FEKKAS

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp orange/flower water
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp anise seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds

 

Directions

makes 4 cups or about 200 small bite-size pieces. Mix eggs, sugar, butter, oil, baking powder and salt. Add 2 tbsp flower or orange water. Add flour and seeds and mix until soft dough formed. knead into small portions and roll back and forth to form sticks the size of your finger. transfer to tray lined with plastic wrap, cover and freeze for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400F. remove one stick at a time and slice into 1/8" slices. place on ungreased baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. do not under bake. cool a few minutes and transfer to rack. stores well. about 5 pieces per serving

couscous with tfaya

INGREDIENTS

·         1 small chicken, skin removed and cut up; or 1 kg lamb, cut into 3" to 4" pieces

·         1 very large onion, thinly sliced

·         1 tablespoon ginger

·         2 teaspoons salt

·         1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

·         1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

·         1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout

·         1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

·         1 teaspoon smen (Moroccan preserved butter, optional)

·         1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

       1 and 1/2 liters water

    Tfaya

·         2 very large onions (about 1 kg), thinly sliced

·         1 cup raisins, soaked in water for 15 minutes, then drained

·         4 tablespoons butter

·         4 tablespoons sugar or honey

·         1 teaspoon pepper

·         1 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1/2 teaspoon ginger

·         1/2 teaspoon turmeric

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

·         1/2 cup water

the Couscous

·         1/2 kg dry couscous

·         2 tablespoons vegetable oil

·         1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

·         1 to 2 tablespoons butter

·         1/2 cup fried almonds

·         1 hard boiled egg per person, whole or sliced 

AMLOU

INGREDIENTS

Makes 2½  cups

·         250 gr roasted unpeeled almonds

·         100   ml argan oil

·        100  ml honey

·          

How to make it

• Grind the roasted almonds in a food processor until finely ground and transfer in a medium sized bowl. 

• Gradually add the oil to the ground almonds and stir until smooth. Then gradually add the honey and combine all the ingredients until smooth.

• Serve as a spread on top of anything you fancy; on baghrir , and mllaoui , or bread .

You can replace the argan oil with olive oil ( it tastes good too) 

moroccan maakouda

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram potatoes
•  
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
•  
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
•  
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, pressed
•  
• 1 tablespoons cumin
•  
• 2 teaspoons salt
•  
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or more to taste
•  
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
•  
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
•  
• 2 eggs, beaten
•  
• olive oil, for frying
•  

How to Make It

1.      Select same-sized potatoes. Peel the potatoes and place in a pot. Cover with salted water and boil just until a sharp knife can be inserted halfway through the potatoes.

2.      Drain the potatoes and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again, and allow to cool a bit. Chill the potatoes, covered, in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Make the maakouda

1.      Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add the onions and saute them gently over medium-low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and saute just a minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.

1.      Grate the chilled potatoes into a mixing bowl. Gently toss in the spices, onions, garlic and cilantro. Stir in enough of the eggs to bind the potatoes, but not so much that there is excess egg in the bottom of the bowl.

2.      Shape the potato mixture into cakes about 3" in diameter. Wet hands will make the mixture easier to handle.

3.      Heat enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom of a skillet or griddle. Add the potato cakes and cook slowly over medium heat, about 5 to 10 minutes per side, until deep golden brown.

4.      Alternatively, press all of the potato mixture into hot oil in a large skillet, and cook as a single large maakouda. To turn, gently loosen the maakouda all around with a spatula. Place a large plate over the frying pan, and turn both the plate and frying pan upside down. Add a little more oil to the fyring pan and carefully slide the potato cake back into the pan to cook the bottom half.

moroccan basboussa

 Ingredients
2c fine semolina 
1 c all purpose flour
1 c sugar
1c 2% milk
1 tsp salt
1 stick of butter 


Syrup Ingredients
1 c water
1 c sugar
3-4 tsp honey


preparation :
1.  On medium heat melt the butter into the milk until combined and warm
2.  Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Pour warm milk and butter into dry ingredients and mix well.  The mixture will not be as thin as cake batter – that is ok.  
4.  Preheat the oven to 375F.  Grease pan with butter and pour the batter into a baking dish – the cake will not rise, and should be a thickness of 1/4″ – 1/2″.  
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is browned.


To prepare syrup:
In a pan combine water, sugar and honey.  Allow to cook for 5-10  minutes until it has reduced to a syrup.  


When cake is removed from the oven, place onto serving dish and cover with syrup.  You may want to poke the cake with a fork to allow the syrup to permeate into the cake.  You can top with nuts, or powdered sugar or coconut.

