Halwa Shebakia

Special Ramadan cookies

Ingredients

 * 1 lb flour
 * 8 ounces butter
 * ½ lb sesame seeds, plus additional toasted seeds for sprinkling
 * ½ teaspoon dry yeast, dissolved in
 * 2 tablespoons water
 * 1 teaspoon turmeric
 * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 * 1 cup vegetable oil
 * vegetable oil (for frying)
 * 25 ounces honey

Directions

 * 1) In a food processor process all the ingredients, except the honey, into a paste.
 * 2) Take a walnut-sized piece of paste and roll it out very thin.
 * 3) Using a metal cut-out typically found in Morocco, with different designs, a small shaped cookie cutter, pie crust/ravioli wheel or knife and cut out cookies and let them rise for 15 minutes.
 * 4) If not using a cookie cutter which i don't, simply cut strips and twist them into a spiral or figure 8. I do the figure 8 making sure it is secure by slightly pinching in 2 – 3 places.
 * 5) Deep-fry the cookies in a skillet or fryer in the remaining oil in batches over low heat just to brown.
 * 6) Soak the cookies in the honey for 15 minutes.
 * 7) Remove and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
 * 8) Let sit until the honey sets a bit.
 * 9) Store in a plastic bag or container.