Ingredients for Rifat Cookies
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice or apple juice
- 1 tablespoon Arak
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) organic cane Sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon Anise seed toasted
- 3 1/2 cups + one tablespoon (500 grams) flour whole spelt
- 1 tablespoon (3 grams) baking powder
- 4 tablespoons Sesame seeds toasted
- pinch of Salt
Instructions
Preparing the dough:
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1. Add the orange juice, arak, vanilla bean paste, olive oil, sugar and egg to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a flat beater and beat at a low speed. Add the anise seeds, flour, baking powder and sesame seeds and continue mixing until the dough is soft and homogeneous. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.
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2. Preheat the oven to 340F/ 170°C and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 to 6 parts. Take one of the parts (leave the remaining ones covered) and roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper, creating a thin sheet about ⅛ of an inch/ 3-4mm thick. Prick the sheet from top to bottom with a fork. Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut it into 1.5-inch/ 3-4cm squares or diamond shapes. Arrange the cookies on a baking pan, leaving small spaces between them. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
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3. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Cool and store in an airtight container.
For a healthier version, the ones in this recipe are made with spelt flour and cane sugar.
Variation: substitute the orange juice with water. You can also add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the dough if it is not sweet enough.
This recipe is courtesy of Hashulchan.