Dukkah is an Egyptian spice mix traditionally made of various nuts, sesame seeds, herbs and spices like coriander and cumin. It is typically served alongside bread as a savory dip, but can also be sprinkled on many dishes to add texture and spice – think salads, roasted vegetables and pasta.
Having tried and completely fallen in love with traditional, savory dukkah, I had an idea to make a sweet dukkah mix. Mine consisted of pistachios, hazelnuts, black sesame and poppy seeds, with plenty of bright spices like cardamom, coriander, cinnamon and nutmeg, sweetened with dates.
To stick with a Middle Eastern theme, I rolled up the dukkah into spelt dough cigars. The ‘cigar’ or ‘sigara’ is a traditional Turkish pastry shape, usually made with filo dough, cheese and herbs.
The great thing about dukkah is that you can add or substitute nuts, seeds and spices based on your preference and what’s on hand. For this particular mix, I suggest to keep sesame seeds and cardamom as a constant, building around them. The result will be a fragrant, chewy, slightly crunchy, and subtly sweet pastry. A topping of chocolate is optional, but adds that perfect touch for all the chocoholics out there.
Sweet Dukkah Cigars
makes 20 cigars
for sweet dukkah
1/2 cup raw hazelnuts or walnuts
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds – optional
4 green cardamom pods – crushed in mortar and pestle, green shells removed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
2/3 cup raw, unsalted pistachio nuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 soft dates – pitted and chopped
pinch of sea salt
to make dukkah
1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Spread hazelnuts or walnuts onto a baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes. Add sesame and poppy seeds, if using, and continue to toast for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
2. Toast cardamom and coriander seeds in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, for about a minute or so. Grind them in a mortar and pestle.
3. Add hazelnuts/walnuts and pistachios to a bowl of a food processor, pulse a few times. Add sesame and poppy seeds, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, dates and salt to the food processor. Pulse to combine to the consistency of coarse bread crumbs.
for dough
1 1/2 cups sprouted or whole spelt flour
1 1/2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons miso paste
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup very warm water
to make dough
1. Put the flour into a medium mixing bowl, add oil and work it in. Make a well in the center.
2. Combine miso paste and 2 tablespoons water in a separate bowl and mix until smooth. Add the mixture into the flour well, followed by the rest of the water.
3. Start mixing with a fork, slowly incorporating flour into the liquid. Continue by kneading the dough with your hands until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
for cigars
4 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil plus more for brushing finished cigars
4 tablespoon honey
about 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate
to assemble and bake cigars
1. Melt 4 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil with 4 tablespoons of honey on a double boiler, combine well and keep warm.
2. Divide the dough into 2 even parts, keep one of them wrapped in plastic. Flour your working surface. Form a rope from the first part and cut it into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a very thin wrapper, keeping the surface floured.
3. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Brush each wrapper with coconut oil/honey mixture and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of dukkah. Roll the cigar tightly, tucking the sides in as you go. Repeat with the second part of the dough.
4. Place cigars on a parchment paper covered baking sheet and brush with melted ghee or coconut oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool. Melt chocolate on a double boiler and sprinkle the cigars with melted chocolate. Enjoy!
Note: although these pastries are delicious right away, I found them improving in texture after resting for several hours or even overnight.
I LOVE this recipe! I use dukkah on ice-cream sometimes – have you ever tried on raw bananas ice-cream? It’s just fabulous!
Valentina, that sounds amazing!
These are too freaking fun! Just love the flavour!
Katrina, thank you, they are really fun to make.
Gorgeous recipe! You always come up with most amazing healthy treats – Thanks for sharing!
Medha, thanks so much!
OMG, Anya! I am speechless! They look gorgeous, will try them this weekend! Thank you, this really made my day!!!
Hi Natalia, hope they turn out well :)
This is perfection. I love the sweet twist on dukkah, and those pistachios are enough to make me swoon! I remember working as a server in a Middle Eastern festivities hall when I was a teenager, and during busy shifts, ducking into the freezer and stuffing my face full of pistachio-filled cigars and baklawa… As delicious as they were, the heartburn that followed was anything but.
Ksenia, I know what you mean! You won’t get that heartburn from these :)
Well if these aren’t one of most amazing creations I’ve seen in a long time, I don’t know what is. Gotta love that Egyptian spice! Gorgeous dish.
Thank you Amy!
What a great idea!!!!! I love Dukkah and I will try your sweet creation as soon as I get home tonight. I can almost smell the toasted seeds and spices.. Thank you for this inspiration.
Johanna, I hope you enjoy it!
Another inspirational idea from you. Where do you come up with such creative inventions. You are a culinary magician!!!
Aleksandra, you are too kind :)
i want to make my hobbit hole home inside that picture of pistachios. ah! incredibly beautiful.
the idea of these little rolls remind me of a simpler, spicier version of baklava, minus that pesky pastry and overwhelming, tooth-souring sweetness. these look delicious and fancy and simple and wholesome all the same.
for a gluten-free version, do you think buckwheat flour would suit the flavors here?
Hi Jaime,
I definitely had baklava in mind when making these – its overwhelming sweetness always bothers me as well!
I think the flavor of buckwheat flour would work well here, but the challenge would be to make the dough pliable enough to roll into cigars.
I love this – so creative, and interesting re the use of miso in the cigars. Looking forward to trying it out…
Thank you Sophie!
Oh my this looks fantastic. I so want one!
Yummy!
So making these tomorrow with my dukkah mix brought over by friends. This is what I did last with my dukkah http://thefolia.com/2015/01/09/what-the-clipa-exciting-giveaways/
Oh wow! These look truly decadent. My husband is from the middle east. I’m going to ask him if he used to eat these growing up. Regardless, I can’t wait to surprise him with this sweet treat.
These sound delicious! I do like all the flavors in dukkah, and dates are great in anything in my mind so sure I would love these!
Un régal visuel !! Et je suis certaine que cela devait être aussi beau que bon !
I have learned something new today: Dukkah! I need this in my life. I want to make dukkah cigars for my birthday next week. If I don’t have cardamom pods, can I substitute powdered cardamom, and if so, how much do I use? Thanks so much for sharing this decadent recipe.
Thank you Lark! Yes, you can use ground cardamom instead of pods. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the precise amount as I haven’t use ground cardamom for years. I would start by adding 1/2 teaspoon to the food processor along with the rest of ingredients, then taste the mixture and add more if desired.
Wow. These look great!!! Thanks !
Unfortunately, I can’t find spelt flour nor miso paste where I live. Is it possible to Sub these with something else?
Hi Dona, you can use regular wheat flour instead of spelt. You can skip the miso.
I have never checked so many times a recipe as I did for this one! I just couldn’t believe so simple ingredients could make something so delicious!
And finally, this evening, I made them(I replaced honey by carob syrup, as honey becomes toxic when heated) and they were so good! And it’s so easy to make them!
Thank you, Anya!
This looks like something that can really take you to places far away, like something I’ve never tasted anything alike – I’m diffinately going to make this soon and invite someone for tea
Hey Anya,
Did you use sweet white miso here as well?
I also made your rum and raisin bundt and it was delicious!
Thank you:)
This recipe is a huuuge inspiration. It’s fantastic! Thank you so much!!
Kind regards :)
Lisa