Milk Kaak Cookies

Ingredients

• 330 g / 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 100 g / ½ cup ghee
• 100 ml / ½ cup milk
• 100 g / ½ cup sugar
• 100 g / 1 cup sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup
• 1 teaspoon mahlab
• 1 teaspoon / 10 g baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda [baking soda]
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• optional vanilla
• optional anise
• optional fennel
• a little hot water

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour with the ghee until the mixture resembles sand.
2. In the same bowl, add the milk and sugar and mix until a cohesive dough forms that is neither soft nor dry.
3. In the same bowl, cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
4. In another bowl, mix the sesame seeds with the simple syrup until the sesame is coated and the mixture becomes sticky on the spoon.
5. On a baking tray lined with parchment paper, shape the dough into pieces weighing approximately 30 g each.
6. On the same baking tray, place the shaped dough pieces, and if you are not in a hurry, let them proof and become crisp.
7. In the oven, heat the oven to 50°C, then place the tray in the oven with a little hot water for 15 minutes for the proofing stage.
8. In the oven, remove the tray, then raise the oven temperature to 160°C.
9. In the oven, place the tray on the lower rack first until the bottoms of the kaak cookies are baked.
10. In the oven, when the tops begin to brown, move the tray to the upper rack to brown the tops for 5 minutes.
11. In the oven, let the kaak cookies cool completely before serving.