Fekkas, or Moroccan-style biscotti, is a tea cookie made of almonds and raisins. Twice-baked, this delicious treat is flavored with orange blossom water, sesame, anise, and fennel seeds! Serve your Fekkas with fresh Moroccan mint tea or a cup of coffee. Yum!
Fekkas Variations
Fekkas, Faqas, or fqiqsat are popular in most Moroccan cities, especially Fez. Therefore, you may find slightly different variations of these cookies: some use almonds only, some substitute pistachios or walnuts, and others use fewer seeds.
My Fekkas Recipe
My family recipe features a combination of both almonds and raisins. However, you may use almonds only if you’re not a big fan of raisins. My recipe includes the three magic seeds: sesame, anise, and fennel. Speaking of which, do you know the difference between anise and fennel seeds? Keep reading!
Anise Vs. Fennel Seeds
While anise and fennel seeds may seem similar at first sight, anise is smaller, pungent, and licorice rich in taste. It’s probably easier to notice the difference a few minutes after trying the anise seeds, as they leave a sweet aftertaste. Fennel seeds are also sweet and aromatic but are not as intense. Tip for my Moroccan readers: The Moroccan Arabic name for Anise is Habbet Hlawa, while we refer to Fennel as Nafaa. With that in mind, I love using both in my recipe, but you may choose to use only one if that’s your preference.
Making Moroccan Fekkas – Hints and Tricks!
Making Moroccan Fekkas could be challenging if you’re a first-timer, BUT these super-duper helpful tips will surely come in handy. Take a look:
- Before adding flour, mix the oil with the eggs and seeds until it becomes homogenous. Too much or unwhisked oil will compromise your logs’ shape.
- Soak your almonds in orange blossom water, cold water, or milk before adding them to the mixture; this will make your logs easiER to cut afterward.
- Do not preheat your oven! Instead, place your logs’ baking sheet on the middle rack, THEN preheat your oven – this will help prevent your logs from exploding.
- Fekkas is a twice-baked cookie. Therefore, do not overbake your logs the first time. The perfect texture features a light crust, but the logs are only half-baked.
- Allow your logs to rest for at least 6 hours before cutting them. Otherwise, your logs will crumble upon cutting, compromising the texture.
Serving Moroccan Fekkas
Traditionally, Moroccan families serve Fekkas with Moroccan tea as an afternoon snack. While that is my favorite combo, we also serve these delights with coffee or cold milk. Bon appétit!
Moroccan Fekkas with Almonds and Raisins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
Main Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1/4 cup orange blossom water, cold milk, or a mixture of both
- 1 cup orange blossom water, cold milk, or water for soaking the almonds
- 1/2 cup whole almonds, unskinned (soaked in 1 cup orange blossom water, cold milk, or water for 30 minutes).
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup fennel seeds, anise seeds, or a mixture of both
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 pinch salt
Egg Wash Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp cold milk
- 2 to 3 drops of white vinegar
Instructions
- Soak the whole, unskinned almonds in a cup of orange blossom water for 10-15 minutes. Cold milk or water may be substituted if orange blossom water is unavailable. Meanwhile, Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs with sugar, oil, raisins, and the three seeds. Drain and pat dry the almonds and add them to the mixture with 1/4 cup orange blossom water, milk, or a combination of both. Using your hands, ensure you mix all ingredients until the mixture becomes homogenous.
- Slowly add the flour and baking powder to the mixture, and work with your hands until a soft dough forms. You may add some flour to form the dough, but be careful not to add too much, or your dough gets too rough. The result should be a smooth, soft dough that could easily be shaped into logs.
- Cut your dough into three and roll each into a log about 1" – 1.5" high to 2" wide. You may go smaller or bigger depending on your preferences. As you roll your last log, check the first-rolled log. If your first log has gone down or has lost its shape, you may need to rework your dough by adding more flour. When transferring them to the baking sheet, your logs should keep their shape.
- Carefully transfer your logs to the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1" to 2" space between the logs. Next, mix all the egg wash ingredients in a small bowl and brush the logs with the egg wash. Using the back of a fork, lightly draw straight lines in the egg wash but be careful not to poke the dough.
- Place your baking sheet on the middle rack, then preheat your oven to 320 F. Allow your logs to "half-baked" in the preheating oven for 30 to 40 minutes – mine took 35 minutes. Your logs will be ready when they have formed a light crusty layer but are still fairly soft to the touch.
- Remove your logs from the oven and allow them to cool before covering them with a cloth. Allow the logs to rest for at least 6 hours before cutting them.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut your Fekkas diagonally. I love my Fekkas thin, but you may choose thicker slices. If your Fekkas start to break, rinse your knife with warm water, dry it, and try again. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 338 F.
- Place the Fekkas slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 10-15 minutes. Next, move your cookies to the bottom shelf and bake for 3-5 minutes. Flip your cookies and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes. Your cookies are done when the almonds turn golden brown. You may cook your cookies longer if you prefer a darker, harder version of Fekkas.
- Enjoy your Fekkas with fresh Moroccan mint tea, coffee, or milk. Yum!
Notes
Substitutes:
- Oil is vital to this recipe. However, you may use half butter and half oil if you prefer a buttery flavor.
- Orange blossom water adds an aromatic touch to this recipe, but you may use cold milk if orange blossom water is unavailable. Personally, I love using a mixture of both.
- I also like using orange blossom water to soak the almonds, but you may also soak your almonds in cold milk or water.
- The seeds are also a must for this recipe. If you prefer fewer seeds, you may use sesame seeds in addition to fennel or anise.
- While I love the simple egg wash golden color, some families prefer a darker coating for Fekkas. If you like that, you may mix an egg yolk with instant coffee.
Hints and Tricks
- Before adding flour, mix the oil with the eggs and seeds until it becomes homogenous. Too much or unwhisked oil will compromise your logs’ shape.
- Soak your almonds in orange blossom water, cold water, or milk before adding them to the mixture; this will make your logs easiER to cut afterward.
- Do not preheat your oven when baking Fekkas the first time! Instead, place your logs’ baking sheet on the middle rack, THEN preheat your oven. This will help prevent your logs from exploding.
- Fekkas is a twice-baked cookie. Therefore, do not overbake your logs the first time. The perfect texture features a light crust, but the logs are only half-baked.
- Allow your logs to rest for at least 6 hours before cutting them. Otherwise, your logs will crumble upon cutting, compromising the texture.
Pair your Fekkas with these delicious Moroccan Brioches!
Did you try my family’s Fekkas recipe? Tag @petitapron on Instagram so I can find ya!
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