165 – Ka’ak – Moroccan Cookie Recipe

Ingredients :

• 250 grams all purpose flour
• 100 grams white sugar
• 30 grams sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground anise seeds
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• 1 egg
• 8 cl vegetable oil
• A pinch of salt
• Egg wash: 1 egg for brushing the cookies

Directions :

Preparation Steps:
1- The first step is to activate the yeast. Mix 1 teaspoon of dry yeast with a bit of sugar and warm water. Let the yeast mixture rest for 20 minutes before using it.
2- To get maxi-flavor cookies, crush 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds with a pestle before using them. That releases all the aromas.
3- On medium-low heat, roast 30 grams of sesame seeds for 15 minutes.  Watch them closely and stir from time to time so they do not burn.

Preparing the Dough:
1- Now we are ready! We are going to mix all the dry ingredients together: 250 grams of flour, 100 grams of sugar, the sesame seeds, the fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon of ground anise seeds, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Mix well.
2- Add the yeast – as you can see it became foamy, which is good news, it means it’s ready to work!
3- Add 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water.
4- Mix well using your hand to ensure that all ingredients are well incorporated.
5- Gradually add 8 cl of vegetable oil to the dough while mixing. You will notice the dough becoming smoother.
6- And finally, add a small amount of warm water while mixing the dough– just enough to form a ball with the dough.
7- Now, knead your dough for 5 minutes until you get a smooth dough. Use the palms of your hand to knead, that’s where the magic is!

Shaping and Baking the Cookies:
1- Make balls the size of an egg with the dough.
2- This is the fun part, we’re going to shape the cookies! Take a dough ball and smooth it by pressing on it. Roll the dough into a tube. Join the 2 ends of the tube to make a circle. Place the circle on a baking pan covered with parchment paper and using a knife, cut the edges of the cookie. Don’t cut through the cookie, just the edges to give it its unique shape.
3- Let the cookies rest for 15 minutes before baking.
Note: If you want an easier way to shape the cookies I have a trick for you. Just roll the dough and use a cup to cut the dough into round cookies.
4- Preheat  your oven to 350 F degrees.
5- Beat an egg and brush the cookies with it.
6- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until they become golden brown. Note that the simple shaped cookies bake faster than the ones shaped into a wheel, because they are thinner.
And that’s it. Let the cookies cool down and serve them with mint tea or coffee!Yeah, did you hear this sound… that’s me munching on one of the cookies… Enjoy!