Tag: holidays

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Recipes

Holiday Cookies – Kaak el Abbass

Kaak el Abbass

This recipe was shared by Mohammad Nehme from Nabatieh, South of Lebanon, according to whom, these cookies have been known for more than 1,400 years when pilgrims used to travel on camels or on foot for a long journey of several months. These cookies were consumed during these long trips as they had a long shelf-life of two to three months. The cookies are called “Abbass cookies” in attribution to Imam Ali son of Al-Imam Al-Hussein, known as ‘Abbass’, who used to prepare a flavorful dough.

Kaak el Abbass cookies sold at a local bakery

These traditional cookies are prepared in South Lebanon on different occasions and holidays, especially during Eid al-Adha and weddings. Traditionally, the cookies are distributed to the poor during Ashura, and women use to gather for kneading and baking. Today, Kaak el-Abbass is still taken as provisions during pilgrimages and prepared during holidays, but its preparation is no longer a traditional process as it used to be. Most people today buy them from local bakeries, and only few families still bake at home.

Total servings: 4 kg of cookies

Preparation time: 40 min and a full day for the dough to rest

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour

2 cups dunst flour (or fine semolina)

2 tbsp. of cookies’ spices (nutmeg, anise, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon)

½ kilo butter

250 ml vegetable oil

250 ml olive oil

2 kg sugar

A dash of vanilla

A dash of backing powder

2 tbsp. of powdered milk

1 ½ tbsp. of yeast

Hot water

Preparation steps:

  1. Mix the flour and dunst with butter and oil
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients
  3. Add hot water and knead to obtain a coherent and soft dough (slightly softer than bread dough)
  4. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 12h
  5. Shape the dough into balls then flatten them
  6. Use special “kaak stamps” to make the traditional impressions
  7. Bake in a pre-heated oven until light golden brown (about 20 – 30 min)
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Recipes

Holiday cookies – Chouf, Lebanon

Kaak el Eid - Chouf, Lebanon
Kaak el Eid – Chouf, Lebanon

Kaak el Eid or Holiday cookies are traditionally prepared in the Chouf mountains of Lebanon during the Adha holiday. Big quantities of cookies are usually prepared and baked.

Total servings: 5 kilos of Kaak

Preparation time:  1:45 hours

We would like to thank our friend Mrs. Hanaa Hamza for sharing her recipe.

Ingredients:

2 kg of semolina

1 kg of flour

6 cups of margarine

6 cups of sugar

2 cups of milk powder

1 tsp of crushed clove

1 tsp of “Mahleb”

1 tsp of cardamom powder

1 tsp of musk

3 tsp of baking powder

Roasted sesame for decoration

You can either sprinkle sesame on the cookies or roll the cookies in sesame 🙂

Preparation steps:

  1. In a big bowl, mix the semolina, flour, sugar, milk, clove, Mahleb, cardamom powder, musk and baking powder
  2. Add the margarine when the mixture is homogenous
  3. Mix well until the dough becomes smooth and elastic then set aside for 1 hour to rest
  4. Heat the oven to 180 degrees
  5. Divide the dough into small pieces, then shape them into elongated forms of approximately 10 cm
  6. Shape the fingers into circles by connecting their ends, and sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds
  7. Arrange the cookies on a baking tray
  8. Bake in the oven for 20 min or until slightly gold

 

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Recipes

Sudanese Holiday Cookies

Sugar powdered Sudanese Holiday cookies ©Pinterest

Holiday Cookies are one of the most important traditional rituals in Sudan. These cookies are prepared on several occasions such as “Eid El Fitr”, Christmas and weddings. During the month of Ramadan, women gather after breaking the fast to prepare the cookies for their families. Children also happily participate by transporting the cookies to the bakeries in the neighborhood to be baked.  Holiday Cookies are made according to each family’s culture and its financial ability; and while some use oil, others use margarine or even butter. Cookies can also be filled using cocoa or dates. Powdered sugar is usually used as a topping.

Sugar powdered Sudanese Holiday cookies ©Pinterest

Special locally made molds are used to give these cookies their unique shape.

