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My Halwa Shebakia -- Special Ramadan Sesame Cookies

Recipe #141879 | 1¾ hours | 1 hour prep | 30 cookies (Change Servings)

RECIPE BY: Mrs. Hajar Ayaou

This was posted for informational purposes ONLY with a large caveat for ever trying to make these at home unless an experienced maker has taught you! You who continue to make this will be disappointed and unhappy!! Also don't be adding an egg to make something to soft hold together. I have a feeling over processing is the problem as the blades heat up in a short time and if you're using a big motored processor. I posted this recipe with warnings and believe them! If you like or want to try shebakia then please find an internet source; they are out there! It seems my original introduction needed to be repeated right at the top. These are the longstanding traditional Ramadan sesame cookies. While available year round and eaten all year, these are especially important during the month of Ramadan. They give a high carbohydrate kick with breakfast at sunset. Mythis recipe originally makes 100 cookies as we have more guests than usual in this month and we give them as gifts, especially to our single male friends! These are available by the millions for sale on the streets, though homemade ones melt in your mouth. I have quartered he recipe before and for you. You can take it back to 100 or double this recipe. They are wonderful though 2 is my limit; they are so sweet. Due to the honey they keep virtually forever in the fridge and can be frozen in a single layer on a baking tray and then bagged. Thaw at room temperature. I do NOT recommend making these at home as they are difficult and I learned from my Moroccan Mother in law to be. These need to be learned by an experienced maker and adding egg or anything of that nature will simply make matters worse. I posted the recipe as a request with a caveat to the person requesting. These can be purchased online as well. c.\2005

Posted on: Oct 19, 2005

Ingredients

  • lb flour
  • ounces butter
  • 1/2 lb sesame seed, plus additional toasted seeds for sprinkling
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast, dissolved in
  • tablespoons water
  • teaspoon turmeric
  • teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • cup vegetable oil
  • vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 25 ounces honey
  • Directions

    1. 1
      In a food processor process all the ingredients, except the honey, into a paste.
    2. 2
      Take a walnut-sized piece of paste and roll it out very thin. Using a metal cut-out typically found in Morocco, with different designs, a small shaped cookie cutter, pie crust/ravioli wheel or knife and cut out cookies and let them rise for 15 minutes. If not using a cookie cutter which I don't, simply cut strips and twist them into a spiral or figure 8. I do the figure 8 making sure it is secure by slightly pinching in 2-3 places.
    3. 3
      Deep-fry the cookies in a skillet or fryer in the remaining oil in batches over low heat just to brown.
    4. 4
      3-Soak the cookies in the honey for 15 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Let sit until the honey sets a bit.
    5. 5
      Store in a plastic bag or container.
    6. 6
      One person emailed me when this was posted on my website stating that her cookies fell apart in frying. This should not happen though if it does, 5g of gum arabic may be added to the recipe at processing stage or re-processed briefly to add.

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    Featured Reviews for This Recipe

    From: Chef #559874

    On Aug 13, 2007

    yep same as everyone else, i put them in oil and they just disolved completely in my fryer, now my oil is filled with seseme seeds(sigh) so i tried to fry them in a skillet same thing. browned on one side dissolved on top. tried to bake, since i had so much paste, and just crumbled. terrible waste

    0 people found this review helpful

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  • From: Dasha

    On Mar 15, 2007

    I had the a bad experience. It all fell apart and I also tried adding gum arabia and later an egg. The egg helped a tiny bit, but not enough. Had to throw it all away. Dissapointed for the waste of time and ingredients.

    0 people found this review helpful

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    From: Pneuma

    On Sep 19, 2006

    I like Shebakia and thus was excited when I found out there was a recipe of it in here. I followed the recipe as is and even added gum arabic as suggested to make sure it comes out right. Still, they fall apart to the point that I couldn't form any shapes at all and frying them deemed useless since it continued to fall apart in that stage as well. I tried to salvage it in the end by adding an egg, but it still didn't work. Sad to say but had to throw out the mixture. Please try to review this recipe again if it's correct.

    2 people found this review helpful

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    Nutrition Facts

    Serving Size 1 cookies 62g

    Recipe makes 30 cookies)

    Calories 289
    Calories from Fat 155 (53%)
    Amount Per Serving %DV
    Total Fat 17.3g 26%
    Saturated Fat 5.4g 26%
    Monounsaturated Fat 5.0g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 5.9g
    Trans Fat 0.0g
    Cholesterol 16mg 5%
    Sodium 45mg 1%
    Potassium 69mg 1%
    Total Carbohydrate 32.9g 10%
    Dietary Fiber 1.4g 5%
    Sugars 19.5g
    Protein 3.1g 6%
    Vitamin A 189mcg 3%
    Vitamin B6 0.1mg 4%
    Vitamin B12 0.0mcg 0%
    Vitamin C 0mg 0%
    Vitamin E 1mcg 6%
    Calcium 80mg 8%
    Iron 1mg 11%

    how is this calculated?

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