Our freezer is beginning to overflow with goodies I’ve been preparing in advance for our up-coming Christmas celebrations. I’ve already made – and froze – lule kebab, mini lahmajouns (short-cut version), manti (long version), a variety of cookies, and now, simit. There’s still plenty of cooking to do, but those recipes must be prepared just before company arrives.
I’ve posted several simit recipes in the past but decided to try Deegeen (Mrs.) Makrouhi’s version. Hers is simple, doesn’t take very long to make (no yeast involved), and has a very nice texture. Doug said it reminded him of a smaller version of his mother’s choreg. I took that as a huge compliment.
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| First tray of Simit – more to make! |
I added my own touch to the simit recipe – meaning that I incorporated my usual choreg spices into the dough. (See recipe below).
When it’s time to serve, I’ll have a plate of string cheese, olives, and basterma to round it out!
Simit (adapted from Deegeen Makrouhi’s recipe)
Yields about 40 (1-oz.) pieces
Ingredients:
1 cup corn oil
1 cup milk (I used fat free)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. freshly ground mahlab
1 tsp. ground fennel seed
1 tsp. ground anise seed
6 cups flour
Egg wash: 1 egg, beaten
Garnish: toasted sesame seeds and/or black sesame seeds, optional
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together (except for egg wash and garnishing options) to form a workable, non-sticky dough.
NOTE: If you have a food scale, pinch off some dough and weigh 1-ounce pieces, rolling them into balls. If you don’t have a food scale, pinch off pieces about the size of a golf ball.
On an un-floured work surface, roll each ball by hand into a nine-inch rope. Twist each rope into a simple braid and place it on an ungreased baking sheet. These don’t spread, so you can place them fairly close together.
Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or black sesame seeds, if desired.
Bake at 375 °F for about 20-25 minutes (depending on your oven) or until golden brown.
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These are baking now… I couldn`t get my dough to stretch to 9“ without breaking. Is there a secret to it, maybe you knead the dough for a few minutes?
Hi Violet, this sometimes happens, especially if the dough is a bit dry. You could add a touch of water to the dough then gently knead it, or lightly moisten your hands before rolling the dough portion into the ‘log’ shape. I hope this helps!