This is the dessert that I most associate with my childhood. Our aunt Gracie brought it whenever she visited, and I loved it so much that we asked her for the recipe. Eventually I took to baking it myself whenever I could, making it one of the very few things that I made as a young person that wasn’t directly from my mom or dad’s repertoire. In fact, it wasn’t even a family recipe. Though we regarded Gracie as one of our many aunties, my cousin Rachel and I didn’t realize until high school that she was actually a very dear friend of our great-aunt Babe, not a blood relative. It cracks me up and warms my heart to think about how as children we never questioned that everyone who was at all of our holiday gatherings was family.

　　This recipe was excerpted from ‘Maydān' by Rose Previte with Marah Stets, one of our top cookbooks of 2023. Buy the full book on Amazon.

　　All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

　　

What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　Orange Blossom Water

　　$8 At Amazon

　　9 x 12 Baking Pan

　　$25 At Amazon

　　Cream of Wheat

　　$5 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Makes 24 (2-inch) squares

　　

For the syrup

2 cups sugar

　　Juice of ½ lemon

　　1 tsp. orange blossom water

　　

For the pudding squares

Vegetable oil, for spraying the baking pan, and for the knife (optional)

　　4 cups milk

　　2 cups Cream of Wheat

　　1¾ cups sugar

　　

Step 1

To make the syrup, in a medium saucepan combine the sugar with 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir to ensure the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and add the lemon juice. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the orange blossom water, and set aside to cool completely. Refrigerate until cold.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 x 12-inch baking pan with oil.

　　

Step 3

To make the pudding squares, in a large saucepan stir together the milk, Cream of Wheat, sugar, and butter. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan, about 15 minutes; it will be thick and it will thicken before it comes away from the sides of the pan.

　　

Step 4

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and use a rubber or silicone spatula to make an even layer. Use a sharp knife to cut 2-inch squares (rubbing vegetable oil on the knife can help prevent sticking). Put a whole almond or a few slivered almonds in the center of each square and press very gently so they stick.

　　

Step 5

Bake until lightly browned, 50 minutes to 1 hour, and up to 10 minutes longer for a browner top.

　　

Step 6

Remove from the oven and recut the squares. Spoon the cold syrup around the outer edges and all the cut edges; don’t add more syrup than the harist can absorb—you may not use all of the syrup.

　　

Step 7

Let cool completely in the pan. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

　　Recipe excerpt from the new book Maydān: Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond by Rose Previte and Marah Stets. Text © 2023 by Rose Previte. Photos copyright © 2023 by Jennifer Chase. Published by Abrams. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abrams.