Chak-chak

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 gplain flour
• 4eggs
• 2 tbspsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 2 tbspmelted butter
• 1 tbspvodka or milk, optional

To fry

• oil, for deep frying

Honey syrup

• 300 ghoney
• 150 gsugar
• 3 tbspwater

To finish

• chopped nuts
• dried fruit
• sugar sprinkles, optional

To serve

• at a wedding, built into a pyramid, cut with a knife

Directions

1. Beat the eggs with the sugar and salt, then work in the flour gradually. Use as little extra liquid as possible. Knead for eight to ten minutes until smooth and elastic. Knead it properly, since the dough must roll out very thin without tearing. Cover it and rest it for thirty minutes, which relaxes the gluten so it rolls without springing back. Now rolling the dough out thin.
2. Roll the dough as thinly as you can, to two or three millimetres. Roll it thin, since thick sticks stay doughy in the middle and do not crisp. Dust with flour as you go so it does not stick.
3. Cut the sheet into strips about half a centimetre wide, then cut those across into short pieces. Aim for pieces roughly the size of a matchstick, about two centimetres long. Keep them small and even, since large pieces stay soft inside and uneven ones cook at different rates. Separate them and toss them in a little flour so they do not stick together.
4. Sieve or shake the cut pieces before frying to remove loose flour. Heat the oil to about 170°C, which is moderate rather than fierce. Test with a few pieces, which should rise and colour steadily over a minute or two.
5. Fry them in batches, stirring so they colour evenly and do not clump. Fry them to a pale golden rather than deep brown. They should be light, dry and crisp all through, not just coloured on the outside.
6. Break one open to check before frying the rest. Drain them thoroughly on a rack. Let them cool completely before the syrup goes on. Hot pieces meeting hot syrup go soggy, and they need to stay crisp inside the coating.
7. Heat the honey, sugar and water together over a low heat. Boil it to around 115 to 118°C, the soft ball stage. Use a thermometer if you have one, since this is difficult to judge by eye. Below that temperature the syrup stays sticky and the mound never sets, collapsing into a wet heap.
8. Drop a little syrup into cold water: it should form a soft ball that flattens between your fingers. Now the rule about stirring syrup. Swirl the pan gently instead of stirring. Pour the hot syrup over the cooled fried pieces and fold them together quickly with an oiled spoon.
9. Work fast, since the syrup begins to set within a minute or two. Coat everything evenly rather than leaving dry patches. Now shaping it into a firm mound. Tip the mixture onto an oiled surface or a plate and shape it into a mound, a pyramid or a ring.
10. Grease your hands and press it together while it is still warm and pliable. Take care, since sugar at this temperature causes serious burns and it sticks to skin.
11. Let it set at room temperature for an hour or two until firm. Do not refrigerate it, which makes it hard and dulls the honey. Scatter chopped nuts, dried fruit or sprinkles over while the syrup is still tacky. It keeps a week or more in a sealed container.

Technique

• It is a Tatar and Bashkir sweet adopted across Central Asia.
• The syrup must reach soft ball stage or the mound will not set.
• Let the fried pieces cool completely before the syrup goes on.

Substitutions

• All honey, or all sugar syrup, though the mixture is better.
• Any nuts or dried fruit to finish.

Variations

• Built into a large pyramid for a wedding.
• Made with more honey and less sugar.
• Shaped into a ring or into small individual mounds.

History

A Tatar and Bashkir sweet adopted across Kazakhstan, built into pyramids for weddings and holidays.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chak-chak?

Chak-chak is a dessert from Kazakhstan: fried dough sticks bound with hot honey into a sticky mound. A Tatar and Bashkir sweet adopted across Kazakhstan, built into pyramids for weddings and holidays.

How long does Chak-chak take to make?

Chak-chak takes 40 min plus 30 min resting of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 large mound. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Chak-chak?

Yes, within limits. All honey, or all sugar syrup, though the mixture is better. Any nuts or dried fruit to finish.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chak-chak?

Beat the eggs with the sugar and salt, then work in the flour gradually. Use as little extra liquid as possible. Knead for eight to ten minutes until smooth and elastic. Knead it properly, since the dough must roll out very thin without tearing. Cover it and rest it for thirty minutes, which relaxes the gluten so it rolls without springing back. Now rolling the dough out thin.