Moroccan · Desserts
Halwa Shebakia (Honey-Soaked Flower Pastries)
In Rabat and Salé, the run-up to Ramadan means kitchens full of shebakia — flower-shaped, spiced sesame dough fried until crisp then plunged into warm honey, eaten alongside harira at iftar for a jolt of sugar after the day's fast.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Serves
- 10
- Level
- Advanced
Ingredients
- 500 g flour
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground anise, pinch of saffron
- 80 g toasted sesame seeds, ground, plus more whole to finish
- 1 egg and 60 g melted butter
- 1 tbsp orange-blossom water and 1 tsp instant yeast
- About 150 ml warm water
- 500 g honey, warmed with a splash of orange-blossom water
- Neutral oil, for deep-frying
Method
- 1
Make the dough
Mix the flour, cinnamon, anise, saffron, ground sesame and yeast, then work in the egg, melted butter, orange-blossom water and enough warm water to form a soft, pliable dough. Knead well, 10 minutes.
- 2
Rest
Cover and rest the dough at least 30 minutes.
- 3
Roll and cut
Roll the dough out thin and cut into rectangles, then slit each rectangle several times lengthways without cutting through the ends.
- 4
Shape into flowers
Carefully pull and fold the strips through the slits to open the shape out into a flower-like lattice.
- 5
Fry
Deep-fry the shaped pastries in moderately hot oil, turning, until golden and crisp all over, about 3–4 minutes.
- 6
Honey soak
Drop the hot, freshly fried pastries directly into the warm honey and let them soak briefly, turning to coat.
- 7
Finish
Lift out, drain briefly, and scatter with whole toasted sesame seeds while the honey is still sticky. Cool before storing.
Chef's tips
- Fry in oil that is hot but not scorching — too hot and the shebakia colour before the inside is fully cooked.
- Both the fried pastries and honey should be warm at the soaking stage so the honey penetrates rather than simply coating the surface.
- These keep for weeks in an airtight tin, making them practical to prepare well ahead of Ramadan.
Frequently asked questions
Why are shebakia shaped like flowers?
The slit-and-folded lattice shape maximises the surface area for frying crisp and soaking up honey, and it has become the traditional decorative form associated with Ramadan tables.
What is shebakia eaten with?
Classically alongside a bowl of harira at iftar, the meal that breaks the daily Ramadan fast.