← Nouns Cooking · Moroccan

Ingredients

• 250 g unhulled sesame seeds (200 g for the dough, 50 g to finish)
• 500 g Plain (all-purpose) flour
• ½ tsp Baking powder
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1½ tsp Anise seeds (anís), ground
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch Saffron, crumbled
• 1 Eggs
• 60 g Butter, melted
• 60 ml Olive oil
• 60 ml white vinegar
• 60 ml Orange flower water
• 1 tsp dried yeast, dissolved in 60 ml warm water
• 1 kg Honey
• 2 tbsp Orange flower water
• 1.5 l vegetable oil, for frying

Method

1. Toast the sesame in a dry pan over medium heat for 5–7 min, stirring, until golden. Cool, set 50 g aside and grind the rest to a fine powder.
2. Mix the flour, ground sesame, baking powder, salt, anise, cinnamon and saffron. Add the egg, butter, oil, vinegar, 60 ml orange flower water and the yeast water, then knead for 10 min to a firm, smooth dough, adding water a spoonful at a time if it is crumbly. Wrap and rest for 30 min.
3. Roll a quarter of the dough very thin (about 2 mm). Cut it into 8 × 6 cm rectangles and make 4 parallel cuts along each one, stopping short of the edges, so you have 5 joined strips.
4. To shape, thread a finger through every other strip, lift, and pinch the two far corners together, letting the strips fall into a flower shape. Lay them on a tray under a cloth and repeat with all the dough.
5. Warm the honey with 2 tbsp orange flower water in a wide pan until just about to simmer, then keep it hot on the lowest heat.
6. Heat the oil to 160°C (325°F) and fry the cookies in batches for 6–8 min, turning, until a deep reddish brown. Pale chebakia go soft, so be patient.
7. Lift them straight into the hot honey and soak for 5–7 min until glossy. Drain on a sieve, sprinkle with the reserved sesame and cool completely before storing in an airtight tin.

Tips

• Contains sesame, a major allergen, plus wheat, egg and dairy.
• Chebakia keep for weeks in an airtight tin, so many families make a big batch before Ramadan.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Taste of Maroc My Moroccan Food