English Af-Soomaali عربي Ramadan and the lead up to it have been the busiest time for us. We posted 10 recipes in June and this is the 9th recipe in July. That is four months’ worth of recipes based on the average number of recipes we post per month. Yet, we still believe we could…
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English Af-Soomaali Français عربي Pecan Cookies www.xawaash.com This cookie recipe is just perfect when you need a sweet treat that is not fussy. It has a few ingredients, very few steps and they bake in no time. The result, however, is nothing short of spectacular. The cookies crumble in your mouth and the biggest challenge…
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English Af-Soomaali Français عربي Linzer Cookies www.xawaash.com We never had these cookies back in Somalia but, in recent years, we included them in our to-bake list for the holidays. Not only are they very beautiful but they are also a delight to munch on. The ground almonds (you can use other nuts) and the butter…
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English Af-Soomaali Français عربي Somali Fried Biscuits www.xawaash.com Many confuse these biscuits with kac kac (Somali doughnuts). Buskud goos goos or buskud jar jar is the traditional Somali biscuit that is served during Eid. Kac kac spoil quickly because they contain eggs, but buskud goos goos can be stored for a long time. To make…
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English Af-Soomaali Français عربي Sandwich Cookies www.xawaash.com “Your bill is $2,050. How would you like to pay, Sir?” I was at the dealership to get a new set of tires and new brake pads for our car. That was a hefty amount and I grudgingly paid it. It left a sour taste in my mouth…
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English Af-Somaali Français Balbalow (baalbaaloow) is a sweet treat that is popular in Somalia. It is shaped like a butterfly (balanbaalis) and it is as sweet as the butterfly is beautiful. Good balbalow should be light, crunchy but not hard, and have a nice, crumbly texture. The small bubbles on the surface of the balbalow…
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Long before we were introduced to the doughnuts we had outside Somalia, we were familiar with kac kac. We loved these tasty snacks that were sold in traditional Somali restaurants (maqaayo Soomaali) in Mogadishu. They were great for a quick breakfast when served alongside a cup of Somali tea with milk (shaah caddeeys). In those…
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Icun icalaanji caloosha iggee (iggeli) Are you getting ready for Eid? What would Eid be without icun? We mean the icun of “icun icalaanji caloosha iggee (iggeli)” fame. That is what the street vendors selling icun used to say and it means “eat me, chew me, and dispatch me to the stomach.” We do…
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Somali Biscuits with Halwa (Buskud iyo Xalwo) بسكويت مع الحلوة الصومالية These biscuits (cookies) take us back to Somalia, and in particular to childhood in Brava. Mornings start very early and almost everyone would wake up to a cup of coffee (kahawa in Bravanese; qaxwo in Somali). Somali coffee is not at all…
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We call these Eid cookies because my mother (Abdullahi’s) used to bake them every Eid back home in Mogadishu, Somalia. On the night before Eid, we would be sent to the neighbourhood bakery to bring a dozen or so cookie sheets. My mother would mix the cookie dough and we would help pressing the…
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