Moroccan sweet buttered couscous (Seffa)

1. Put the couscous in a large bowl, drizzle with the oil and rub with your hands so every grain is coated.

2. Bring the water to the boil with the salt, pour over the couscous, cover and leave to swell for 10 minutes; meanwhile toast the almonds in a dry frying pan until golden and chop roughly.

3. Fluff the couscous with a fork and steam it in a steamer basket over an open pan for 10-15 minutes so it becomes light and fluffy.

4. Add the butter and orange blossom water to the hot couscous and fluff with a fork until the butter melts and the grains separate.

5. Pile the couscous into a cone on a large plate and decorate in stripes with the icing sugar, cinnamon and almonds.

6. Serve warm, with a glass of cold milk or buttermilk.

Tip: Seffa is the dessert of weddings and family celebrations in Morocco, and it can appear at the start or the end of the feast. Steaming makes it truly fluffy, but if you're in a hurry you can butter it right after soaking. It's even richer with raisins or chopped dates.