Halwa shebakia (ramadhan special sesame cooki

4 lb flour
      3 lb butter
      2 lb Sesame seeds;plus additional
           -toasted seeds for sprinklng
      1 tb Dry yeast dissolved in
           -1/2 cup water
     20 g  gum arabic; optional
      1 tb Saffron stamens
    1/2 lb Smen; seasoned butter
      1 tb Cinnamon, ground
      1 qt Vegetable oil
      1 qt Vegetable oil; for frying
     10 lb Honey
 
  "This recipe is frankly for historical purposes as its
  yield indicates suitability for commercial or
  restaurant production rather than home baking. With
  unusual proportions of butter, oil and honey in the
  batter, yeast for rising and more oil for frying,
  making the cookies would be rather daunting were it
  not for the fact that they help glorify a particularly
  holy celebration."
  
  1. In a food processor process all the ingredients,
  except the honey, into a paste.
  
  2. Take a walnut-sized piece of paste and roll it out
  very thin. Using a metal cut-out typically found in
  Morocco, with different designs, cut out cookies and
  let them rise for 15 minutes. Deep-fry the cookies in
  the remaining quart of oil in batches over low heat
  just to brown.
  
  3. Soak the cookies in the honey for 15 minutes.
  Remove and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
  
  Makes several hundred cookies.
  
  Source: "The Great Book of couscous" by Copeland Marks
 
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