When I get my secret recipe club assignment, I go through the blog’s archives focusing mainly on healthy recipes. Salads,  and vegetarian categories are usually my first stop. This time things were a little different, I started my archive search with  bread and baked goods!

You see, May was a super stressful  month.We are moving to the United Arab Emirates in a couple of weeks and despite the fact that I have been preparing for this move for 4 months, the idea has not fully sinked in! The past few months and May in particular have been a hectic race to get everything done and organised in time for the move. I had to hand over my patients at the clinic to another Dr, the kids’  papers and school transfer arrangements, preparing the house, organizing the stuff to be shipped, the list goes on and on, I will spare you the headache and just say that venting through baking seemed like the only sane option.

My Secret recipe club assignment for this month was Easily good eats.

I had fun going through their archives as they had a great collection of semolina recipes, an ingreadient I don’t see often in baking recipes. I bookmarked quite a few recipes but the easy layered banana semolina cake recipe is definitely next on my baking list.I ended up making their Anzak biscotti because the oatmeal, coconut combination reminded me of my favorite cookie.

This Anzac biscotti is a spin off Anzac biscuits which are  sweet biscuits popular in Australia and New Zealand made using rolled oats, flour, desiccated coconut, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda and boiling water. Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I.

It has been claimed the biscuits were sent by wives to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation.

This biscotti recipe uses the three main players in Anzac cookies, hence the name.

Regardless of what you want to call these, I strongly recommend making a double batch, one will be gone before you know it!

Anzak biscotti

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup desiccated coconut

2 eggs

¾ – 1 cup sugar (original recipe suggests 1 cup, I used 3/4)

1 tablespoon golden syrup (I used honey)

Directions

• Heat the oven to 160°C/325°F
• In a bowl, mix flour, rolled oats and coconut.
• In another bowl, beat the sugar, golden syrup or honey and eggs until pale yellow.
• Add the flour mixture and mix until just blended. Let the dough rest for 5- 15 minutes. (This will allow the oatmeal to absorb part of the moisture and make the dough easier to handle)
• Divide the dough evenly into 2 equal mounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. With moist hands, space the dough evenly apart and form into logs

• Bake until lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes.

Note : ovens differ greatly, you want to bake these until the edges of the log are golden brown

• Cool for 10  minutes.
• Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into ¼ – ½ inch thick diagonal slices.
• Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet.

• Bake until the cookies are pale golden.
• Let cool completely.

You walk into the house and you’re immediately enchanted by the smell coming from the kitchen, you close your eyes and take it in:Gentle spices, orange blossom water, mastic.the scent of maamoul cookies baking!

You hear the familiar sound of the wooden maamoul molds being banged time after time. The sounds of Laughter and chatter draw you to kitchen. There you are greeted by smiling faces and mounds of beautifully decorated cookies waiting for a final dusting of powdered sugar, that will make them almost too pretty to eat. Almost!

You snatch a few ignoring the advice :”don’t ruin your dinner”.No dinner can compete with freshly baked maamoul!

You join in the fun and allow the worries of the day to melt away.

Eid is on the way .

Through the past couple of years I have shared a number of my favorite maamoul recipes: a melt in your mouth, fool proof flour maamoul , and two semolina maamoul recipes. But I got quite a few requests for the more rustic flour maamoul cookies called kaek el eid (Eid cookies). These cookies are made with flour that is scented with orange blossom water and rosewater and a touch of anise seeds.All of which beautifully compliment the cinnamon, cardamom and other spices in the date filling resulting in a cookie that is irresistibly middle eastern.

Today I am sharing my mother’s recipe for these cookies and I can honestly say that these are THE eid cookies for me. I have tried quite a few other recipes but they are either too oily or too sweet or lacking flavor. This recipe is the perfect balance, at least in my book. I do hope you’ll give it a try.

Flour Maamoul or Kaaek al eid كعك العيد بالطحين

6 cups flour

1 cup semolina

1 cup milk powder

3 cup ghee, butter or olive oil or a combination of them(I used 1 cup ghee,1 cup butter and 1 cup olive oil) see notes

3 tablespoons anise seeds (optional)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon yeast

1/4 cup rosewater

1/4 cup orange blossom water

1 tablespoon vanilla

1-2 cups water (see notes)

For the date filling:

500 g date paste

1 tablespoon ghee

1 tablespoon anise seeds

1 tablespoon cinnamon (add more if you like it)

1 teaspoon cardamom

In a bowl add the flour and semolina

Add the ghee , butter and olive oil (if you are using butter or ghee they have to be melted and warm)

Rub the ghee, butter, oil mixture into the flour semolina mix with your finger tips. Don’t knead, kneading will make your maamoul rock hard.

