Dates are a common feature in our sweets. Their creamy sweetness is perfect for fillings in cookies and other treats.
MAKES: about 35 cookies
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 cups (1 kg) flour
- about 1 cup (250 g) butter
- 1.8 ounces (50 g) mahlab, or a little bit of grated bitter almonds
- a pinch of grated nutmeg
- ⅕cup (47 ml) milk
- ⅗cup (120 g) sugar
- 1.8 ounces (50 g) yeast
- 1½ cups (355 ml) water
- a pinch of vanilla sugar
- ⅖ cup (95 ml) rose water
- ⅖cup (95 ml) orange blossom water
- ⅗cup (142 ml) carob molasses, or syrup or molasses
- 7 cups (1 kg) sesame seeds
- 18 ounces (500 g) date paste or mixed and dried dates
- ⅘cup (100 g) pistachios
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (225°C). Put the flour in a bowl. Add the melted butter.
- Mix mahlab (or a little bit of bitter almonds) with nutmeg, milk, and sugar. Add the flour and butter. Stir until the butter absorbs the spices.
- Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and then mix with the other ingredients. Work into a smooth dough. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
- Mix vanilla sugar, rose water, orange blossom water, and carob molasses (or syrup or molasses) with sesame seeds and work together seeds and work together thoroughly so that the seeds absorb the flavors.
- Remove the pits from the dates and blend or mash them if you are not using date paste. Roll into small balls. Roll slightly larger balls out of the dough, press a finger into the middle to make a hole. Fill the dough ball with the date ball and seal the hole. Roll the balls in the sesame seeds mixture and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
- Bake the cookies for 15 minutes until they have a nice color on all sides.
