Tunisia’s Traditional Mini Doughnuts: Kaa’k Yoyo5 min read

Who doesn’t like doughnuts? Even if you are not a fan of doughnuts, you’ll love these Tunisian delicacies.

Kaa’k Yoyo (also referred to as Youyou) is a traditional Tunisian sweet that is eaten with coffee of tea in the afternoon. It is also enjoyed a lot during the holy month of Ramadan. They are sweet, dense, mini doughnuts glazed in a simple syrup.

The original kaa’k is garnished with toasted sesame seeds, but within the last decade, Tunisians got creative and added ground pistachios, hazelnuts, or almonds as toppings. Some even use dried rose petals to add a pop of color.

Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo

The ingredients are simple: flour, eggs, milk, sugar, oil, and baking powder. The forming of the dough is also extremely easy, and it requires only 15 min to rest.

The tricky part is the glaze and the toppings. For the glaze, if you dip it in the syrup for too long, it will absorb the glaze making it so sweet (which isn’t bad if you LOVE sugar). Once you take it out, you need to add the toppings quickly or else they won’t stick. So for these two steps you need to be quick.

My advice: get organized. Set your space ahead of time; line up the fried Donuts next to the sauce pan with the syrup. Next comes the plate/tray with the toppings next to the dish where you will serve the Tunisian doughnuts Yoyo.

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 25-30 Yoyos)

• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• 350 gr flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

For the simple syrup:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water

Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo RECIPE:

How to Cook Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo

• In a bowl, crack the eggs, add the sugar and oil. Whisk well until the sugar dissolves. Add the milk and mix again. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine with a spatula and then use your hands. You don’t need to knead the dough. Just make sure it is combined and there are no streaks of dry flour. The dough should be wet and slightly sticky.
• Let rest for 15 min. In the meantime, add the sugar, water, and orange blossom water in a saucepan and put on medium heat. Let it boil until you get a simple syrup (about 7-10 min). Turn off the heat.
• Flour the surface very well and roll out the dough until about 1 cm thick. Using a small cookie cuter, cut out the mini doughnuts and then cut out the doughnut holes in the middle. I don’t have a cookie cuter so I used a tea cup and the cap of a perfume bottle.
• Let the oil heat and then fry the individual doughnuts, flipping once until golden on all sides. If the oil it too hot, it will be golden on the outside but raw on the inside, so make sure the temperature is just right. Place the doughnuts in a colander for the excess oil to drip.
• Once all doughnuts are fried, dunk each one in the simple syrup and then dunk it on a plate with the topping of your choice. Set aside. Once you have done all the Yoyos, let cool before storing in an airtight container.
• Note: for freshness, if you are not going to eat all the Yoyos, I recommend you store them fried and only glaze the ones you will be eating.
• Enjoy with a coffee or tea!

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#TasteTunisia Initiative

This Tunisian Doughnuts Yoyo recipe is part of the #TasteTunisia initiative. In search of Tunisian cuisine, through a series of articles/videos, Carthage Magazine offers a window to the Tunisian food and recipes.

The Taste Tunisia initiative is supported by Carthage Magazine and led by international registered dietitians-nutritionists from Tunisia, making it the ultimate initiative that celebrates and promotes Tunisian cuisine.

#TasteTunisia Recipes:

• The Best Authentic Tunisian Rice Dish — “Rouz Jerbi”
• Tajine El Bey: Tunisia’s Finest Appetizer
• Omek Houria: Tunisian Mashed Carrot Salad
• Tunisian Mloukhiya, Your Grandma’s Favorite Dish
• Tunisian Stuffed Peppers: “Felfel Mehchi”
• Tunisia’s National Dish: COUSCOUS
• The Famous “Khobz Ch3ir” — Tunisian Barley Bread
• Tunisia’s Seafood Pasta — A Tunisian Delicacy
• The Coziest Vegetable Stew — Tunisia’s Go-To Dish for the Cold Months
• Lablebi: One of Tunisia’s Most Popular Street Foods
• The Best Tunisian Grilled Salad — Salad Mechouia
• Date & Walnut Bread — The Perfect Healthy Dessert
• Kafteji: a Healthy Version of your Favorite Tunisian Dish
• A Unique Pizza with a Taste of Tunisia: Harissa Infused Veggie Pizza
• Mom’s Orange Cake — Tunisia’s Winter Dessert
• Assidat Zgougou — Tunisia’s Sweetness in a Bowl
• Tunisia’s Octopus Salad: The Best Tunisian Seafood Salad
• The Traditional, Most Authentic Tunisian Pumpkin Shakshuka
• Tunisian Breakfast for Champions: “Zamit” with Pomegranate
• Tunisia’s Lentil Soup – Your Favorite Winter Warmer Dish
• All Tunisian food recipes.

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