Christmas Baking: Egyptian Kahk
This week: Baba Noël’s Egyptian Kahk!
Last week, I was joined by fellow readers and BookTubers Kay of Kay’s Hidden Shelf and Andrew of Andrew’s Wizardly Reads as we baked Sugar Cookies!
In 2021, I shared three recipes from three different cookbooks. You can find them here:
In 2022, I shared three more recipes from 19th century cookbooks:
You can also find all my recipe videos in one easy playlist on my YouTube channel. (Be sure to hit that subscribe button while you’re there!)
Join me LIVE at 7:00pm MST (9:00pm EST) on Thursday, Dec 7 or watch later at your leisure!
And now, Baba Noël’s Egyptian Kahk!
This recipe can be found in the back of Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman!
Kertas and I followed the sweet smell of honey and cinnamon to the happily lit outdoor kitchen of the local hotel.
Huddled around the kitchen stove were two small, round individuals that could only be a couple of Santas. Their cheeks were nice and rosy from the mix of cold air and heat coming from the oven. One of them was Père Noël and the other was Baba Noël, who was clearly in the process of teaching an Egyptian recipe to the French Santa.
“Making spirits bright with a little baking?” Kertas asked as we approached.
Both Noëls looked up with a smile as we neared.
…
“Here it is. I knew I’d packed it.” Baba said, waving a wooden press as he returned with Père at his side. “Now we can begin making the filling.”
He set down the press and clapped his hands together, rubbing them in anticipation. “This is my favorite part. So, first, we need to melt the butter. You do that, Père, and I’ll measure the flour. We’ll whisk the flour in the pan once the butter is melted. Then we just remove it from the heat to add the honey and pistachios and sesame seeds. Then back onto the heat, stirring until it thickens, then back off the heat to cool until we can form it into small balls. By then the dough should have rested enough and we’ll be able to start putting it all together.”
Père nodded and turned to the oven.
—From Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman
Kahk Dough:
1 T yeast
1 T sugar
⅓ C warm milk
1 ¼ C butter
3 C flour (all-purpose)
½ tsp cinnamon
Agameya Filling:
3 T butter
2 T flour
1 C honey
1 C pistachios (or walnuts)
2 tsp sesame seeds
Directions:
- Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm milk and set to the side.
- Melt the butter until it’s bubbling.
- In a heat-resistant bowl, mix the flour and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Stir with a spoon until completely mixed. Leave to cool.
- Once the flour mixture has cooled down—about 10-15 minutes—check it with your fingers to be sure it is all combined. Add the milk mixture and mix until it becomes a dough. Let sit for one hour.
- While the dough sits, prepare the agameya filling. Melt the butter in a pan on the stovetop.
- Whisk the flour in the pan once the butter is melted to make a roux.
- Remove it from the heat to add the honey, pistachios, and sesame seeds.
- Put the mixture back onto the heat at a low temperature, stirring until it thickens, then back off the heat to cool until you can form it into small balls—the smaller the better.
- Once the dough has finished resting for that hour, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Take a piece of dough and flatten it until it will just cover one of the agameya balls. Place one of the balls in the center of the dough and wrap the dough around it. Roll it against your palm until you have a nice, smooth ball. Collect them on a baking sheet.
- Now comes the fun part: the design. You can purchase a wooden mold specifically designed for kahk which makes a beautiful carving on the surface. OR try pressing the ball into other molds you have to make unique designs. OR using a fork, press a simple design across the surface. Get creative with it!
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Coat with powdered sugar once cool. Store in an airtight container to enjoy at your next Christmas party!
Join me over the next two weeks as I live bake the recipes found in the back of my latest mystery: Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman!
Sam Shovel only comes to life for twelve days a year at Christmastime, and this year, he’s in time to solve a murder mystery at the North Pole. O. Tannenbaum—the world’s largest supplier of Christmas trees—has been murdered, and although Nick and Nora Claus are too busy to solve the mystery, Sam has enough time on his branchy hands to take a stab at it.
The North Pole is full of suspects, from the owners of the neighboring candy cane farm to Santa himself! But which Santa? Is it Nick Claus, Père Noël, Sinterklaas, Ded Moroz, der Weihnachtsmann, Sheng dan Lao ren, Baba Noël, or someone else entirely?
Woven with enough Christmas references to choke a reindeer, find out if Sam succeeds in catching the killer in Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman.
A fantastical Christmas cozy mystery perfect for enjoying with a cup of hot cocoa and a cookie any time of year!
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Ebook— Find it in your favorite ebook format!
Audiobook— Find it in your favorite audiobook format!
Print— Purchase a signed hardback copy from me here!
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Also available in a special Christmas Deluxe Gift Box!
Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman Deluxe Gift Box now available!
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—One handmade Christmas bookmark with snowflake dangle
—One Christmas cookie cutter
—One package of hot cocoa mix with “unassembled snowman” marshmallows
—Two laminated recipe cards for recipes included in Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman (including the two I’m sharing live!)
—One Christmas tea candle
—One candy cane
—Christmas stickers
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