Chebakia, one of the most popular sweets in Morocco
There are a lot of Moroccan recipes in our blog and if we had to select its main protagonists, without a doubt those would be sweets. Today we will get to know the best Chebakia recipe, one of the most popular Moroccan sweets that is used to break the Ramadan fast.
Ingredients:
- 250 grams of flour
- 1 packet of baking powder
- 75 grams of roasted sesame seeds
- 100 grams of ground toasted almonds
- 50 ml of orange blossom water
- 1 small tablespoon of aniseed beans
- 1 small tablespoon of cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar
- 500 ml of honey
- Sunflower oil
- 100 ml of water
- 25 grams of butter
- 50 ml of olive oil
Steps to Make It
Grind the almonds together until you have reached very fine and smooth consistency. Do the same with the sesame seeds and add olive oil and aniseed.
Mix almond purée, egg, cinnamon, vinegar and sesame paste with oil and orange blossom water. Mix the mixture with flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Remember that the flour will be added little by little until obtaining a homogenous mass.
While kneading, add tepid water as necessary and continue to knead until the dough becomes elastic and smooth. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes in a fridge. Using a rolling pin, the dough is extruded or rolled into a thin sheet.
Cut rectangles with a pastry cutter or knife of about 6 centimeters, approximately the size of your palm, and make four cuts inside each one without reaching the edge. Now that the dough is cut, it is time to shape the cookies.
Place it in your hand, separate the cuts and fold the inside rows in and crush the ones on the ends. If done correctly, you’ll have formed the dough to resemble a rose. The result should be an elongated flower shape. Don’t worry if the first ones doesn’t seem anything like that, it is completely normal and you will learn from experience.
Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. At the same time, heat the honey to boiling in a large pot. When the oil is hot, cook the chebakia to a medium brown color. This should take about 7-10 minutes if the oil is of the correct temperature. When the chebakia are cooked to a medium golden brown, use a spoon to transfer them from the oil to the honey and allow them to soak for some minutes. Garnish each cookie with sesame and voila! Serve and enjoy without any hurry its original recipe and traditional flavor.