We would like to thank our friends from the Organization of Vision for Learning and Community Development – Sudan for sharing this recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups of flour

1 cup of vegetable oil

2 tsp of baking powder

2 tsp of Vanilla or Camphor

¼ tsp of Salt

2 cups of powdered sugar

Preparation steps:

  1. In a skillet, heat the oil
  2. Pour the flour in a big bowl and make a whole in the middle
  3. Add the vanilla and all the other ingredients (except for the powdered sugar)
  4. Mix well until the dough becomes smooth and elastic
  5. Shape the dough using the molds and display on a baking tray previously greased with some oil
  6. Place the tray in a heated oven and bake until the cookies are done
  7. Leave to cool then cover with powdered sugar before serving
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In The Media

Natural Fruit Liqueur – Taste&Flavors

Liqueurs: Taste&Flavors

[quote]A unique way to preserve fruit is to make a traditional liqueur, perfect for gifts and homemade treats[/quote]

Liqueurs: Taste&Flavors

Check out the full article in Taste&Flavors magazine.

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Recipes

Kaak Khamis

Kaak Khamis or Kaak Helo shaped with a special mold
Kaak Khamis or Kaak Helo shaped with a special mold
Kaak Khamis or Kaak Helo shaped with a special mold

According to the Arsali, “kaak khamis” or Thursday cookies also known as sweet cookies (kaak helo) are prepared on Thursday preceding Holy Friday. Although Arsal is Muslim-Sunnite town, the villagers have always celebrated this Holiday with their Christian neighbors in the surrounding villages. “Women gather to prepare kaak together, it is a beautiful social event” says Halima.

The traditional mold used to give kaak khamis its shape
The traditional mold used to give kaak khamis its shape

Ingredients:

4 cups of flour

1 cup of powdered milk

2 eggs

1 ½ cup of sugar

200g of butter

1 cup of vegetable oil

1 tsp of vanilla

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of anise, powdered

1 tsp of mahleb

1 tsp of yeast

½ cup of water

Grease the mold and don't press hard on it to avoid the dough from sticking
Grease the mold and don’t press hard on it to avoid the dough from sticking

Preparation Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, milk, butter, baking powder, vegetable oil, vanilla, mahleb and yeast
  2. Add the water gradually while mixing with both hands
  3. Add the flour when the mixture is homogeneous
  4. When the dough becomes smooth and elastic, cover and set aside for 30 minutes
  5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180⁰C (356⁰F)
  6. Divide the dough into several pieces. To make the traditional cookies use the special molds to make imprints on dough disks. If the molds are not available, you can make different shapes such as circles or even braids. When using the mold, brush it with vegetable oil and make sure not to press hard to avoid the dough from sticking
  7. Grease the baking tray with vegetable oil and place on it the cookies
  8. Bake for 15 mns
Arrange the cookies on the tray 2.5 cm apart
Arrange the cookies on the tray 2.5 cm apart
Categories
Eat Local

Eid el-Berbara traditional sweets

eid barbara

On the eve of December 3rd of each year, Lebanese people celebrate Eid el-Berbara or Saint Barbara’s. Children disguise in costumes and knock on the neighbours’ door singing “Heshle Berbara wel ameh bel couara“. This Holiday refers to Berbara (300 A.D.) who escaped her pagan dad. Her father sent his soldiers after her because she converted into Christianism. It is told that she disguised and ran away through fields of wheat.

berbara2

Different sweets are prepared on this special occasion such as Atayef (similar to pancakes) filled with a mixture of sugar and grounded walnut, or with Ashta cream and served with a sugary syrup Kater with orange blossom and rose water.

Kameh

Boiled wheat or Kamhiye is also prepared and enjoyed on Eid el-Berbara, and which consists of boiled wheat with sugar and anis and topped with nuts and raisins.

Other sweets include crunchy Mshabbak, Ouweymat and Maacaroun!

eid barbara

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Recipes

Holiday Cookies

kaakMaking kaak is always a social event for the family members, friends and neighbours to gather during holidays and help each others preparing this traditional dessert.

Holiday cookies or kaak el Eid are baked on special occasions and holidays. Although the recipe and even names differ from one region to another, the taste remains great!

Holiday kaak

Total Servings: 35

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

3 ¾ cups of whole-wheat flour

1 ½ cups of white sugar

1 ½ Tbsp. of milk powder

½ tsp of baking powder

1/3 cup of sesame seeds, roasted

¼ tsp of yeast

1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

4 Tbsp. of butter

½ cup of water

¼ tsp of grounded nutmeg

Holiday kaak2

Preparation Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, milk, nutmeg, baking powder and yeast
  2. Add the butter and olive oil to the flour mixture
  3. Add the water gradually while kneading with both hands. When the dough becomes smooth and elastic, cover with a moisturized cloth and set aside for 30 minutes
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180⁰C (356⁰F)
  5. Divide the dough into several pieces, then shape them into identical fingers (elongated forms)
  6. Shape the fingers into circles by connecting the ends, and sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds
  7. Arrange the dough circles in a baking tray
  8. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 30 mns.

Sesame kaak