Kandil Simidi

This is usually baked during the Kandil Gunu..the special days celebration in islam..like Israk mikraj day..the Maulidul rasul day etc..I have tried this recipe twice till now and both times, the results turned out nice..just like the kandil simidi u buy from the shop..Hey! it is for kandil days..but it doesnt mean that u cant cook it on other ordinary days, right? it is scrumptious..it somehow melts in ur mouth and not in ur hand..

Ingredients

-125g butter (softened at room temperature)
-1 small turkish tea glass (çay bardağı or about half a cup or the normal big tea cup) sunflower oil
-1 dessert spoon granulated sugar
-3 tablespoons yogurt (turkish thick yogurt)
-1 dessert spoon salt
-1 dessertspoon baking powder
-1 dessertspoon mahlep (wild cherry seeds)
-1 egg (whole) or more
-flour (will be determined as u mix the ingredients)
-sesame seeds (susam)


Steps
-Mix all the ingredients. (exCEPT egg and sesame seeds)
-Add in the flour in the ingredients until the dough come to the softness of the soft part of ur ears (kulak memesi kıvamına)
-Give it a shape as in the picture above
-Mix the white and the yellow egg yolk together.
-Dip the round shaped simid into the egg.
-Coat it with sesame seeds
-Bake the simit in the oven

Reminder
-If u do not like sesame seeds, the other method is just to glaze the round shaped simit with egg yolk.
-I find that i like the one without the sesame seeds coz it is much more crunchier that way.
-The baking of the simit with the sesame seed needs care as u need to both make sure the color becomes an even dark brown (evenly cooked) for both the upper and lower part. While using my oven, i first put the tray at the lower part of the oven to ensure the bottom part is evenly browned.. then i moved the tray to the upper part of the oven to be certain that the upper part of the simit is evenly cooked. All depending on ur oven.
-The size of the round kandil simidi depends on u. İt can be big and it can be small. Since i like cute things.. i made it small (plus the smaller it is, the crunchier and the more simit i can make heheh)
-If mahlep (wild cherry seeds)..is not available, u dont need to use it. It is not very very important..but it does give the siımit that one smell and taste that make u relate to simit.. it is quite important to use mahlep..but not necessary..do u get what i mean??
-This is great for serving the guests for tea. If u put it in an airtight container, it will last longer. If u have a microwave, heat it up before serving the guests. The crunchiness will return immediately.
-The shape? u dont want round shape? make it into ribbon shape , etc, etc.. but the classic simit is this shape.. but that doesnt mean creativity of mind should be minimized, right?
-Have fun trying!! This is one great turkish salty bits for tea. TRY it!