pomegranate molasses sweet treat
This recipe for a pomegranate molasses sweet treat is a way of making sure you get the most out of your purchase. If you’ve ever found blueberries, either fresh or frozen, rather bland, dig into your kitchen cupboard for the pomegranate molasses. We adapted an Ottolenghi recipe to demonstrate how versatile this Lebanese store cupboard staple is. The intense flavour of pomegranate molasses, combined with sumac, brings a much needed acidity to frozen blueberries.
These blueberries were a bargain purchase from the greengrocer, some used for jam and the rest frozen for emergency puddings. Ottolenghi’s recipe provided the perfect canvas to show off the flavour of Zejd’s tart, but not mouth puckering, molasses. Mixing it with sumac, a dash of rose water, also in the cupboard, simmering quickly, was all it needed. A jammy drizzle created in minutes, for the top of a tahini flavoured crumble crunch with a heart of halva. This pomegranate molasses sweet treat proves that your purchase was worth it. Delicious in a salad dressing, with meat, and in a pomegranate molasses sweet treat. That’s real multitasking.
ingredients
crumble
225g plain flour
70g caster sugar
50g light brown sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
175g unsalted butter, melted
40g tahini
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
filling
200g halva
300g frozen blueberries
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tsp good quality rose water (or vanilla extract if you don’t like rose water)
blueberry drizzle (optional)
30g frozen blueberries, (they’ll defrost in the pan)
1 tsp good quality rose water (or vanilla extract)
1 tablespoon of sumac
method
- Grease and line the base and sides of a 22cm square tin (one you use for brownies) with greaseproof paper or a butter paper.
- Turn the oven on at 170C (160 fan) 350F, gas mark 4. Put the first five ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine, add the melted butter, tahini, vanilla, and stir. The mixture will be quite soft.
- Measure 300g of the crumble mixture and smooth it down over the base of the tin with the back of a spoon. Put this in the oven to bake for 20 minutes. The remaining crumble mixture goes into the fridge for later.
- Remove the tin from the oven, and turn up the heat to 180C (170C) 375F, gas mark 5. In a bowl add the blueberries, cornflour, sumac and rose water together and stir. Then break the halva over the crumble base, followed by the berry mixture. Lastly take the crumble mixture out of the fridge and scatter this over the fruit. Return the tin to the oven, and bake for 45-50 minutes, turning the tin round after 20 minutes for an even bake. The topping should be golden, with the berry mixture bubbling though. Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.
- Add the remaining blueberries, icing sugar, rose water and sumac to a small pan. Using the back of a fork, squash the berries until the liquid turns a deep purple, and allow this to bubble for half a minute. Spoon this mixture over the top of the crumble and leave to set. Carefully remove from the tin when cooler, and cut into as many squares as you like.
Delicious eaten warm, or newly baked, served with creme fraiche. A glamorous addition to a picnic too.