Cover and leave for a couple of hours to allow the semolina to absorb the ghee butter and oil.(if you are in a hurry you can skip this step but if you have the time do it, you will get better texture this way)

Add the powdered milk, anise seeds, yeast and sugar and toss gently, again, don’t knead

Add the rosewater, orange blossom water , vanilla and 1 cup of water.

Mix gently until the dough comes together, if you need more water add it 1/4 of a cup at a time.

Try not to over work the dough since this will develop the gluten and cause the maamoul to be tough.

You are not aiming for a smooth dough ball. Just for a dough that comes together and is homogenous

Stuff the cookies and form them using this technique

Bake at 175 on the lowest rack of the oven until the bottom is golden brown.

Place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes to get the tops to be golden brown if you like (this is optional)

Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool completely before moving them as they will be fragile when they are hot.

Store in an air tight container in a cool place and they will last for weeks (if you can keep your hands off them)

Notes:

You can use all ghee or all butter or all olive oil,I like combining them because the combination gives the best flavor and texture but you can still use only one type or different proportions as long as you use 3 cups total

Different types of flour absorb water differently, I usually need 1 cup of water for this recipe, you may need more or less, add the water a little at a time and stop when the dough comes together

(كعك العيد بالطحين  (معمول الطحين

سته اكواب دقيق

كوب سميد ناعم

كوب حليب بودره

ثلاث اكواب دسم (انا باستخدم كوب سمنه و كوب زيت زيتون و كوب زبده

ثلاث ملاعق كبيره يانسون حب

ثلاث ملاعق كبيره سكر

ملعقه كبيره خميره

ربع كوب ماء ورد

ربع كوب ماء زهر

ملعقه كبيره فانيلا

كوب الى كوبين ماء للعجن

في وعاء اضيفي الطحين و السميد

اضيفي الدسم و افركي باطراف اصابعك حتى يتشربه الدقيق

غطيه و اتركيه جانبا لعده ساعات حتى يتشرب السميد الدسم و تتفتح حباته

اضيفي الحليب البودره و اليانسون و السكر و الخميره و قلبي

اضيفي الفانيلا و ماء الورد و ماء الزهر و كوب واحد من المااء واخلطي برفق

اذا احتجتي مزيدا من الماء اضيفي ربع كوب في كل مره و اعجني برفق حتى تتماسك العجين

شكلي المعمول و اخبزيه على الرف السفلي في فرن محمى سابقا على 175

Isn’t it fascinating how simple ingredients like flour, butter, a pinch of salt and a splash of milk can be used to produce so many different culinary creations?

The more recipes I  learn from different cuisines and cultures, the more enchanting I find human creativity to be. The recipes that come from different cultures carry a bit  of that culture’s essence or soul if you will, making the experience of making those recipes “and of course eating the results” deeper, more profound and more enjoyable.

The February Arabic flavor recipe comes from Kuwait and my experience with exploring the Kuwaiti cuisine has been quite similar to  other Arabic Gulf cuisines, I find myself particularly drawn to the spice profiles of the recipes

For this month our host Budoor, chose a traditional recipe called baid al Qata. Baid al Qata is a cookie made out of a shortcrust that is stuffed with walnuts which have been infused with cinnamon , saffron and rosewater (If I had to choose a  trio of spices and flavors to say Eastern , this would be the one!).

The name Baid al Qata means eggs of the Qata bird (in English it is the crowned sand grouse) which is a dessert bird known throughout Kuwait. If you look at the pictures you’ll realize why they chose the name.

These egg shaped cookies are traditionally fried then dusted with powdered sugar. I personally try to avoid frying as much as possible so I fried 5 cookies and air fried the rest. The fried cookies had an amazing melt in your mouth texture while the air fried ones were a little firmer and closer to a maamoul cookie. Both versions were heavenly to say the least. If you don’t own an Airy fryer, no problem. I think these cookies will work equally well in the oven.

