Egyptian Kahk Recipe

Instructions

Ghee:

1. Melt your butter on a High Heat, after it melts it will foam up
2. Let it boil till all the foam evaporates and your butter splits into fat and milk
3. Turn the heat to medium-low and let it simmer till the milk evaporates and your milk solidifies on the bottom of the pot
4. Pour out into a sterile container using a cheesecloth-lined funnel or sieve.
5. Let it cool overnight and set.

1. Toast your sesame seeds on low heat until slightly browned and fragrant
2. Toss them every few seconds to prevent them from burning

Honey walnut filling:

1. Put 40g of Ghee in a small pot on medium heat.
2. When melted add 20g flour and mix then cook for 2-3 minutes
3. Add 180g of honey and stir then bring to a boil
4. Cook for another minute after it boils then remove from the heat
5. Chop 100g of walnuts into small pieces and add 1 Tbsp of toasted sesame to the cooked honey
6. Mix thoroughly until combined then place in the fridge to cool

Date Filling:

1. Put 50g of butter in a pot and melt it
2. Pit and chop a handful of dates till you have 120g of chopped dates
3. Add to the pot along with 1 Tbsp water if your dates are dry
4. Add 1/2 Tsp cinnamon and cook till the dates form a soft paste

Nut Filling:

1. Add 110g of soft brown sugar and 2 Tbsp of water to a pot and cook till the sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil chop 250g of pecans into small pieces and mixes into the caramel
2. Spread the mixture out onto grease-proof paper to cool.

Dough:

1. Combine 500g of flour, 1/2 Tsp of Kahk seasoning, 1 Tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt, and 1 1/2 Tbsp of toasted sesame in a bowl and mix thoroughly
2. Whisk together 300g of cold ghee and 50g of powdered sugar, till they have creamed together and formed a fluffy texture.
3. Mix your flour into the ghee till it is well combined and the flour is all coated in ghee and crumbly
4. Add 90g of milk and mix it into the dough.
5. Rest the dough for half an hour
6. It's ready to use when you can form it into a ball and it doesn’t crack when you press on it

Assembly

1. Portion out your dough into 20g cookies, and roll in your palms to form individual balls.
2. Use a melon baller or teaspoon to scoop your filling (except the pecan one) into balls half the size of the cookies, then roll into smooth balls.
3. To stuff your cookies, place a ball of dough in your hand and make an indentation, flattening it in the center. Place a ball of filling in the center and wrap the remaining dough around it, then roll into a smooth ball.
4. Use any kitchen utensils to mark your different flavors with unique indentations (except for the honey ones).

Cooking:

1. When ready to bake preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius and line a baking sheet with grease-proof paper. Evenly space your cookies on the tray.
2. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes until the bottom has browned, the top should not darken much. Trial a few plain (no filling) cookies till you figure out the right timing as each oven is different. Filled cookies will bake for 2 minutes less than the plain ones.
3. Remove from the oven when cooked and let cool for a few minutes before moving onto a wire rack.
4. When cooled, place on a work surface and dust generously with powdered (icing) sugar.