DATE FILLED S COOKIES

I started making these cookies for Eman, my oldest daughter, when she was two years old. On our excursions to the park, we would meet many mothers and babies. Eman would be munching on these cookies and catch the attention of other children asking for a bite. I’ve passed out this recipe to many loving mothers who wanted to make something more wholesome for their families. Baking with my children is one of my favorite things to do. After many messy baking sessions and experimenting with various shapes and letters, they decided that the “S” was the winner, and the cookies were officially named “S” cookies.

MAKES: about 50 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tbsp mahlab
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup clarified butter
• 1 tbsp instant dry yeast
• 1½ cups warm full-fat milk
• 3 cups chopped pitted dates kneaded with 2 tbsp melted
• butter
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup raw sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, mahlab, salt and sugar together. Add the butter and mix by hand until fully coated. Sprinkle in the yeast and start to pour in the warm milk gradually until absorbed and the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may not need all the milk). Knead the dough gently in the bowl, cover and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the dough to rise.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
3. Roll the kneaded dates into long logs about the width of your index finger. Take a small piece of dough (roughly the size of a walnut) and flatten into a rectangle with your fingertips on your working surface.
4. Break off a piece of the date filling (about 3 inches), and place on the flattened dough. Fold the dough around the date filling and seal. Ensure it is fully enclosed and shape the cookie into an “S.”
5. Beat the egg whites with the milk in a shallow bowl. Put the sesame seeds in another bowl. Dip one side of the filled cookie in the egg wash and then in the sesame seeds and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Perfect with a cup of tea anytime.