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How to Milk an Almond Stuff an Egg And Armor a Turnip A ...

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123<br />

Grind the almonds coarsely in a food<br />

processor, then add the sugar <strong>an</strong>d grind briefly<br />

<strong>to</strong>gether <strong>to</strong> mix (I assume the original is using<br />

a block of sugar, which is why it has <strong>to</strong> be<br />

ground). Grind the saffron in<strong>to</strong> the rose water,<br />

add, <strong>an</strong>d run the food processor long enough<br />

<strong>to</strong> mix it in smoothly. Heat the oil <strong>to</strong> about<br />

350° over a medium heat, add the honey <strong>an</strong>d<br />

cook about 3 minutes on low. Foam (not very<br />

thick–like the bubbles of bubble bath, or a<br />

little thinner) will cover the <strong>to</strong>p. Add the<br />

almonds <strong>an</strong>d sugar. At this point it may foam<br />

up <strong>an</strong>d boil over, so be careful, use a<br />

reasonably large pot, <strong>an</strong>d be ready <strong>to</strong> remove<br />

it from the heat temporarily if necessary.<br />

Cook on medium <strong>to</strong> medium high, with a<br />

c<strong>an</strong>dy thermometer in the pot; be careful <strong>to</strong><br />

keep the thermometer from <strong>to</strong>uching the<br />

bot<strong>to</strong>m.<br />

At a temperature of about 230° the mixture<br />

becomes smooth. After cooking about 10<br />

minutes (from the time the sugar went in) it<br />

reaches about 270°. If you s<strong>to</strong>p at that point,<br />

your Makshufa will be light colored <strong>an</strong>d<br />

chewy. Another 6 minutes or so gets the syrup<br />

up <strong>to</strong> about 290°, giving a darker c<strong>an</strong>dy,<br />

crunchier, with a slightly caramelized taste.<br />

Remove from heat, spoon on<strong>to</strong> a buttered<br />

cookie sheet (<strong>to</strong> make lots of little c<strong>an</strong>dies) or<br />

else pour it on (<strong>to</strong> make a sheet of c<strong>an</strong>dy like<br />

pe<strong>an</strong>ut brittle) <strong>an</strong>d let cool. Chill, remove<br />

from the cooky sheet <strong>an</strong>d keep the c<strong>an</strong>dy<br />

refrigerated or frozen <strong>to</strong> make it less likely <strong>to</strong><br />

stick <strong>to</strong>gether. It is crunchier if you serve it<br />

chilled. The recipe makes about 40-45 pieces<br />

1 ¾" in diameter with a <strong>to</strong>tal weight of about<br />

21 ounces.<br />

Sukkariyya, a Sugar Dish from the<br />

Dictation of Abu 'Ali al-Bagdadi<br />

<strong>And</strong>alusi<strong>an</strong> p. A-23<br />

Take a ratl of sugar <strong>an</strong>d put in two ûqiyas of<br />

rosewater <strong>an</strong>d boil it in a ceramic pot until it is<br />

on the point of thickening <strong>an</strong>d sticks between the<br />

fingers. Then take a third of a ratl of split<br />

almonds, fried, not burnt, <strong>an</strong>d pound well <strong>an</strong>d<br />

throw the sugar on them <strong>an</strong>d stir it on the fire<br />

until thickened. Then spread it out on a dish <strong>an</strong>d<br />

sprinkle it with ground sugar.<br />

2 c sugar 5 oz = ⅞ c slivered almonds<br />

5 T rosewater 1-2 T more sugar<br />

Toast the almonds in a hot (400°) frying<br />

p<strong>an</strong> for 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously.<br />

Then crush them with mortar <strong>an</strong>d pestle <strong>to</strong><br />

something between ground <strong>an</strong>d chopped.<br />

Cook sugar <strong>an</strong>d rosewater mixture on medium<br />

high until it comes <strong>to</strong> a boil, reduce <strong>to</strong><br />

medium <strong>an</strong>d continue cooking <strong>to</strong> a<br />

temperature of 275°, about ten minutes.<br />

Combine syrup <strong>an</strong>d nuts in a frying p<strong>an</strong>, cook<br />

at medium <strong>to</strong> medium high, stirring<br />

const<strong>an</strong>tly, for <strong>an</strong>other nine minutes, turn out<br />

on a plate <strong>an</strong>d sprinkle with sugar. An<br />

alternative interpretation of the original recipe<br />

is that you cook the syrup <strong>an</strong>d nuts <strong>to</strong>gether<br />

only long enough <strong>to</strong> get them well mixed; the<br />

binder is then sugar syrup rather th<strong>an</strong><br />

carmelized sugar. Both ways work.<br />

Barad<br />

al-Baghdadi p. 211<br />

Take best white flour, made in<strong>to</strong> a dough, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

leave <strong>to</strong> rise. Put a basin on the fire, with some<br />

sesame-oil. When boiling, take in a reticulated<br />

ladle some of the dough, <strong>an</strong>d shake it in<strong>to</strong> the oil,<br />

so that as each drop of the dough falls in, it sets.<br />

As each piece is cooked, remove with <strong>an</strong>other ladle<br />

<strong>to</strong> drain off the oil. Take honey as required, mix<br />

with rose water, <strong>an</strong>d put over the fire <strong>to</strong> boil <strong>to</strong> a<br />

consistency: then take off, <strong>an</strong>d while still in the<br />

basin, whip until white. Throw in the barad, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

place out on a soft-oiled surface, pressing in the<br />

shape of the mould. Then cut in<strong>to</strong> pieces, <strong>an</strong>d<br />

serve.<br />

½ c white flour 1 ¼ c sesame oil<br />

½ c water 1 T rose water<br />

½ t dried yeast ½ c honey<br />

or ¼ c sourdough<br />

Make the flour <strong>an</strong>d water in<strong>to</strong> a smooth<br />

batter. If using yeast mix it with 2 t water,<br />

wait about 10 minutes, then add it (or the<br />

sourdough) <strong>to</strong> the flour-water mixture. Let<br />

st<strong>an</strong>d 2-3 hours. Heat 1 c of the sesame oil <strong>to</strong><br />

about 300° in a large frying p<strong>an</strong>. Pour the<br />

batter through a ladle or skimmer with small<br />

holes in it, so as <strong>to</strong> form small balls in the hot<br />

oil. Cook <strong>to</strong> a pale brown (1-3 minutes), take<br />

out, drain on paper <strong>to</strong>wel. Add more sesame

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