Halwa Shebakia I

Ramadhan special sesame cookies

• Can be prepared in 55 Minutes and serves 14 – 16 persons.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs flour
• 3 lbs butter
• 2 lbs sesame seeds; plus additional toasted seeds for sprinkling
• 1 tbsp dry yeast dissolved in ½ cup water
• 20 g gum arabic optional
• 1 tbsp saffron stamens
• ½ lb smen seasoned butter
• 1 tbsp cinnamon, ground
• 1 qt vegetable oil
• 1 qt vegetable oil; for frying
• 10 lbs 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, cut out cookies and let them rise for 15 minutes.
4. Deep-fry the cookies in the remaining quart of oil in batches over low heat just to brown.
5. Soak the cookies in the honey for 15 minutes.
6. Remove and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.