A Kahk in your life

Las Rosquitas de Doris.

I try to remember who is Doris.
Must be this friend of my mom Marcelle who made us laugh loud one day at my father's Abel (Jewish mourning days).
These were some of the saddest days of my life. And everybody was coming into the living room of this apartment in San Bernardino to present its condolences.

We were supposed to sit on the sofa and not stand up when shaking our visitors' hands.

And this lady starts telling us her story of how she was mugged in Caracas.
Now, she was small, just a bit plump, with a really round face.
She was attacked by this man who started pulling on her handbag. She hanged on the bag, forcefully (and foolishly- she could had got killed). The man kept pulling and she refused to give in.
Then, she says, "he slapped me in the face with all his strength".
At this point, in the midst of our sorrow, we couldn't help cracking. Just imagining her plump round face all red and furious after taking the smack was very funny. My sister, my mom, and I don't remember who else, just kept smiling and trying to hold our laugh.
It must be her, Doris. That was in May 1979.

Her "Kahk" recipe is handwritten.

3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 small teaspoons baking powder
ground walnuts
whatever it takes in wheat flour mixed with the beaten eggs.
Dough must be soft and moist.
Cut the round pieces with an espresso demitasse
then cut off the center with a thimble.

Well, it looks like it's not a real "kahk". It looks more like a "rondelle". But that's how my mom's book passes it on.

Perhaps it can be made in "kahks" (bracelets) the usual way: rolling the dough in finger-thick cylinders and shaping them into circular donuts of about 2 or 3 inches diameter.

Of course, they go to the oven. About 375F for about 30 minutes. Then another 15 minutes at 250F, till they get crunchy.

"Rosquitas" is how we translated them in South America.

Kahks can me made with salt or with sugar. They are served with the Turkish or Arab coffee.

This is the sweet version.


In reality I am not a cook but from time to time I take a shot at cooking.

No research has been made whatsoever in the history of Kahks, or intent of studying or analyzing the different versions, options, and varieties in the Middle East, your aunt's own, Armenian, Iraki or Syrian recipes. It's just my mom old notebook, rescued by my wife.


I am Henry Bagdadi Nathan.
Born in Egypt.
A "Francophone" Jew.
I sell homes. Please don't tell.
My website is:

http://www.condo-southflorida.com