Dabo Kolo

J2 is doing a presentation about Ethiopia in school, and decided to make dabo kolo for his classmates.  I posted this recipe before in my old blog, but here it is again in case you're longing for a snappy snack.  We like these really spicy, so we triple the amount of berbere.

Dabo Kolo


Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp berbere (or cayenne pepper, but I will mail you some berbere if you leave a comment letting me know you want some)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp softened (room temp) butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (*see alternate instructions below)
2. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, berbere, sugar and salt).
3. Slowly add the water and mix so as to form a thick paste.  Remove the mixture from the bowl and knead it on a lightly-floured surface for a few minutes to form a thick dough.  Add the softened butter and knead for an additional 5 minutes.  Let the dough rest in a cool place for 10 minutes.  
4. Divide the dough into handful-sized pieces and roll these into long "pencils" - not quite as thick as your small finger.  Cut these rolls into pieces (scissors can be used), each piece no longer than the width of your finger.
5. Heat and ungreased skillet over medium heat.  Place enough of the uncooked dabo kolo in the skillet to loosely cover the bottom.  (They will have to be cooked in batches.)  Cook over medium heat, stirring periodically, until they are lightly browned on all sides.  * Alternatively, arrange the pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan a few times during cooking to prevent sticking.
6. When done, remove from oven/skillet and allow to cool completely.  Store in dry, air-tight container.