RESIKAS
Sesame Oil Biscuits
1
cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup oil
3/4 cup orange juice or water
8 cups self-raising flour (approximately)
Preparaton: 45
minutes
Cooking time: 15
minutes a tray plus 1 hour to crisp
Temperature:
180ºC
Makes: 100
Beat
sugar and eggs. Beat in oil, then orange juice or water. Fold in enough
flour to make a soft dough. Add cinnamon. Knead, then put through a mincer
with a 1 cm hole attachment. Break off small pieces and roll into pencil
thin ropes. Shape into pretzel. Brush with beaten egg then coat with
sesame seed and arrange on oiled, floured baking sheet or aluminium foil.
Bake at 180ºC for 20-25 minutes.
To
crisp, turn heat down to 100ºC. Pile biscuits into oven pan, return to
oven, turn off heat and allow to crisp for 1 hour. Cool. Store in airtight
tin for up to a month. If they soften, crisp again
in a 150ºC oven.
Cinnamon
and sugar may be substituted for sesame seeds.
BUMWELOS
Crisp Doughnuts
1
tbsp dry or 30 g fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar
pinch salt
2 cups warm water
3 cups flour
oil to fry
2 tsp cinnamon
Syrup
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
Preparation:
30 Mins
Makes: 30
Mix
yeast, sugar and salt with 1 cup of the warm water. Allow yeast to froth
(10 minutes). Add remaining cup of water and enough flour to make a very
soft sticky dough, almost liquid. Allow to rise for 15-20 minutes. Heat
enough oil to deep-fry. Moisten hands to prevent dough sticking and take a
walnut sized piece of dough. Form a hole in the middle by pulling outwards
with fingers. Drop rings of dough, 3 at a time, into hot oil and deep-fry
for 3 minutes until they are golden and float to the surface. Drain on
absorbent paper. Boil honey, sugar and water together to form a syrup.
Spoon syrup over bumwelos and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve at once.
Traditionally
served at Chanuka.
MARROCINOS
Almond
Macaroons
450 g blanched almonds, ground
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 small egg white
3 cups water
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Preparation:
20 Mins
Makes: 40
Boil
sugar, 1 egg white and water to syrup. Skim off scum, which forms on top.
Remove from heat and add almonds gradually, mixing well. Return to low
heat, stirring constantly and vigorously until mixture leaves sides of
pot. Remove from heat and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Spoon into
small paper cups and bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes until pale gold.
MULUPITAS
Light Biscuits
4
eggs
2 heaped cups sugar
4 tsp oil
2 ½ heaped cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
rind of 1 lemon or orange
Preparation:
20 Mins
Makes:
60
Beat
eggs well, adding sugar gradually. Add oil. In a separate bowl mix dry
ingredients and fold into egg mixture with vanilla and citrus rind. Oil
and flour a baking sheet, or line with greaseproof paper. Place
teaspoonfuls of mixture on baking sheet. Allow 1,5 cm between biscuits as
they will expand. Bake at 190ºC for 10 minutes. When pale gold, remove
and cool on a tray. Store in airtight tin.
MINENAS
Date Shortbread
Pastry
125 g margarine or butter
2 ½ tbsp icing sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups flour (approximately)
icing sugar
Filling
250 g dates, chopped
¾ cup walnuts, chopped
rind of 1 lemon or orange
1 ½ tbsp water
1 tsp ground cloves and cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
Preparation:
25 Mins
Makes:
30
Cream
margarine and sugar, add egg, vanilla essence and flour. Blend to a soft
dough. Reserve. Mix filling ingredients together. Divide pastry into
walnut-sized balls Roll each into a 6 cm round. Place 1 tsp of filling in
centre of pastry circle. Lift edges of pastry on both sides. Bring
together, closing the pastry over filling and roll slightly to tidy shape.
Press fork tines diagonally across pastries to decorate. Line baking sheet
with wax paper. Arrange pastry rolls 2 cm apart. Bake at 180ºC until
golden about 20 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle generously with icing sugar.
PAN
ESPONGADO
Sponge Cake
6
eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups flour, sifted
½ cup oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp orange blossom essence, diluted, or 1 tsp vanilla essence with 1 ½
tsp water
Preparation:
10 Mins
Makes:
32 squares
Beat
eggs and sugar well until pale yellow. Add flour and oil alternately, then
baking powder and flavouring. Oil a large funnel mould or rectangular
ovenware dish and pour in cake mixture. Bake in centre of oven at 180ºC for
40 minutes. Cake keeps for a week in a sealed tin. If desired, cut into
rush shapes and bake for 1 hour at 100ºC until crisp. Traditionally served
cut into squares at the breaking of the fast.
GATEAU
DE DATLE
Date Loaf
2
tbsp sugar
5 eggs
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dates, soaked in ¾ cup boiling water, then chopped
5 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
Preparation:
20 Mins
Make: 1
Beat
sugar and eggs until lemon-coloured. Add oil, vanilla, nuts, dates, flour
and baking powder. Mix gently. Pour into greased loaf tin and bake for 45
minutes at 190°C.
THE
SEPHARDI CULINARY TRADITION
Author Elsie Menasce
Food Photography by Volker Miros
Published
by The Sephardi Cookbook Corporation Publishers
See
Part I
