haloua rhifa

This honey cake is very rich and is usually served at weddings, circumcisions or births. It is arranged in a cone shape with a ball of fresh butter on the top.

Ingredients:

* 250 g (9 oz) of hard wheat flour sieved in a silk sieve * 250 g (9 oz) of fine white flour

* 1 teaspoonful of salt * 1/2 teaglassful of orange-flower water

* oil for frying * water * 2kg (4 lbs 7 oz) of honey

Preparation: 

Make a dough with the flour, salt and water. Knead hard for 30 minutes giving it the consistency of a Rghaif dough Coat this dough with oil and shape small balls about the size of an apricot. Put the oil to boil in a frying pan, roll out and flatten the first ball of dough to a square of pastry the thickness of a sheet of paper. Fry golden brown on both sides in the oil, drain and crush with a skimmer in the ‘gsâá and prepare the remaining balls of dough, one person cooking them while the other crushes them in the gsââ.

Heat half the honey with the orange-flower water. Leave to boil for a few minutes then add the crumbs of crushed pastry. Leave on the heat for a few moments then spread this pastry in the gsãâ and leave to stand for 24 hours.

The next day, bring the remainder of the honey to the boil, remove from the heat and pour over the paste, stirring all the time. Mix well and leave to drip in a colander. Press to get rid of the excess oil then arrange on a round dish and leave to get cold.