Moroccan honey and sesame flower cookies (Chebakia)

1. Toast 100 g sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until golden, cool and grind finely together with the aniseed; soak the saffron in 1 tablespoon of warm water.

2. Mix the flour with the ground seeds, cinnamon and salt, add the melted butter, egg, vinegar, saffron water and 2 tbsp orange blossom water, then enough water to make a firm, smooth dough; knead for 10 minutes and leave to rest covered for 30 minutes.

3. Roll the dough out in small batches 2-3 mm thick and cut into rectangles of about 8x10 cm; make 4 lengthways cuts in each rectangle, leaving the edges joined.

4. Thread the strips alternately onto your finger and turn the corner through to make a flower shape; keep them covered with a tea towel until all are done.

5. Warm the honey with 2 tbsp orange blossom water in a pan; heat the oil to 170 °C and fry the cookies in batches for 3-4 minutes until deep golden.

6. Lift them out of the oil straight into the warm honey for 2-3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon onto a rack and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds.

Tip: Chebakia is the sweet of Moroccan Ramadan: it's served with harira soup to break the fast, and families bake huge batches for days. The shaping looks complicated at first, but you'll get the hang of it after a few; if it doesn't work, a simple twisted bow shape is just as tasty. They keep for weeks in an airtight tin.