Baid Al Qata
By Budoor “Bint Al Dira” from Kuwait.
#ArabicFlavour #BaidAlQata #Kuwait

Ingredients

For the dough:
(this is enough to make 60 “1 cm” cookies or 30 “2 cm” cookies)
1 ½ cup cake flour
½ cup lukewarm milk
1 stick (100 gm) unsalted butter, room temperature
Pinch of cardamom
Pinch of salt

For the filling:
1 cup walnuts finely chopped
Few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon rose water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (or more according to preference)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon orange blossom water
Powdered sugar for coating
Vegetable oil for frying if you choose to fry them

Preparation:

Sift together the flour, cardamom and salt then add the butter.

Rub the butter into the flour till it resembles wet sand

Add milk gradually and knead very gently till you get a soft and smooth dough. (You may not need the entire 1/2 cup of milk, add it gradually!)

Cover and set aside from 30-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix all filling ingredients together. (Walnuts, cinnamon, cardamom, sugar, rose water, saffron and blossom water)

When dough is ready, divide it into 30 pieces.

Take a piece and flatten it between the palms of your hands

Place a teaspoon of the filling in the center of the dough.

Fold the dough over the filling forming a ball, then turn it into an egg-shape by rolling it lightly between your palms .

You can also use your finger to create a little hole in the dough piece, fill with with walnuts then seal it and shape it

Repeat with the remaining pieces
Set aside for the dough to rest again for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help the dough to maintain its shape.
Deep fry, air fry or bake in the oven till they turn golden.

Toss the cookies while they are still hot in powdered sugar
Serve it along with Arabic coffee or special saffron coffee.

Recipe alternatives:
Blossom water, cinnamon and saffron are all optional,you can use your favorite spice combo or omit the spices all together but honestly they are the thing that makes the recipes unique

سميت هذه الحلوى ببيض القطا نكاية عن شكل وحجم الحلوى ولونها لأنها مغطاه تغطيه كامله بالسكر البودر مما يوحي بشكل البيض و القطا ( القاف المفخمه) هو نوع من أنواع الطيور النادر جدا ويمتاز بصغر حجمه وكان في السابق متواجد بكثره .

بسم الله نبتدي “بيض القطا”

المقادير: ل 60 حبه بحجم 1 سم او 30 حبه بحجم 2 سم

 .

بسم الله نبتدي “بيض القطا”

د التشكيل .

للعجينة الخارجية :

1 ½ كوب طحين فاخر (طحين الكيك) و من الامكان استخدام طحين متعدد الاستخدامات .

1/2 كوب حليب فاتر

1قالب زبده غير مملحه بحراره الغرفه = 100 غ

رشه هيل ناعم

رشه ملح

للحشوه :

1 كوب جوز / عين جمل مجروش خشن ( انا أقوم بتحميص الجوز على مقلاه ناشفه قبل جرشه وبالامكان الاستغناء عن هذه الخطوه ) .

1 م ك ماء ورد منقوع بقليل من الزعفران

2 م ك سكر

1 م ص هيل / حبهان ناعم ( او زيادتها حسب الرغبة )

½ م ص قرفه/ دارسين ناعم

½ م ص ماء زهر

للوجه : كميه من السكر البودره للتغطيه .

زيت نباتي للقلي .

الطريقة :

– ننخل الطحين ونخلطه بالهيل والملح ونعجنه بالزبده ونضيف الحليب تدريجيا حتى تتكون عجينه طريه وناعمه الملمس

– تغطى وتترك نصف ساعه او ساعه لترتاح .

– نقوم بخلط مكونات الحشوه ( الجوز والهيل والقرفه والسكر وماء الورد وماء الزهر ) .

– تؤخذ قطعه صغيره من العجينه وتفرد وتحشى بالحشوه مع عدم المبالغه حتى لا تفتح عند القلي .

– تشكل بشكل بيضاوي وتترك لترتاح قليلا ( حوال 10 دقائق او ربع ساعه ) قبل القلي وذلك حتى تحافظ على شكلها ولا تتغير .

– تقلى بزيت غزير على نار متوسطه حتى تأخذ اللون الذهبي .

– تصفى وتترك لتبرد قليلا .

– تعفر بكميه كبيره من السكر البودره من جميع الاتجاهات )او من جهة واحده اذا كنتو من محبين الحلاوة الخفيفه لكنها الذ عندما تتغطى كليا ) .

