunchy cocoa and pistachio cookies, a green mint and nut sauce, and a topping of mixed berries and sour cherries.
Ingredients
Method
-
When the water boils, add a dash of oil, a pinch of salt, and 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, then incorporate the semolina, stirring continuously over medium heat.
-
When the semolina is ready, add the grated orange zest and the cinnamon.
-
Grease a bread baking tin with a bit of oil and pour all the semolina into it (optionally, you can add sour cherries).
-
Cover the tin with plastic wrap and leave it in a cool place for at least 2 hours to set.
-
For the cookies, pour all ingredients into a bowl, mix, and spread the dough onto a baking sheet, at a thickness of no more than 1 cm.
-
Bake the cookies for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.
-
For the fruit topping, mix the berries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, a small piece of ginger, and the juice of one lemon in a saucepan; simmer over low heat until reduced, then let cool.
-
For the mint sauce, place all ingredients in a blender, adding plant-based milk or cold water if it seems too thick.
-
Once the semolina has cooled, turn the tin over onto a cutting board, plastic wrap and all.
-
Portion and decorate as you like with the cookies, mint sauce, and berries.
The story behind this recipe
I think a more fitting name for this dessert would be - Childhood Memories!
I bet I'm not the only one who has eaten two consecutive servings of semolina with jam when I was little.
Unfortunately, I didn't manage to take more photos to show the recipe step by step. But the preparation is quite simple, although it requires more time. It's worth a try. The spices are to my taste. If you want to skip the cinnamon, for example, and use vanilla, you can do so without worry.
You will need:
Base:
250 grams semolina
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Orange zest
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 pinch of salt
Topping:
Frozen sour cherries
Frozen berries
Green sauce:
1 handful of fresh mint
1 cup of soaked walnuts (kernels left in water for 3 hours)
1 tablespoon of sugar
20 ml mint syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
100 ml cold water or plant-based milk
Crunchy cookie:
100 ml sunflower oil/coconut oil
250 flour
1 heaping tablespoon of cocoa
A handful of unsalted pistachios
3 tablespoons sugar
Prepare the semolina first. When the water boils, add a dash of oil, a little salt, and 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Stir continuously over medium heat and incorporate the semolina. I made it by eye... meaning not too thick like polenta, but not too thin in consistency either.
When it's ready, grate in the orange zest and add the cinnamon. Grease a bread baking tin with a little oil and pour all the semolina into it. If you want to add sour cherries, it turns out better; if not, leave it as is and put the semolina tin to cool after covering it with plastic wrap. It will need to be left for at least 2 hours to set well.
Meanwhile, prepare the cookies:
Pour the ingredients into a bowl, mix, and spread the entire dough on a baking sheet. The dough thickness should be at most 1 cm. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.
Fruit topping:
In a saucepan, mix the berries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, a small piece of ginger, and the juice from one lemon. Simmer on low heat until reduced, turn off, and let cool.
Green mint sauce:
All ingredients in the blender. If it seems thick, add plant-based milk or cold water.
After the semolina has cooled, turn the tin over onto a cutting board, with the plastic wrap included.
Portion and decorate as you please with cookies, mint sauce, and berries.
I would appreciate your feedback along with a photo.
Enjoy! 💗
