Semolina dessert with spices, cocoa and walnuts

Easy and delicious dessert with the strange name "Melahroino" or "Melahroini" which literally means "the dark one" because of its colour thanks to the cocoa and the walnuts. The word actually refers to people with very dark hair (dark brown or black) or to people with darker skin than others (not implying at all though to coloured people, so not to have any misunderstandings here...). It is a rather traditional recipe with minor differences from region to region and quite popular all year through. Ideally can be served with whipped cream on the side or vanilla ice cream or even a couple of dollops of thick Greek yoghurt

Adapted from a recipe of Niki Mitarea

"COOK BOOK" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper

Ingredients (for 6-8 people)

For the cake:
6 eggs, separated
500gr. of granulated sugar
500gr. of semolina flour
2 tea-cups of walnuts, roughly chopped
½ tsp of baking soda
1 tea-cup of olive oil
½ tsp of ground cloves
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 lemon, the zest
1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tea-cup of of citrus fruits flavoured liqueur

For the syrup:
2 tea-cups of granulated sugar
3 tea-cups of water
2 tbsp of honey
½ a lemon, the juice
1 cinnamon stick

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.

First beat in a bowl the egg whites very well to create a thick meringue. Incorporate the egg yolks in the mixture and beat until they come together.

In another bowl mix the semolina with the cinnamon, the cloves, the baking soda, the walnuts, the cocoa powder and the lemon zest and leave aside.

In a large bowl first beat the olive oil very well with the sugar and then add, alternating, some of the semolina mixture and some of the egg mixture. Keep beating in this way until all ingredients are used.

Grease a medium size oven pan and empty the cake mixture in it. Smooth the surface with a spatula, put in the oven and bake for about 40-50 minutes.

Take the pan out of the oven and leave aside to cool down. When it is cold first lightly prick, using a toothpick, the surface in various places and then drizzle on top with the citrus liqueur.

In the meantime prepare the syrup. Put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and boil in medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is slightly thick.

Discard the cinnamon stick and pour the hot syrup over the cold dessert. Leave for a couple of hours until the syrup is absorbed, cut in pieces and serve.