– تصف بصحن التقديم وتؤكل مع القهوه العربيه او قهوه الزعفران وبالصحه

أتمنى ان تحوز على اعجباكم :

بعض الوصفات تستخدم السمنه مع الزبده بالعجينه .. كما ان الوصفة الاصليه يقومون قلي حبات الحلو بالسمنه وليس الزيت النباتي

بعض الوصفات تضيف سكر بالعجينه الا اني أرى ان لا داعي لها خاصه بعد التعفير بالسكر .

– جربت ان اخبزها لتقليل السعرات الحراريه خاصه انها تحتوي على كميه زبده ورغم انها قابله للخبز الا ان النتيجه لم تكن مرضيه .

– اضافه ماء زهر و بالقرفه والاستغناء عن الزعفران بالحشوة كلها اختياريه ( غير موجوده بالوصفه الاصليه ) الا انها تعطي نكهة لذيذه للطبق.. كما بالإمكان اضافه أي نوع من المكسرات بدل الجوز او معه حسب الذوق والرغبه .

– هناك طريقه جدا سهله لوصفه العجين وهي باستخدم كوب دقيق/ طحين مع علبه قيمر/ قشطه والنتيجه جيده أيضا الا انها ليست الوصفة الاصليه وتعتبر محدثه .

Despite the fact that there is no such thing as Autumn here in the UAE (the temperature is still dancing around 40C and the humidity is still brutal), when October rolls around, it flips a switch inside of me. I start to crave the smell of warm spices and things in brown and red hues!

You see, in my book , fall is almost as magical as spring! I know this may sound crazy but think of it this way: spring carries the hope and  promise of new beginnings while fall tries to teach you time and time again that sometimes you have to let go in order to grow and start over when your spring comes around.Letting go is not easy but even endings can be beautiful if you believe deep down that you have the potential to bloom again in spring

When the time came to choose this month’s SRC recipe, I automatically went for something that has autumn written all over it!

For this month, I had the pleasure of going through Sid’s sea palm cooking by the lovely Sid. Sid has a wonderful collection of recipes,I especially loved exploring her Gluten free recipe section and her tapas recipe section.The kids and I  bookmarked her Boston Cream Pie and her herbed sundried tomato spread but eventually had to go for her raincoast lookalike suncoast tea bread.

Despite being up against some fierce competition (it was hard to talk the kids out of the Boston cream pie! ), the crisps did not disappoint! The kids actually loved them as tea cakes without the 2nd toasting. I on the other hand loved them toasted with a little labneh spread on top. I think they would also be brilliant with some cheddar cheese and apples.

The spices really added warmth to the crisps. The contrast between the nutty crunchy walnuts and the soft, fruity and chewy cranberries and raisins made these crackers a great treat/ snack on their own. The seeds simply added another dimension of flavor and texture to them.

If you are in a place where you get to enjoy the beauty and magic of fall, make these crackers and I promise, you’ll love them. And if you are like me, stuck somewhere missing all of that, make these and at least get to enjoy part of the fun of autumn

Raincoast crisps

2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Buttermilk
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Honey
1 cup Dried Cranberries  (you can also use raisins)
1/2 to 1 cup Walnuts or Pecans (depending on how nutty you want them to be)
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
1/4 cup Ground Flax Seeds
1 tablespoon chopped Fresh Rosemary (optional)

1. Preaheat your oven to 180 C/350 F
2. In a bowl mix the flour, ground flax seed, sesame seeds, sugar, salt and baking soda.
3. Next add the dried fruit, and nuts and mix.
4.  Add the honey and buttermilk and mix together lightly, just until moistened.
5. Pour or spoon batter into two 8”x4” (20cmx10cm) loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray or 5 mini loaf pans, liberally sprayed with non stick spray.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden and springy and the cakes start pulling away from the sides a little. (use a cake tester and when it comes out clean, your cakes are done)
7. Take out of the oven and cool on a wire rack
8. Serve as tea cakes or slice thinly with a sharp serrated knife and arrange on a baking sheet and  bake for 15 minutes, at 160 C then turn over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
9. Take out of the oven and allow to cool completely then store in an airtight container

Isn’t it funny how a certain smell, flavor or image can conjure up a world of memories?

Somehow it is never the elaborate recipes or the fancy meals, it is a bowl of soup in your mum’s kitchen on a cold day, a cup of peach icetea across the table from a dear friend, a fresh loaf of bread from your grandmother’s oven, the cookies you made for your kids’ class and stayed up till 2 in the morning decorating and packing them, the salad you made for your best friend and forgot the parsley.

