Asrouni Kaak Cookies

Asrouni Kaak Cookies

This is a recipe for Syrian Asrouni bread/Asrouni kaak: a dough made with flour, sesame seeds, water, yeast, mahlab, salt, and sugar, along with boiling anise water. It is kneaded and left to rest, then divided into about 4 pieces and shaped into ovals with an opening at the top. The pieces are coated with sesame seeds and baked in a very hot oven. After baking, they are opened and served with spreadable cheese and za’atar, or with za’atar alone.

A Syrian-style kaak cookie or pastry known as asrouni kaak.

Like a ring-shaped sesame cookie.

Shape the dough evenly so the cookies bake uniformly.

Ingredients

  • 500 g or 3.5 cups Flour
  • 2 cups Toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 cup Water
  • three-quarters cup boiling water with 1 tablespoon anise Boiling water with anise
  • 1 tablespoon Yeast
  • 1 teaspoon Mahlab
  • half a teaspoon Salt
  • 1.5 tablespoons Sugar

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, mix the water with the sugar and yeast, and leave for about five minutes until it activates.
  2. In the mixing bowl, add the boiling water and anise mixture to the dough once it has cooled.
  3. In the mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, and mahlab to the liquids, and knead until a cohesive dough forms.
  4. In a bowl, leave the dough to rest for about ten minutes.
  5. In a bowl, divide the dough into about 4 pieces, each weighing about 200 g, then cover them and leave them to rest for about ten minutes.
  6. In the oven, preheat the oven to 250°C about a quarter of an hour before baking.
  7. On a baking tray lined with parchment paper, flatten each piece of dough into an oval shape.
  8. On the surface of the dough, spray water, then cover it with toasted sesame seeds, filling the gaps with sesame seeds.
  9. On the baking tray, shape the pieces to an even thickness as much as possible, then make an opening on top using a cutter or a cup.
  10. In the oven, bake the pieces at the highest available temperature until cooked through and puffed.
  11. After baking, open the piece, then spread it with spreadable cheese and za’atar, or with za’atar alone, as the chef mentioned.

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