Rifat – Moroccan Fennel & Sesame Tea Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup neutral oil
½ cup sugar
2 packets vanilla sugar (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
3 eggs
4 Tbsp sesame seeds
¼ cup fennel seeds
¼ cup arak
¼ cup water (instead of ½ cup, since arak replaces the rest)
Pinch of salt
6-8 cups, preferably cake flour or AP
2 TBSP baking powder
- Mix oil, sugar, vanilla, eggs, sesame, fennel, arak, water, and salt.
- Add flour + baking powder, knead to form a soft dough.
- Rest 30 minutes covered.
- Roll 1/4 inch thick
Use round cookie cutter or cut into squares
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until golden.
- Cool and store in airtight glass jar (keeps for weeks).
The arak gives the cookies a lovely licorice note that Paris beautifully with fennel and sesame very traditional in flavor.
