Coffee time with Kaak spice

Coffee time with Kaak spice
Kaak spice has it all,
Anise,
Cloves,
Nutmeg,
Cinnamon,
Mahlab, (See note 1)
Sesame seeds
and just a hint of black caraway seed.

Kaak cookies are also known as "Kaak El Eid" or "Kaak El Abass".
Its made with flour, sugar, yeast, sesame seeds, baking soda, butter, milk and kaak spice.
Nothing tastes better than a warm kaak cookie covered in labneh with olive oil drizzled on top and a steaming hot cup of coffee

Mahlab (note 1)  is an aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry, Prunus mahaleb (the Mahaleb cherry, aka the St Lucie cherry).

The cherry stones are cracked to extract the seed kernel, which is about 5 mm diameter, soft and chewy on extraction.
The seed kernel is ground to a powder before use.

Its flavour is similar to a combination of bitter almond and cherry.
It is used in small quantities to sharpen sweet foods.

It has been used for centuries in the Middle East and the surrounding areas as a flavouring for baked goods.
In recent decades it has been slowly entering mainstream cooking in English.
#Kaak   #Spice  in the #G+VermouthCafe 





 
http://arabic-food.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/eid-kaak-with-dates-recipe.html