Not unlike rice pudding, this couscous dessert is found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Scent it with a few drops of rose water (available at Middle Eastern stores) or orange-flower water in place of the cinnamon if you like. Until recently, the topping for seffa was a thick sugar syrup, like that used on basbousa (preceding recipe). But more and more you see it without syrup or with a substitute like almond milk, which is very good.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 cup whole milk

　　1/2 cup blanched almonds, very finely chopped or ground in a food processor

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

　　1 1/2 cups couscous

　　Salt to taste

　　1/4 cup raisins, optional

　　1/4 cup chopped dried apricots, optional

　　1/4 cup chopped dates, optional

　　1/4 cup sugar or honey, or to taste

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

　　

Step 1

Combine the milk and almonds in a saucepan with a lid and bring just to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit while you proceed with the recipe.

　　

Step 2

Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan with a lid and turn the heat to medium-low. When it melts, add the couscous and cook, stirring, until it is coated with butter, about 1 minute. Add 2 1/4 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to its minimum. Cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, 7 to 12 minutes. If you’re using the dried fruit, soak the raisins and apricots in warm water to cover while the couscous cooks.

　　

Step 3

Pour the couscous into a large serving bowl and stir in the remaining butter with a fork, along with the drained dried fruit and the dates if you’re using them, fluffing the couscous and breaking up any lumps. Add the sugar and cinnamon, then stir; taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Strain the almond milk, pour it over the couscous, and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.