Boulou, which are simple biscuits, a little like Italian biscotti, are a traditional Tunisian way of breaking the fast. Growing up, for my these would be our first bite when the fast went out. If you don’t have vanilla sugar, you can instead use a ½ – 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence. No need to add any extra sugar.  

Ingredients:

2 eggs

150g caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla sugar

125ml vegetable or sunflower oil

500g (approx) self-raising flour

100g unsalted pistachios, shelled

50g raisins

50g dried cranberries

Method:

• Heat your oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla sugar and the oil together until combined.
• Then, gradually mix in the flour, the pistachios and dried fruits, using a spoon and then your hands to start to form a dough, making sure to mix the flour in very well and avoiding leaving any floury patches.
• You may need more or less than the 500g of flour to get a dough that’s easy to handle but still a bit tacky. When it’s the right consistency and the fruits and nuts are evenly spread in the dough, divide it into four equal parts.
• Roll into four logs of equal lengths and shape into a rectangle about 5cm wide.
• Bake them at 180°C in a fan oven for approximately 15/20 minutes until they become beige/golden brown.
• Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before using a sharp serrated knife to cut them into slices about 1-1½ cm (½-inch) thick.

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