One of the best snack foods in Israel are the Abadi brand bagelehs, firm little bagel-shaped savory biscuits. They are irresistible. To paraphrase an old commercial for potato chips, no one can eat just one Abadi bageleh.
Because the cookies are baked dry, and don’t contain any perishable ingredients, they keep crisp and delicious for a long time. Great for snacking on during long Shabbos afternoons. Take some out for your guests and watch them disappear.
Note that leaving out the sesame seeds makes the bagelehs appropriate as teething biscuits and also safe for noshers allergic to sesame.
Abadi-Style Bagelehs
Savory Israeli Biscuits
Ingredients
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup pale ale, such as Heineken
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup water
- (3/4 cup sesame seeds) optional*
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients into a smooth, soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 60 pieces. Roll each piece out to a 6-inch long cylinder, make a ring, and pinch the ends together. Place on baking sheet, leaving a small space between each bageleh. The cookies will not expand much, so you may place the rings fairly close together, but leave some space for more even baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 35 – 40 minutes, until firm and dry.
- Cool and serve.
Notes
*Leave out the sesame for those with allergies, or to use as teething biscuits for babies.