Moroccan Rfissa

Ingredients of broth

• Large chicken, cut into pieces cleaned and soaked in salty water with some vinegar
• 4 onions cut into slices
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1teaspoon of the Ras lhanout: Typically Moroccan mixture of more than 40 spices (you can make your own mix, using at least: cinnamon + cloves + nutmeg + cardamom + white pepper+ fenugreek + ginger)
• 1tsp ginger
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup fenugreek
• 1 cups of lentils
• ½ cup of dried beans,
• 2tbsp minced parsley and coriander
• 1.5 liters of water
• Ingredients for flour tortillas:
• 2 cups white flour.
• 1 .5 cups warm water.
• 2 tsp yeast.
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Place the chicken with all these spices and oil in the pot, mix them well and let it soak for 15 minutes before cooking.
2. Put the pot on the stove and add onions and cook them for a while (try to give an estimate of how long to cook them, maybe until they are soft? or until they begin to turn brown or…?).
3. Add all the other ingredients and water and let cook for 35 minutes
4. At that time prepare the Trid (it’s like flour tortillas)
5. pull off pieces of dough to form small balls
6. – Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
7. – Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do not need very hot water.
8. – Knead the dough for a few minutes.
9. – Now you will pull off pieces of dough to form small balls and let them rest for at least 10 minutes, longer if you like.
10. Lay your tortilla on the hot comal
11. This is a good time to heat up the comal or a skillet. Set it at medium to high heat.
12. Dust your work surface with flour. Working one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat till it becomes thin.
13. Lay your tortilla on the hot comal or skillet. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other side.
14. When they are done, they should have lots of nice brown speckles. Place them in a towel to keep them warm longer.
15. tortillas cut in small pieces

dessert : Gazell ankles

ingredients 

What You'll Need

•  For the almond paste 
• 1 1b. (about 500 g) blanched (skinned) almonds
• 1 1/3 cups (275 g) sugar
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) orange flower water
• 1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• tiny pinch of mastic or gum arabic powder (optional)
• ----- For the Pastry Dough -----
• 3 cups (375 g) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 small eggs (or 1 1/2 large eggs)
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 4 to 5 tablespoons orange flower water
• ----- For the Optional Egg Wash -----
• 1 eggr
• 1 tablespoon orange flowe water
• ----- For Optional Kaab el Ghazal M'Fenned -----
• orange flower water, for dipping
• powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

 How to prepare filling:

Make the Almond Paste

Pass the blanched almonds several times through a meat grinder to form a paste. (OR, grind the almonds in a food processor for five minutes or longer, until a moldable paste has formed.)

With your hands, thoroughly mix the ground almonds with the sugar, cinnamon, orange flower water and gum Arabic powder into a smooth, moist paste. If desired, a little more sugar, cinnamon or orange flower water can be added to taste.

Take a small portion of the almond paste mixture and shape it into sausage-like sticks about the size of your small finger. Repeat with the remaining almond paste, cover, and set aside. (The prepared almond paste can be refrigerated at this stage for up to several days.)

Make the Pastry Dough

Mix all ingredients together to form a soft dough, and knead by hand for 20 minutes or longer, until the dough is very smooth and elastic. (OR, mix the dough in a food processor with a dough attachment, or in a stand mixerwith a dough hook. Knead the dough in the machine for 5 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.)

Divide the dough into 4 to 6 portions, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rest for 15 minutes or longer.

Shape the Kaab el Ghazal

Very lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll a portion of dough until quite thin, about the thickness of a very thin piece of cardboard. Lift up the dough and reposition it several times as you work to facilitate the rolling-out.

Lay a stick of paste near the top of the dough. Fold the top edge of the dough snugly down around the almond paste to conceal it, allowing a slight overlap of dough. Press the folded dough to seal it tightly around the almond paste. (Depending on the width of the dough you've rolled out, you might be able to arrange two or more sticks of paste in a row before folding over the dough. Allow about 1 1/2 inches between the sticks of paste when doing this.)

Use your fingers to pinch and mold the concealed almond paste into a crescent shape with the outside of the curve facing you, as in the letter "U". Further mold the crescent into the traditional kaab el ghazal shape, tapered at the tips and wider along the base. Keep in mind that the cookies will swell slightly when baked, so it's okay to mold the cookies so that they appear a bit narrow.

Carefully cut out the crescent using a pastry wheel or knife – a fluted pastry wheel offers the nicest edge. Check to be sure the cut edges are sealed together; if not, pinch the dough to properly enclose the almond paste. Transfer the cookie to an ungreased baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining dough and paste. Keep any dough not being used under the plastic wrap. As you work, gather up the dough scraps, shape them into balls, and return to the plastic to rest before rolling out again.

Bake the Cookies

If time allows, leave the shaped cookies to rest, uncovered, for an hour or longer before baking.

Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).

The optional egg wash gives an appealing sheen to the baked cookies. Make the egg wash by beating together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of orange flower water. Lightly brush the wash onto the cookies. Then, with a long pin or needle, prick two or three holes in the ridge along the top of each cookie.

Bake the cookies in the middle of the preheated oven, one baking sheet at a time, for about 12 minutes, or until barely golden. (Avoid over baking, as this will harden the pastry and toughen the almond paste.)

Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool thoroughly before storing in a plastic container.

Optional Kaab el Ghazal M'Fenned

While the baked cookies are still warm, quickly dip them in orange flower water, shake off the excess, and roll them in powdered sugar.

If you don't want strong orange flower water flavor, sprinkle the cookies with orange flower water instead and then roll them in powdered sugar. Or, eliminate the orange flower water and simply roll the warm kaab el ghazal in powdered sugar.

Kaab el Ghazal keep well at room temperature when stored in a plastic container. They can be frozen for up to several months.

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