I can bet you remember each and every detail surrounding those recipes, the time of day, how cold or warm it was, how you felt, maybe even what you were wearing, the sounds, the smells, everything. Every little detail is vividly stored in your memory and easily manages to bring a smile to your face or draw a tear..

The recipe I am sharing with you today is one of mine! I can never make, smell, eat or even see these cookies without smiling at the memory of my late grandmother. If you were to cross paths with 7 year old me, you would know that I refused to call these cookies anything but  “kaak tita” which means grandam’s cookies. I would refuse to try them if anyone else made them! (and after all these years and after trying at least a dozen recipes in an attempt to recreate her cookies, no one else’s cookies come close to hers)

My grandmother was a hard working ,strong woman who is fondly remembered by everyone who knew her. I see these cookies and I am transported to her kitchen, I can hear her singing as she prepares the ingredients (she always sang when she made gifts for her loved ones). I can close my eyes and feel the heat of the oven on my skin as I watch her baking batch after batch of these cookies, the sweet smell slowly taking over the house.I can vividly remember biting into my first cookie -after impatiently waiting for it to cool- the crust crackles and crumbles revealing the date center, with just the right amount of sweetness and a hint of spice.

When you go through the recipe you’ll know that these are simple rustic cookies yet they are genuinely addictive. They are a perfect example of how sometimes simple recipes are the best way to allow ingredients to shine.

These cookies are called  Kaak asawerكعك اساور  which means bracelet cookies, or kaak bi ajwa which means date paste filled cookies. They are quite popular in Palestine, a staple in Eid along side maamoul and barazek.

It took me years to get this recipe right, my mum and aunts make a fancier, refined version of these cookies with milk ,butter, seeds and spices added to the dough. Now don’t get me wrong, their cookies taste heavenly but they are not kaak tita. If you are looking for a richer date cookie, you can try my mum’s maamoul or my go to flour date cookie or baid al qata. But if you’re like me and you have fond memories of these cookies, try this recipe, I promise it will not disappoint!

Palestinian date cookies

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

3 teaspoons anise seeds

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1/2 cup water (see notes)

For the date filling

500 g date paste (if you can’t find date paste and want to use dates, check out the notes)

1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil

1 tablespoon anise seeds

1 tablespoon cinnamon (add more if you like it)

1 teaspoon cardamom

1. Prepare the filling by kneading all the ingredients together. If your date paste is slightly stiff, you can warm it slightly in the microwave or on the stove top
2. Divide the date filling into walnut sized balls and roll each into a rope, set aside
3. Prepare the dough:In a bowl add the flour, cardamom and anise seeds
4. Add the oil and rub it into the flour with your finger tips
   at this stage it will look like wet sand
   
5. Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the water and add slowly while kneading gently till the dough comes together
6. Don’t over work the dough because we don’t want to develop gluten, we just want the dough to come together and be homogenous
   
7. Start working with the dough immediately, no need to allow it to double
8. Divide the dough into egg sized balls
9. Roll each into a rope
   
10. Flatten the dough and make sure to roll it out really thinly . If the dough is thick your cookies will be chewy as opposed to crisp
    
11. Place the date filling on top of the dough, make sure it is at least 1 cm shorter than the dough
    
12. Seal the dough around the filling by pinching its edges.
    
13. Form the dough into a loop , overlap the edges and use your finger tips to make an indentation to seal the edges together
    
14. Bake in the center of a very hot oven till the bottoms are golden brown then turn on the broiler till the tops are golden brown.
15. Take out of the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack to cool completely

Notes:

• If you can’t find date paste, you can use any soft dates that you like. Simply remove the pits and knead the dates with the rest of the filling ingredients. It will take a little longer but you should eventually get to a firm sticky dough consistency.
• The amount of water that you’ll need for the dough will differ with the type of flour that you use and with the humidity on the particular day that you make the cookies. Just add the water slowly and knead gently till you get a dough ball that looks like the one in the picture

الكعك الفلسطيني بالتمر

3 كوب طحين متعدد الاستعمالات

1/2 ملعقه صغيره هيل مطحون

3 ملاعق صغيره يانسون حب

3/4 كوب زيت نباتي

3 ملاعق صغيره سكر

1 ملعقه صغيره خميره فوريه

1/2 كوب ماء

للحشوه

500 غرام تمر عجوه

1 ملعقه كبيره سمنه

1 ملعقه كبيره يانسون حب

1 ملعقه كبيره قرفه

1 ملعقه صغيره هيل

الطريقه:

نحضر الحشوه بعجن التمر مع السمنه و البهارات ثم نقسمه الى كرات بحجم حبه الجوز ثم نرقها لتصبح على شكل حبل

نحضر العجين بخلط الطحين و بذور اليانسون و الهيل في وعاء

نضيف الزيت و نفركه باطراف اصابعنا حتى يمتصه الطحين تماما

نذيب السكر و الخميره في الماء و نضيفه للطحين تديجيا مع العجن حتى يتماسك العجين..ليس هدفنا هنا الحصول على عجينه ملساء كعجينه المعجنات بل الهدف الحصول على عجينه متماسكه و متجانسه كما ترون في الصور في الاعلى

نقطع العجين الى كرات بحجم البيضه و نرق كلا منها على شكل حبل

باستخدام شوبك العجين نقوم بفرد العجين و نحرص على ان تكون رقيقه لانها لو كانت سميكه فلن يكون الكعك مقرمشا

نضع الحشوه على العجين و نغلق العجين حولها

نشكل العجين المحشو على شكل دائره بحيث تنطبق نهايتها على بدايتها و نستخدم اطراف اصابعنا لنحدث طبعه تمسك طرفي العجين معا

نخبز الكعك في وسط فرن محمى الى اعلى درجه حتى يتحمر القاع ثم نضعها تحت الشوايه حتى تتحمر من الاعلى

نخرجها من الفرن و نتركها لتبرد 10 دقائق على الصينيه ثم ننقلها لرف التبريد

I love taking part in cooking and baking challenges! There is so much that you can learn about a country or a culture by researching their traditional recipes and the food customs related to them. I always find it fascinating to read the stories, memories and experiences that people relate when they give you a traditional recipe that they grew up with. It always leaves me with a profound belief, that there is more that brings us humans together regardless of where we come from, what color our skin or eyes are, what language we speak or what religion we follow than what sets us apart.

Listen to someone telling you about how they used to help their mom make cookies on the eve of Eid, Easter or whatever festivity they celebrate and you can’t help but smile. Listen to someone telling you about their grandmother’s signature soup that only she could perfect and you can’t help but feel the warmth and love. Listen to someone telling you about the lemon tree in their father’s backyard and the smell of lemon blossoms in the morning and you can close your eyes and almost smell it too. We can all relate to those simple human experiences that make life so vivid and beautiful.

The cute cookies you see in the pictures are called Nastar cookies. They are also known as pineapple tarts (I know they are cookies, but the same recipe is used to make 3 baked goods that only differ in the shape: pineapple tarts ,pineapple rolls and these cookies. It seems that the recipe took on the name of pineapple tarts due to the huge popularity of the tarts regardless of what shape you decide to make). These cookies are very popular in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. They are festive cookies that are associated with Eid, Easter and the chinese new year.

As I was researching Indonesian recipes for this month’s muslim food bloggers challenge, I came across nastar cookies and post after post, I got lost in the comment sections. People telling stories about their childhood and how they would spend hours helping their moms make the pineapple jam filling, or how they were in charge of making the criss cross pattern on top to make the cookies resemble a pineapple. I fell in love with the recipe even before I tried it because of all the warmth and sweet memories associated with it. Making Nastar cookies reminded me of all the memories associated with  making maamoul. The excitement building up as Eid approaches. Friends and family gathering to help. arranging cookies on Eid morning while the smell of freshly made coffee fills the house.

After trying the recipe, I had more reasons to love it! If you have ever tried maamoul and ghraybeh, Nastar cookies are exactly what you would get if you combined maamoul and ghraybeh! The crust melts in your mouth (exactly the same as ghraybeh does)while the filling provides a burst of freshness, sweetness and flavor (like the fillings of maamoul do).  My kids had one word to describe these pineapple cookies when they tried them: These cookies are dangerous!

I couldn’t agree more!Stopping at one is impossible!

You have been warned!

