[Sca-cooks] Hais question

[David Friedman]

>This is the recipe I'm using for the hais for next week's BG Nobles 
>Luncheon. I've just ground all this stuff together in my food 
>processor, but the result is a moist powder. If I squeeze it hard 
>enough, I can squeeze it into a ball, but it crumbles apart. Should 
>I add more sesame oil?  I don't want it to be too moist, but this 
>looks like what I need to do.

Dates probably vary more than breadcrumbs--you might have used 
particularly dry ones. I would suggest taking a measured amount of 
what you have, adding a small measured amount of water, mixing in, 
seeing if it forms into balls that stay together, and experimenting 
until it does. You could use a little more oil, but not a lot.

>
>I do realize that bread crumbs in particular, can have differing 
>amounts of moisture. This is one of the reasons I've made my own 
>bread crumbs rather than buying "bread crumbs" in the store.
>
>Also, for this amount, what is the approximate amount for "enough" sugar?

I don't know. I generally put sugar in a small bowl, roll the hais in 
it, and continue until I've gotten all the hais sugared, adding sugar 
if necessary.

>
>Please copy me on any list answers since I am on the digest and 
>won't see it until the digest fills up.
>
>Thanks,
>   Stefan
>
>=======
>Hais
>al-Baghdadi p. 214/14, redaction by Cariadoc and Betty Cook
>
>Take fine dry bread, or biscuit, and grind up well. Take a ratl of 
>this, and three quarters of a ratl of fresh or preserved dates with 
>the stones removed, together with three uqiya of ground almonds and 
>pistachios. Knead all together very well with the hands. Refine two 
>uqiya of sesame-oil, and pour over, working with the hand until it 
>is mixed in. Make into cabobs, and dust with fine-ground sugar. If 
>desired, instead of sesame-oil use butter. This is excellent for 
>travellers.
>
>       2 2/3 cup bread crumbs
>       2 c (about one lb) pitted dates
>       1/3 c ground almonds
>       1/3 c ground pistachios
>       7 T melted butter or sesame oil
>       enough sugar
>
>       "We usually mix dates, bread crumbs, and nuts in a food 
>processor or blender. For "cabobs," roll into one inch balls. Good 
>as caravan food (or for taking to wars). They last forever if you do 
>not eat them, but you do so they don't."
>Make 2 or Three batches
>This recipe excerpted directly from Cariadoc's Miscellany, 8th 
>edition, http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/desserts.html#1
>--------
>THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
>    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
>**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****
>
>
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-- 
David Friedman
www.daviddfriedman.com
daviddfriedman.blogspot.com/