Instructions: Several hours ahead of serving or ideally the day before: rinse and drain the dried fruit.

Boil the shelled almonds for 23 minutes drain them and when they are cool enough to handle skin them.

Mix the sugar and honey with 900ml of water in a stainless steel pan and bring to the boil.

Add the fruit and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the almonds and simmer for 5 minutes more.

Stir in the rose water and leave the fruit to macerate in the syrup for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Serve at room temperature or warm up slightly.

Scatter the pomegranate seeds and the pine nuts all over just before serving.

Hosaf is an autumnal dessert common in Turkish homes. Driediruit of high quality is the refore found in abundance in Turkish markets. A hosaf would normally be made up of a selection of fruits indudingprunes. One can improvise and alter the varieties offruit suggested below according to availability. The addition of different nuts like thepine nuts makes the dish more luxurious and thefinal sprinkling of scarletpomegranate seeds adds an extra layer of flavour as well as a fairy tale hint of the East.

Serves 6

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