Kaak bi Haleeb

This is a traditional type of Kaak but it's not the soft variety that one usually with Kaak of this name. I have modified it by using a variety of flours, each of which bring a particular characteristic to the finished cookie, and drying it out in the oven to make it very crisp, almost like a rusk. This was the type favored by my family who grew up in a mountain village just outside of Beirut. Their recipe was much simpler, and used less ingredients. The hard, dry texture probably allowed it to keep for many weeks during a long, cold Winter. I remember one of my Great-Aunts telling me that they did dry a lot of food items in the Summer and Fall, including fruits, and dairy like "Lebneh", (Drained yogurt). This would be made into balls, thoroughly dried out then stored in Olive oil.

The different types of Kaak all look the same on the outside but their differences are from the texture and taste of each one. This version also uses "Myski", (Gum Arabic or Gum Mastic). It is used in Lebanese cooking mainly with pudding deserts like rice pudding ("M'halabeeh"), or Lebanese ice cream (Booza), much like one would use Xanthan Gum to provide texture to a variety of dishes. It is usually available in Greek or Lebanese stores.

The dough requires a lot of kneading to get it just right. It is for this reason that I would not recommend that you try this version without a stand mixer and dough hook. The consistency of the dough is important in determining texture. It has to be dry to touch, smooth, pliable to the point of being elastic (the gum mastic helps with this). During the kneading process, you may find that you have to add a small amount of additional flour to get the dough to the right consistency. The recipe involves a lot of risings, so it does take a while to make. However, this recipe does produce about 40 cookies that keep a long time in an airtight container.

2 cups bread flour

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups durum atta flour or semolina flour

½ cup arrowroot flour

1 cup  of  olive oil

1/2 cup of water + 1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup milk

2  teaspoons  of yeast

1 cup sugar

1 cup of sesame (toasted or untoasted)

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of mahlab 

1 tablespoon anise

1 tablespoon caraway

1 tablespoon fennel seed

1 teaspoon Myski (mastic gum)

2 tablespoons orange blossom water

METHOD:

1. Place the flour, sugar, salt and all seeds in a mixing bowl. Combine the dry ingredients for a few seconds.
2. Proof the yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water and the sugar for a few minutes.
3. Add the oil to the ½ the flour mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached,  and combine well until the flour particles are moistened.
4. Add the yeast mixture, mix with the dough hook.
5. Add the milk and remaining flour a little at a time until the dough comes together in a firm ball that is smooth, pliable, almost elastic and dry to touch. Let it rest for 15 minutes then knead again for about 3 minutes.
6. Let it rest covered in a warm place for 1 hour. When doubled in size, beat it down and then let it rise again for at least one hour, until doubled in size
7. When the dough has doubled in volume, form into 20 balls. Cover with a damp towel and let them rise.
8. Lightly beat the egg and pour into a plate. Sprinkle the sesame seeds into another plate. Put them side by side.
9. Cut each ball in two and form each half into a long rope. Press the ends to form a ring, dip in the beaten egg, and then in the plate with sesame seeds.
10. Bake in a 375F oven for about 15-20 minutes till golden. Then reduce the oven to 175F and let them dry out for another 6-8 hours to dry out completely.