Kahké - My Family’s Pretzel

Kahké pronounced kah kay (make it throaty and tense). I’ve said it incorrectly so many times but I think the first syllable is stresed. Even if I stress the wrong part of the word, it’s closer than I was when I pronounced “kaka” which apparently is not something you want to eat.

This treat is hard to describe because it’s quite thick for a cracker, but it’s savory so I wouldn’t call it a cookie. When I first started dating my Armo, he shared some of these with me. I took one bite and was in love (with kahké not with him, yet anyway). I asked him what were the flavors. I received the first of many shrugs and a “I don’t know. I just eat it”.

About four years later, his Aunt Adrine (maternal grandma’s sister) taught me to make these things and the flavor mystery was solved. The flavors are from black caroway seed and mahlab.

I’m not sure the origins of this cracker. I believe kahké is Armenian, but other cultures also share this novelty. If you google kahké recipes, it looks like it’s typically eaten around Easter, and has a wide variety of flavors. Adrine made these and ate them year round.

Ingredients:
1 c of melted shortening
4 c all-purpose flour
1.5 Tbl Black Caraway seeds
1 tsp salt
1 T Mahlab
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 c of water, (110 degrees)

Directions:
Measure the shortening and melt it in the microwave. I use 1 cup glass measuring cup and spoon shortening into the glass. I melt the shortening and add more until I have 1 cup.

In a medium bowl, add all dry ingredients and mix.

Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the shortening and water into the well. Mix well with your hands. The mixture will be greasy and not sticky. You are not kneading the dough. After the ingredients are fully incorporated, shape the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic, and let it set for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375. Put parchment on two sheet pans. After 30 minutes, the dough will be soft, but not have risen a measurable amount. Pinch off a piece of dough and roll it gently between the palms of your hands to make balls about 2” in diameter. The dough should be smooth and have no seam lines or fractures in the dough. Place the balls in 4 rows of 3 on the parchment. Take a ball and place it between the palm of your hands and rub your hands back and forth (but delicately) like you’re warming them. You want the ball to become a line that is 7-8” long. Shape it in a circle. It takes me about 50 minutes to shape them — I am slow so it really shouldn’t take you longer than that.

Cover the the pans with Saran wrap and allow the shapes to double in size.

Remove the plastic and bake. Adrine would say cook them until they’re pink. Let’s go for medium brown. Kahké should be crisp (almost hard) all the way through and leave behind crumbs when you bite into it. They should bake for about 50-65 mintues.


Notes:
Black caroway and mahlab have very distinct flavors so you can’t really substitute the flavors. Let your spice rack and your imagination guide you. If you’re worried two flavors won’t mix well, open the bottles, put them next to each other and take a whiff. You like it? Go for it! If you don’t, try a different combo.

I don’t typically recommend buying a spice for one dish, but I do for this one. Mahlab is often sold in small quantities (it loses flavor fast fast) so if you make two batches of this recipe, you’ve used almost all of it. Mahlab is also really good to add to whole grain bread — when weighing ingredients, treat it as a grain and not as flour. Black caroway can also be used in whole grain bread, but be careful not to use too much — the flavor can quickly overpower more subtle flavors. It’s a great addition to salads and bureg. Black caroway keeps well.

Shaping: Traditionally these were made into a circle. Adrine would make them into a lowercase cursive “e” because it was quicker to form. She’d often make a few circles in a batch of “e”s.

This recipe is versatile. Mix in any flavors. You can also shape them into rolls and bake for a shorter time to make a simple yeast roll. You can also shape them into breadsticks (also reduce cooking time).