Algerian Helouwa Taaba Lemon Or Sesame Cookies Recipes

SESAME LEMON CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) Grease cookie sheets. Set aside.
• Spread sesame seeds in 9x9 inch baking pan. Toast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Melt butter and cool a bit. Stir in sugar, lemon rind, egg, sesame seeds, flour, and baking powder.
• Drop by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 to 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets. Cool cookies on wire racks.

ITALIAN SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead 10-12 times or until smooth. Divide dough into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a 24-in. log. Cut logs into 2-in. pieces., Place sesame seeds and milk in separate shallow bowls. Brush pieces with milk, then roll in sesame seeds. Place 2-in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until set and bottoms are lightly browned, 7-9 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

AUNT ANNE'S SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and anise extract until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well incorporated. If you are using a stand mixer, let the dough mix for another minute to add lightness to the dough. The dough will be soft, but will hand roll easily.
• Pinch off pieces of dough slightly smaller than a walnut, and roll them into small logs. Dip in milk, then roll in sesame seeds. Place cookies one inch apart on a cookie sheet. Cookies will not spread very much.
• Bake for 17 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bottom and sides of cookies are lightly toasted. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

MY HALWA SHEBAKIA -- SPECIAL RAMADAN SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor process all the ingredients, except the honey, into a paste.
• Take a walnut-sized piece of paste and roll it out very thin. Using a metal cut-out typically found in Morocco, with different designs, a small shaped cookie cutter, pie crust/ravioli wheel or knife and cut out cookies and let them rise for 15 minutes. If not using a cookie cutter which I don't, simply cut strips and twist them into a spiral or figure 8. I do the figure 8 making sure it is secure by slightly pinching in 2-3 places.
• Deep-fry the cookies in a skillet or fryer in the remaining oil in batches over low heat just to brown.
• 3-Soak the cookies in the honey for 15 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Let sit until the honey sets a bit.
• Store in a plastic bag or container.
• One person emailed me when this was posted on my website stating that her cookies fell apart in frying. This should not happen though if it does, 5g of gum arabic may be added to the recipe at processing stage or re-processed briefly to add.

SESAME COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter with the sugar.
• Add the egg, beat then add the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla and sesame seeds.
• Beat well.
• Drop teaspoons of dough on a greased baking sheet making sure to space out each cookie.
• Bake in a preheated oven of 340 F for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies are hard.
• Let cool few seconds, then take them off the baking sheet carefully.
• Chilicat had 35 cookies, using a 1-teaspoon scoop.

TRADITIONAL ALGERIAN SABLES (COOKIES) - LIKE LINZER AUGEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170°C
• Cream the margarine & sugar(s) until light & fluffy.
• Beat in the egg & vanilla, then gradually fold in the flour & baking powder.
• Mix slowly until a soft dough forms. The dough is very soft & needs handling with care but it shouldn't be sticky. If your dough is still a little sticky, sift in a little extra flour.
• Roll out to about 4mm thick, be sure to flour the rolling pin well.
• Cut out 'tops & bottoms' for your sables.
• Place on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil (shiny side up) & bake for 8 minutes. The sables should be just set but still white.
• Allow the sables to cool on the sheet for a minute then remove to a cold plate or tray to finish cooling.
• When the sables are fully cooled, heat the jam until bubbling.
• Place all the sables tops onto a tray & dust generously with the icing sugar.
• Allow the jam to cool slightly then spoon approx 1/2 tsp of the jam onto the underside of the sables 'bottoms'.
• Then carefully place a 'top' over the blob of jam.
• Allow to set, then store in one layer in an airtight container for upto 10 days.

KHOBZ TUNIS - ALGERIAN HELOUWA - MY FAMILY RECIPE

Steps:

• For the syrup:.
• Put the sugar and the water into a large pan and boil for approx 10-15 minutes. Add the mazhar during the last couple of minutes. Allow to cool of slightly before pouring onto the khobz.
• For the Khobz:.
• If making ground almonds at home - preferable - please coarsely chop them in a food processor until you have pieces the size of sago or large cous cous for example (ie not too fine).
• With an electric whisk, beat the eggs until fluffy. Incorporate the sugar and butter into the eggs, whisking for at least 5 minutes.
• Fold in the ground almonds, bread/toast, baking powder, lemon zest and vanilla essence. Take care not to knock the air out of the mixture.
• Pour into a round metal tin approximately 50cm across and 35cm high. and level off. Cook in preheated oven at gas mark 5-6 for 40 minutes or until brown & a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
• Once cooked, turn off oven. Remove the Khobz and pour the syrup over the top. Return the khobz to the oven for 5 mins - not to cook further only to aid absorbtion of the syrup.
• Remove from oven and using diagonal cuts, cut the khobz tunis to make diamond shapes approximately 1.5'' in diameter. Put into metallic paper cases (so syrup doesn't soak through) or serve without cases.

MY LOUBIA / LUBIA / LOOBIA - CLASSIC ALGERIAN BEANS!

Steps:

• The night before you want to make loubia, place the dried beans in a large bowl & cover with cold water. Allow to soak overnight, then rinse & drain before use.
• In a large stock pot, dutch oven or casserole dish (about 4.5 L capacity), seal the meat in the olive oil. Add the beans, paprika & cumin, mix well & cook on low heat for a few minutes.
• Pour 2 litres of water over the beans, add the salt & pepper. Cover & cook on a medium heat - so the loubia is on a fast simmer - for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, add 500ml extra water & the pureed / liquidised tin of plum tomatoes / passata. Add the garlic, 2 tsp salt, 2 1/2 tsp paprika & 1 1/2 tsp cumin.
• Cover & cook for 30 minutes on medium heat as before.
• After 30 minutes, remove the lid & simmer uncovered for a further 30 minutes. Do not let the sauce become too thick as when you add the olive oil & vinegar for serving, it thicken the sacue up automatically.
• Check seasoning, you may need additional salt, then serve piping hot with plenty of fresh crusty bread.
• Either add 1 tablespoon of olive oil & 1-2 tsp vinegar to each bowl before serving or let people add it themselves at the table.