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Ka'ak bi haleeb
Ka'ak bi haleeb: soft Lebanese milk cookies scented with mahlab, aniseed and orange blossom
Lebanese families bake ka'ak bi haleeb by the tray before Eid and Easter alike, stamping each round with a carved wooden mould so it comes out patterned like a little rosette. They are soft rather than crisp, gently sweet, perfumed with mahlab (ground cherry kernels), anise and orange blossom water, and dusted with sesame or left plain. Children dunk them in milk, grown-ups in tea. The common mistake is adding too much flour to make the dough easier to handle, which gives dry, bready cookies. Chef's tip: let the shaped cookies rise for 30 minutes before baking; the yeast makes them pillowy and keeps the stamped pattern sharp.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
To finish
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz plain flour, 4 oz sugar, 2 tsp ground mahlab, 1 tsp ground aniseed, 1 ½ tsp instant dried yeast and 1 tsp baking powder in a large bowl.
2 minStep 2: Pour in 4 oz unsalted butter and rub it through with your fingers, then add ¾ cup warm milk and 1 tbsp orange blossom water and knead briefly into a soft, smooth dough that no longer sticks to your hands. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
Step 4: Roll the dough 1 cm thick and cut 6 cm rounds, or press walnut-sized balls into a floured ka'ak mould and tap them out. Space them on the trays and leave for 30 minutes, until slightly puffy.
30 minStep 5: Brush with 2 tbsp milk and sprinkle with 2 tbsp sesame seeds if using. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until pale golden on top and golden underneath.
15 minStep 6: Cool on a rack. Common mistake: baking until brown, which dries them out; they firm up as they cool. Keep in a tin for a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ka'ak bi haleeb take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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