These twice-baked cookies are the Moroccan equivalent of Italian biscotti, made without nuts but with an intriguing combination of aniseed, mastic, and orange blossom water. Even though I indicate the use of mastic as optional, your cookies will benefit from the mysterious flavor it contributes.
MAKES ABOUT 60 COOKIES
12/3 cups [250 g] unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of fine sea salt
Heaping 1/2 tsp fast-acting (instant) yeast
1/4 tsp aniseed
2 or 3 small grains mastic (see page 55), finely ground in a small mortar with a pestle to yield 1/8 tsp ground mastic (optional)
3 Tbsp organic cane sugar
11/2 tsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp orange blossom water
1/4 cup [60 ml] whole milk
Scant 1/3 cup [80 ml] water
Mix the flour, salt, yeast, aniseed, mastic (if using), and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, orange blossom water, and milk; mix until you have a crumbly pastry. Gradually add the water (some flours take more water than others) and knead until you have a malleable, firm dough that has the consistency of bread dough. Knead for 3 minutes and shape into a ball. Invert the bowl over it and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead for another 3 minutes until you have a smooth dough—letting it rest facilitates the hydration, and as a result you don’t need to knead so vigorously.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Pinch off about a third of the dough. Lightly butter your hands and shape the dough into a mini-baguette about 7 in [17 cm] long. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each of the remaining thirds; leave about 1 in [2.5 cm] between the three mini-baguettes as they will increase in volume. Cover with a damp, not sopping, kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours.
About 20 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C].
Bake the baguettes for 20 to 25 minutes so that they are half-baked. Remove from the oven and let cool. Slice the baguettes crosswise about 1/2 in [12 mm] thick and lay the cookies flat on two baking sheets, if you have them; otherwise, bake in batches, waiting for the sheet to cool between batches.
Bake again until golden and totally crisp, another 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.