Fekkas (فقاص)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Serrated bread knife
• •Airtight biscuit tin

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the seeds

   Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they smell nutty and turn lightly gold, then tip them out at once. Crush the anise seeds lightly between your fingers or in a mortar, just enough to open their scent without turning them to dust.

2. 2

   Mix the dough

   In a wide bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until the mixture loosens and lightens a little. Whisk in the oil and orange blossom water, then stir in the anise, sesame, almonds, and drained raisins. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing by hand until you have a soft dough that holds together without sticking heavily to your fingers.

   Flour drinks differently from house to house. Add a small handful only if the dough is too sticky to shape; too much flour makes fekkas hard instead of crisp.
3. 3

   Shape the logs

   Divide the dough into 3 logs, each about 5cm wide and 2cm high, and set them on a lined baking sheet with space between them. Smooth the tops with oiled hands. Beat the egg yolk with the milk or coffee and brush the logs lightly so they bake with a warm gold skin.

4. 4

   Bake once

   Bake at 180 C for 22 to 28 minutes, until the logs are set, lightly colored, and firm enough to lift without bending. They should not be deeply browned yet. This bake is only to set the structure so the knife can pass through cleanly.

5. 5

   Cool and slice

   Let the logs cool until fully firm, at least 1 hour. For the cleanest slices, wrap the cooled logs in a clean towel and rest them until no warmth remains. Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut thin diagonal slices, about 7mm thick. Pressing straight down breaks the almonds and tears the biscuit.

6. 6

   Bake again

   Lay the slices flat on baking sheets and bake at 160 C for 18 to 25 minutes, turning once, until both sides are dry, crisp, and lightly golden at the edges. Let them cool completely on the tray; they finish firming as they sit.

7. 7

   Store for tea

   Once fully cool, pack the fekkas into an airtight tin. Keep them dry and they'll hold well for 2 weeks, ready for mint tea, coffee, Eid plates, or the guest who arrives after you thought the table was finished.

Chef Tips

• •Use whole anise seed and crush it yourself. Pre-ground anise fades quickly, and fekkas depends on that clean licorice scent.
• •Toast the almonds before they go into the dough. They need that first warmth, because the second bake dries the biscuit more than it roasts the nuts.
• •Don't rush the cooling between bakes. Warm logs crumble under the knife, and fekkas should slice clean, with almonds and raisins showing in every piece.
• •Some Moroccan homes add a little gum arabic, cinnamon, or fennel seed. Those are family signatures. Keep the anise, sesame, almonds, and twice-baked method, and name any change honestly.

Advance Preparation

• •Fekkas is made for advance preparation. Bake it 2 to 5 days before serving and keep it in a dry tin.
• •The first-baked logs can rest overnight before slicing, wrapped in a clean towel once cool. This gives the neatest cut.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 22g)