Chebakia

Name: Chebakia
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 100 g plain flour; 25 g sesame seeds; 15 g ground almonds; 15 g unsalted butter; 0.5 tsp anise seeds; 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 pinch saffron threads; 0.5 tsp fast-action dried yeast; 1 pinch fine salt; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1 tsp orange blossom water; 35 ml warm water; 100 g honey; 1 tsp orange blossom water; 1 tsp sesame seeds; 500 ml sunflower oil

Moroccan sesame and anise pastries, folded into little roses, deep-fried until crisp and then steeped in warm orange blossom honey. A Ramadan classic, eaten alongside harira.

Snacks Lunch & dinner Vegetarian 8g+ fibre

70 min45 prep · 25 cookHard1472 kcalper serving

Method

Dry-toast 25 g of sesame seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, shaking constantly, until they are golden and smell nutty. Cool for a few minutes, then grind in a spice grinder or heavy mortar to a coarse, slightly oily powder — this is what gives chebakia its colour and flavour.
In a mixing bowl combine the ground sesame with 15 g of ground almonds, 100 g of plain flour, 0.5 tsp of ground anise seeds, 0.25 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1 pinch of crushed saffron, 0.5 tsp of dried yeast and 1 pinch of fine salt. Pour over 15 g of melted butter and rub through with your fingertips until the mixture looks like damp sand.
Add 1 tsp of white vinegar, 1 tsp of orange blossom water and most of 35 ml of warm water. Bring together and knead firmly on an unfloured surface for 8–10 minutes, adding the last drops of water only if needed: the dough must be smooth, elastic and quite firm, never sticky. Cover with a damp cloth and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.