Middle Eastern Savory Cracker Rings (Abadi Cookies)

In Israel, these are supremely popular and best known as “Abadi Middle Eastern Cookies”, the brand name that supposedly originally made them. They are not sweet nor are they meant to be. They are an addictive savory nosh and they are meant to be crispy through and through. If you don’t bake them long enough they will not get that indescribable crunch that we crave. They are fab with coffee or tea and can be eaten as a snack or in place of crackers. I love popping some into a ziploc bag and taking them to work with me or really anywhere since they don’t crumble like a regular cracker and are hardy and maintain their shape. They take forever to get stale so I’ve been known to carry them around in my handbag for weeks, patiently waiting on me to snack on them.

Some recipes call for interesting spices to be added but this is quite a simple version and I eschewed using butter or marg for this, only oil. The ingredients are simple and I made a nice quantity, 43 nice cracker rings which keep beautifully. So gather your ingredients and let’s get started!

As you can see above, I use baking powder for these, not yeast. I find they come out delightfully and you do not feel a difference in texture.

Good. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.

Now put the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and 4 tablespoons of sesame seeds (you will use more for the tops, this goes into the batter) into the bowl of a mixer and stir together till combined.

Add the oil and water to the dough and mix till a thick dough forms.

Check to see that the dough sticks together well. If need be, add a tablespoon or two (shouldn’t need more) of oil and or water. In the recipe below you see I add 2 tablespoons extra of oil and water. Gauge according to the texture which should look like this:

Once the dough has the correct texture (if it feels a tad oily, it’s fine. The final result is not oily, no worries) it’s time to shape the rings. This is simplicity itself once you know how.

I do not make little bracelets which are a pain to do and half the time fall apart. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pinch off dough in the amount of a walnut in the shell and roll into a ball.

So how do you form the rings, you may ask? Like so:

Bake the rings for 35-40 minutes or till deep golden brown, fully crispy throughout and cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, store in tins. These last astonishingly well for over two weeks but they tend to disappear fast.

Middle Eastern Savory Cracker Rings (Abadi Cookies)

4 1/2 cups (550 grams) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (200 grams) oil
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (120 grams) water
1 egg, beaten to brush tops of crackers
sesame seeds to sprinkle tops with

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.

Take 2 rimmed baking sheets and cover with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and sesame seeds and mix till combined. Add the cup of oil and the 1/2 cup of water, mixing until the consistency is smooth and not crumbly. If a bit dry and crumbly, add the extra 2 tablespoons of water and oil. This should form a nice ball. If it’s a bit oily, that’s fine. The end result will not be.

Form balls the size of walnuts in the shell (there will be approximately 43 rings) and place balls on the parchment lined sheets, spaced about one inch apart. Punch a hole through the middle of each ball in the center with your finger to form a ring. Brush the top of each ring with the beaten egg. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake the rings for 35-40 minutes or till nicely browned and crisp through and through. Cool on wire racks. Store in tins. Lasts about 2 weeks.