943. Eid Kaak

This is a very traditional family recipe very well guarded and very generously given to me by a dear friend and sister. Every Eid Al-Adha, family friends and neighbors get together to make Um Abdalrahman's kaak al eid (كعك العيد). I have cut down the original recipe by 90% for this post. The original recipe had 90 eggs and 40 kilos of butter, all kneaded together by loving hands just to give you an idea. I must stress that this kaak was made and designed to be dunked in a steaming isteakan of fragrant karak tea and eaten immediately.
Making this kaak without the karak tea will defeat the purpose and drastically alter the eating experience (really sweet tea and milk will work too.) To store, let cool completely then store in a tupperware 2 days at room temperature, up to a week refrigerated, or six months frozen. To me, they tasted even better the day after they were made.
This same lady is the creator of the Snickers Bomb sweet and Chicken Mushroom Tepsi. I am honored and gleeful of her continuing influence here at MCW and hope to include her generous inventions on a regular basis here.
Shared for a Ramadan Special Event on Huma's blog.

Ingredients:

400g butter 
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2 Tbsp warm water
9 eggs, 1 yolk reserved
2 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup powdered milk
1-2 Tbsp evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
Karak tea, to serve

Method:

In a pan, melt the butter and slowly brown it being careful not to burn it (this takes a good 15 minutes over medium to medium-low heat).
Once butter is browned, set pan aside to cool enough to handle yet remains liquid (7-10 minutes).
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside about 5-7 minutes to foam.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, put the 9 eggs (minus 1 egg yolk), salt, yeast mixture, powdered milk, and evaporated milk.
Whisk until combined and smooth.
Drizzle in as it's whisking the cooled liquid butter, leaving the solids behind in the pot.
Change from the whisk to the S shaped hook and add in one cup increments the flour and whole wheat flour, and the nigella seeds.
Knead a good 5-7 minutes until you are left with a smooth dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rest and rise for at least 4 (four) hours. 4 hours or more is key to this kaak's success (up to 6 hours is still ok, providing the room is not too hot).
Once the four hours are done, preheat oven to 450F.
Pinch off small balls from the dough and you can either put them in a mold for decoration or just roll them smooth. Put balls of dough onto a baking sheet and brush the surface with the reserved egg yolk.
Bake for 8-10 minutes in the top third of the oven until golden on the bottom and the top.
Let kaak cool completely before piling high in the serving dish.
To serve, make a huge thermos of sweet fragrant karak tea.
This kaak was designed to be dunked into karak tea and eaten immediately and will simply not function to be eaten alone.

 صحة و عافية