Berber Breakfast Scones
The sea air had been well seasoned with a dose of Moroccan saltiness and the stretch of coast I’d just pounded in an effort to retain my current belt notch had left me with a convict’s appetite. I stored hunger in my eyes and Hamid my waiter recognised my need as he slid a side plate of Harchas, Moroccan breakfast muffins in front of me.
“Too much of a good thing...” he began
“...is a good thing.” I cut in.
I busied myself pouring honey over the cornbread muffins, gently breaking an entry with a fork the soft semolina grains fell apart soothed by the caress of honey. The trio of Harcha muffins performed a disappearing act with its accomplice, a high grade syrupy coffee. Banishing the hunger into the horizon I sat replete feeling a teensy bit gluttonous, but hey what’s the point of exercise if you can’t enjoy a little too much of a good thing.
I pressed Hamid for the recipe, and he deftly gave up his chef, Rachid who dished up this version of Harcha...scoff away.
How To Make Harcha
- 350 g fine semolina (not durum flour)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 150 g soft or melted butter
- 120 to 160 ml whole milk
- 100g coarse semolina for coating (optional)
- Honey for drizzling
Using a large mixing bowl combine the fine semolina, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Add in the butter, blend until the mix is grainy and a little sandy.
Slowly add some milk, until the mixture takes on the rough form of a damp dough, it should be easily liable. Take lemon sized chunks, and roll them into balls, dusting them in the coarse semolina. Gently squish the balls into round patties approximately 1 cm thick and leave for a few minutes to rest.
Using a frying pan or griddle, heat to medium-low temperature and cook the Harcha for about 7 – 10 minutes on each side until they glow like sun blistered sand. If they’re browning a little too quickly lower the temperature ensuring that they are cooked all the way through.
Serve straight away and drizzle with runny honey.
You can freeze these little beauties and once defrosted can be reheated in a pan.
Berber Breakfast Scones
The sea air had been well seasoned with a dose of Moroccan saltiness and the stretch of coast I’d just pounded in an effort to retain my current belt notch had left me with a convict’s appetite. I stored hunger in my eyes and Hamid my waiter recognised my need as he slid a side plate of Harchas, Moroccan breakfast muffins in front of me.
“Too much of a good thing...” he began
“...is a good thing.” I cut in.
I busied myself pouring honey over the cornbread muffins, gently breaking an entry with a fork the soft semolina grains fell apart soothed by the caress of honey. The trio of Harcha muffins performed a disappearing act with its accomplice, a high grade syrupy coffee. Banishing the hunger into the horizon I sat replete feeling a teensy bit gluttonous, but hey what’s the point of exercise if you can’t enjoy a little too much of a good thing.
I pressed Hamid for the recipe, and he deftly gave up his chef, Rachid who dished up this version of Harcha...scoff away.
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