Dried Fruit And Nut Bsteeyas Food

DRIED-FRUIT-AND-NUT BSTEEYAS

Steps:

• For the fruit: mix all ingredients in 1/4 cup of warm water and leave to macerate and rehydrate for at least four hours.
• For the nuts: lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside. In a skillet, melt sugar over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan, until it reaches a dark caramel color. Add butter, then nuts, and stir until nuts are covered with caramel and butter, about 5 minutes. Spread mixture on baking sheet to cool.
• For the almond cream: beat butter and sugar together in a bowl until smooth, add egg yolk, mix well, then stir in flour, cinnamon and ginger.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
• Cut phyllo sheets in half and work with three pieces at a time, keeping the remaining sheets covered with plastic wrap so they don't dry out. Brush one piece with melted butter, place another half sheet on top at a 45-degree angle and brush with more butter. Place third in opposite direction at a 45-degree angle and brush with butter. Carefully lifting sheets, slide a 4-inch saucer under phyllo. Spread 1/8 of almond cream in phyllo center, sprinkle almond cream with 1/4 of nuts and 1/4 of fruit, then cover with another 1/8 of cream. Fold phyllo flaps over center, creating a disk- shaped pie. Brush with butter. Repeat to make three more bsteeyas. Place on baking sheet.
• Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning over after 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Dust with a little sugar and cinnamon. Serve with ginger ice cream.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS

Steps:

• Combine nuts and fruit.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of one large 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or 2 smaller 8 x 4 loaf pans.
• In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt, baking powder and baking soda to combine. Add the brown sugar, all the dried fruit, and nuts and mix thoroughly with your fingers. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract until light. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the fruits and nuts are coated with batter. Scrape into the prepared pan (pans).
• Bake until the top is deep golden brown and the batter clinging to the fruit seems set, about 1 hour for smaller loaves, 10-15 minutes longer for a large loaf. Tent loosely with foil if the cake appears to be browning too much. Cook completely in the pan(s) on a rack.
• When completely cool, remove the cake from the pan(s). The cake keeps, wrapped airtight in foil or plastic wrap, for several weeks at room temperature or at least 3 months in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for at least 6 months.
• To serve, cut into thin slices with a sharp heavy knife.