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Ka'ak bi ajwa
Date-filled cookie rings
Ka'ak bi ajwa: Jordanian Eid cookie rings filled with spiced date paste
In the last nights of Ramadan, Jordanian kitchens turn into small bakeries, and trays of ka'ak bi ajwa go into neighbourhood ovens ready for Eid morning. A crumbly semolina pastry scented with anise and mahlab is wrapped round a rope of date paste, closed into rings and baked pale gold, then offered to every visitor with bitter Arabic coffee. Children usually do the rolling. The common mistake is overworking the dough after the butter goes in, which makes the cookies hard rather than sandy. Chef's tip: rest the semolina and butter mixture overnight before adding the liquid; the grains drink the fat and the ka'ak melt in the mouth.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz fine semolina
- 7 oz plain flour
- 7 oz unsalted buttermelted, or ghee
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground mahlab
- 1 tsp ground aniseed
- 1 tsp instant dried yeast
- ½ cup warm milk
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
For the filling
- 14 oz date paste
- 1 tbsp unsalted buttersoft
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
To finish
- 2 tbsp icing sugar (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rub 7 oz unsalted butter into 10 ½ oz fine semolina, 7 oz plain flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground mahlab and 1 tsp ground aniseed with your fingertips until it looks like wet sand. Cover and leave at least 2 hours, or overnight in a cool place.
120 minStep 2: Knead 14 oz date paste with 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and ½ tsp ground cardamom until smooth. Roll into finger-thick ropes about 10 cm long; you need about 24.
Step 3: Stir 1 tsp instant dried yeast into ½ cup warm milk and 1 tbsp orange blossom water, pour over the semolina mix and bring it together gently into a soft dough, pressing rather than kneading. Rest for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper.
Step 5: Take a walnut-sized piece of dough, flatten it into a strip on your palm, lay a date rope along it and roll the dough round to enclose it. Join the ends into a ring and pinch closed. Prick the tops lightly with a fork.
Step 6: Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and the tops are still pale. Common mistake: waiting for the tops to brown, by which point the ka'ak are dry.
20 minStep 7: Cool completely on the tray, as they are fragile while warm. Dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar if you like. They keep 2 weeks in a tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 185 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ka'ak bi ajwa take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 20 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 unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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Perfect for:Eid