Sweet Couscous

½ pound couscous
1 ¼ cups of hot water
12 dates, stoned and chopped
1 ½ cups of mixed nuts, chopped
2 tablespoons of raisins
½ cup of sugar, or to taste
The juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons of butter
12 almonds, whole
1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Place the couscous in a bowl and pour in the hot water, stirring as you do so. Set the couscous and the water aside.

While the couscous is absorbing the water, combine the dates, the mixed nuts, the raisins, the sugar, and the orange juice.

Place the couscous in a couscousier or a sieve above a saucepan of boiling water and steam for 10 minutes.

Rub in the butter and steam for an additional 5 minutes.

When ready to serve, stir the nut and raisin mixture into the couscous and turn it out onto a serving dish.

Decorate with the whole almonds and sprinkle with the powdered sugar and the cinnamon.

Serve.