With the new year approaching, my friend SoniaTashjian
reminded me of her recipe for Dare Hats. Because it’s the time of year for this
specialty bread, she kindly provided some background information  in addition to her recipe. Read on, and give
the recipe a try!

Dare Hats from Sonia Tashjian

Darehats is an Armenian traditional bread prepared for the New Year. When the family
gathers around the holiday table, the grandmother cuts the bread and serves
it to the members of the family. The family member who receives the portion of
bread with the coin, is granted good luck and fertility during the coming year.

The tradition of Darehats (other names are Dari, Grgene, Kloj, etc…) began centuries
ago. In the springtime, the first man prepared the bread using the last of the dried
fruits and decorated the bread with seeds. The bread was dedicated to his gods in the hope of a fertile crop for the coming year.

Dare Hats
Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (if desired)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup hot water
1 cup chopped dried fruits and raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
½ cup linseed or sesame seeds
****
a coin

Directions:

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon (if using). Add the oil and hot water; mix well.

Add the raisins, chopped nuts & dried fruits. Mix, then place in a non-stick round pan.
Wrap the coin with foil, then insert it into the dough. Rub water on the surface of the
dough and sprinkle seeds on top.

Preheat the oven at medium temperature (approx. 350° F) and bake 40-45 minutes.