Moroccan chebakia for Ramadan
The chebakia, also called Mkherka or zlabia depending on the region, is a traditional Moroccan pastry highly appreciated during the month of Ramadan. It is one of the iconic pastries of Moroccan cuisine, like corne de gazelle (gazelle horns) or briouates, representing Moroccan culture around the world.
Moroccan chebakias are small sesame honey-soaked cookies shaped like flowers, with a texture that is both crunchy and melt-in-your-mouth. Prepared with flour and spices such as anise, cinnamon, and gum arabic, it is flavored with orange blossom water, then fried and generously coated with flavored honey. Sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, it offers a unique taste and an irresistible aroma that fills the entire house during their preparation.
As Ramadan approaches, preparations for the sacred month begin. I take this opportunity to share with you the recipe for Chebakia, a staple of the Ramadan iftar table, which I have been making for years and always gives excellent results. Those who enjoy sweet and savory flavors eat it with harira soup to break their fast.
Each family tries to perpetuate the tradition by preparing a large quantity for family, friends and neighbors to enjoy. This sharing is mutual, a convivial and warm culinary experience that is gradually fading away these days.
Chebakia with honey
Table of Contents
Tips for a successful Moroccan chebakia
A good kneading: The recipe is not difficult, but requires a good kneading of the dough to obtain a supple dough.
Turn the dough over: Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on both sides. This creates air bubbles in the dough. This is how you will get a chebakia with honey inside.
Fry over medium heat: The oil should be hot but not smoking, and start frying over medium heat to achieve a nice, even golden brown.
The honey should be lukewarm: Dip the chebakiya in lukewarm honey and leave it in until the second batch is ready.
Preparation steps
I always make a large quantity for the whole month of Ramadan. You can divide the recipe to obtain the quantity you need. With the recipe below, you will have the quantity shown in the photos.
| NB: Find the complete recipe with detailed ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the end of the article, which you can also print out. Below are the instructions, which you can also view in images. |
If you don’t want to use egg yolks, you can just bring the dough together with more water.
1. Start by roasting the sesame seeds in an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) for around ten minutes. Sesame seeds should be crunchy to the bite, with no bitter taste. Blend to a fine powder. Weigh 250 grams ( 8.8 oz).
2. Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gradually incorporate the sifted flour, beating well each time. If you have a stand mixer, it will make your work easier.
3. Knead well as you gradually add the flour. You need to incorporate all the flour, even if the mixture seems tough. If the dough is really hard, you can add a little water.
4. Knead for about twenty minutes to obtain a soft dough. Form 7 balls and cover with a kitchen towel.
5. Take a ball, roll it into a sausage shape, and cut it into two pieces. Roll out a piece into a rectangle, turning it several times. This helps the dough puff up nicely during frying.
It won’t be thick but will form tubes that will soak up the honey. Roll out the dough very thin. You can use a pasta maker. Use notch 4 on the pasta maker if you want them very thin like mine.
This is the pasta maker I’ve been using for years, and it is excellent HERE.
6. Cut your chebakias using a special chebakia cutter or a pastry wheel, cutting squares to your desired size. In each square, make slits without reaching the edges of the dough You need to make 4 slits in the dough square.
Shaping chebakia
7. Take a dough square in your hand and lift the first strip with your finger, leave the second one, and take the third and last strip. Then, flip it all over like a sock. Try to watch a shaping tutorial on YouTube. There are several ways to proceed.
8. Let rest for 3 hours after shaping and start frying the chebakias in hot oil over low heat. The chebakias should be well browned before removing from the oil with a skimmer
How to make chebakia
9. Dip in warm honey to liquefy it. Leave in the honey until the second batch of fried chebakias is ready.
10. Remove from the honey with a skimmer and place in a large colander or the top of a couscous steamer.
11. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds as you go. You can store them in an airtight container without sprinkling them with sesame seeds, and when you want to eat them, pour a little cold liquid honey if needed and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
12. Once you’ve finished frying the chebakia, leave to cool before placing in an airtight tin.
Chebakia for Ramadan
How to store it?
Moroccan chebakia keeps very well. I keep it the whole month of Ramadan at room temperature in airtight containers, and it remains excellent. It even improves over time.
Gently turn the airtight container from time to time to bring up any honey that may have settled at the bottom.
You can freeze it for up to a year, separating the layers with cling film.
Moroccan Chebakia Sesame Cookies With Honey
EQUIPEMENTS
- Food processor
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg all-purpose flour (35.3 oz)
- 250 g ground toasted sesame seeds (8.8 oz ) You can use a mix of sesame and almond powder.
- 3 egg yolks If you don't want to use egg yolks, you can just bring the dough together with more water.
- 80 ml melted butter (2.8 oz)
- 80 ml vegetable oil (2.8 oz)
- 80 ml olive oil (2.8 oz)
- 1 tablespoon ground anise
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon rancid butter smen (optional)
- 1 pinch gum arabic powder meska hourra
- 1 packet of artificial saffron food coloring 1/2 teaspoon or 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads heated in a spoon and rubbed between hands
- 90 ml table vinegar (3 oz)
- 180 ml orange flower water (6.3 oz)
- 1 level tablespoon fresh baker's yeast dissolved in 60 ml / 2 oz of warm water
For frying
- 2 liters vegetable oil more or less
- 2 kg honey more or less
- 150 g toasted sesame seeds ( 5.3 oz) for sprinkling
PREPARATION
- I always make a large quantity for the whole month of Ramadan. You can divide the recipe to obtain the quantity you need. With the recipe below, you will have the quantity shown in the photos.
- Start by roasting the sesame seeds in an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) for around ten minutes. Sesame seeds should be crunchy to the bite, with no bitter taste. Blend to a fine powder. Weigh 250 grams ( 8.8 oz).
- Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gradually incorporate the sifted flour, beating well each time. If you have a stand mixer, it will make your work easier.
- Knead well as you gradually add the flour. You need to incorporate all the flour, even if the mixture seems tough. If the dough is really hard, you can add a little water.
- Knead for about twenty minutes to obtain a soft dough. Form 7 balls and cover with a kitchen towel.
- Take a ball, roll it into a sausage shape, and cut it into two pieces. Roll out a piece into a rectangle, turning it several times. This helps the dough puff up nicely during frying.
- It won't be thick but will form tubes that will soak up the honey. Roll out the dough very thin. You can use a pasta maker. Use notch 4 on the pasta maker if you want them very thin like mine.
- This is the pasta maker I've been using for years, and it is excellent.
- Cut your chebakias using a special chebakia cutter or a pastry wheel, cutting squares to your desired size. In each square, make slits without reaching the edges of the dough You need to make 4 slits in the dough square.
- Take a dough square in your hand and lift the first strip with your finger, leave the second one, and take the third and last strip. Then, flip it all over like a sock. Try to watch a shaping tutorial on YouTube. There are several ways to proceed.
- Let rest for 3 hours after shaping and start frying the chebakias in hot oil over low heat. The chebakias should be well browned before removing from the oil with a skimmer
- Dip in warm honey to liquefy it. Leave in the honey until the second batch of fried chebakias is ready.
- Remove from the honey with a skimmer and place in a large colander or the top of a couscous steamer.
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds as you go. You can store them in an airtight container without sprinkling them with sesame seeds, and when you want to eat them, pour a little cold liquid honey if needed and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Once you've finished frying the chebakia, leave to cool before placing in an airtight tin.
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