Some of my fondest memories from my childhood, are when my mom would prepare endless amounts of desserts, in time for Eid.  Our house would be the cleanest and most organized it could get.  I was always very excited for this time of the year because we would make a special trip to the mall to buy some new clothes to wear for this occasion.  On Eid, my mom would have the treats and tea all ready to go for when our family and friends would visit to wish us a blessed holiday.  Eid lasts 3 days.  The first day, we would stay home and welcome guests and on the second and third day, it was our turn to visit our loved ones.

There are certain cookies and biscuits that are only made specially for Eid.  One of them is called Kulcha Namaki – this translates to salty cookie.  Essentially, this is a biscuit with a bit of a salty taste, which is very well known in Afghanistan.

Below is the recipe.  These are good for a few days, but I highly recommend eating them shortly out of the oven when they are soft and warm.

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Bake Time:  18 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon yeast

2/3 cup butter

1 glass milk

2 eggs

Kalonji and poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, yeast and set aside.

Melt butter and allow it to cool before mixing it with milk and eggs (one yolk removed and beaten).

Gradually add flour mixture to the butter, milk, and eggs.  Knead the dough until it is moist and fluffy.

Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sprinkle flour over a clean surface and tear tablespoon size piece of the dough.  Form the piece into a ball, then place on the clean surface and roll out the dough with some pressure into small ropes.  The dough can either be braided, or twisted inwards into a circular shape.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Grease a large pan and carefully transfer them onto the pan.  Beat the leftover yolk and brush a generous amount over each biscuit and sprinkle on the seeds.  It should take about 18 minutes to bake.  Check on the biscuits often.  They are ready to take out when they are golden.  Enjoy with some tea!