If you love ma’amoul, shortbread cookies, or pineapples you MUST try these cookies. I know food bloggers tell you that recipes are a must all the time but I can honestly say that if I were to make a list of the best cookies that I have ever made, these nastar cookies will be very close to the top of the list

Nastar (Pineapple shortbread cookies / Tarts)
Recipe source: From the oven

To make the pastry:
220g (two sticks or one cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
375g  (2 1/2 cups) all purpose flour (I used patent)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
50g (6 tablespoons) confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the egg wash
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon sweetened condensed milk (optional)
1 teaspoon vinegar (to avoid the eggy smell)

For the pineapple filling (from fresh pineapples):
250g of pineapple flesh (1 medium sized pineapple peeled and cored )
1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of sugar (or to taste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 cloves (optional but highly recommended)

For the pineapple filling (from canned pineapple)
1 can pineapple, drained
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or more to taste)
1-1.5 teaspoon cornstarch
5 cloves (optional but highly recommended)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions

To prepare the pineapple filling
(from fresh pineapples):

1. process the pineapples in the food processor till they are finely chopped, almost a puree
2. Place the grated pineapple and cloves in a pot and stir over medium heat till most of the liquid has evaporated
3. Add the sugar and lemon juice and continue to stir continuously till the filling becomes deeply golden in color, thick and sticky
4. Taste to see if the filling has achieved the desired sweetness. Add more sugar if necessary.
5. Take off the heat and allow the pineapple filling cool to room temperature then place in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will make the filling easier to handle. You  can make the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Pineapple filling from canned crushed pineapple:

1. Drain the pineapple well and process in a food processor till it becomes a puree
2. Place the pineapple, sugar, lemon juice and cloves in a pot over medium heat and stir continuously till the mix becomes thick (around 20 minutes)
3. Taste and add more sugar if needed
4. Sieve in the cornstarch and stir for 2 more minutes
5. Take off the heat and allow to cool then place in the fridge for 30 minutes

To make the pastry:

1. Sieve all purpose flour, corn flour, salt and icing sugar into a medium bowl.
2. In your stand mixer or in a bowl, beat the butter till it turns light in color and fluffy.Add in egg yolks and beat again till it is well combined.
3. Slowly add in the flour mixture until you get a dough that does not stick to your hands. If the dough is still sticky after adding all the flour,add more flour SLOWLY (one tablespoon at a time) and if it is too crumbly add more butter (again one tablespoon at a time)
   Note: It took me 4 more tablespoons of butter to get the dough to the right consistency

To make your nastar cookies:

1. Divide the dough into 45 pieces and roll each into a ball
2. Place a ball in the palm of your hand then use your index finger to make an elongated cavity in the center of each ball. Rotate the ball while you press your finger against the wall of the cavity to make the walls thinner and more even
3. Add half a teaspoon of the pineapple filling into each cavity then pinch it closed and then shape it into a small roll
4. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet
5. Use the back of a knife to make criss cross patterns on top
6. Brush the unbaked rolls with egg wash mix
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180ºC for 10 to 13 minutes or till the bottoms are golden brown.
8. If the tops are not golden, place them under the broiler for 1 -2 minutes
9. Take out of the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool

كعك نستار بالاناناس
لتحضير العجين نحتاج:

220 غرام (اصبعين أو كوب واحد) زبدة غير مملحة، في درجة حرارة الغرفة

375 غرام او  (2 1/2 كوب)دقيق متعدد الاستخدامات (يفضل استخدام الدقيق الفاخر او الزيرو)

1/4 ملعقة صغيرة من الملح

2 صفار البيض

50 جرام (6 ملاعق كبيرة)سكر ناعم

2 ملعقة طعام نشا

لاعطاء السطح لمعه و لون

1 صفار البيض

1 ملعقة صغيرة من الحليب المكثف المحلى (اختياري)

1 ملعقة صغيرة خل (لتجنب رائحة البيض)

حشوه الاناناس (من الأناناس الطازج):

250 جرام  الأناناس (اناناسه واحده مقشره و مقطعه)

1/2 إلى 3/4 من كوب من السكر (أو حسب الذوق)

1 ملعقة كبيرة عصير الليمون

5 حبات قرنفل

لتحضير الحشوه من الاناناس المعلب

1علبة اناناس

1/4 كوب سكر

1 ملعقة صغيرة نشا الذرة

5حبات قرنفل (اختياري)

1 ملعقة صغيرة عصير الليمون

الطريقه

لتحضير الحشوه

(من الأناناس الطازج):

نضع الاناناس في الخلاط او محضره الطعام و نفرمه حتى يصبح مهروس

نضع الأناناس المبشور والقرنفل في طنجره ويقلب على نار متوسطة حتى تتبخر معظم السوائل

نضيف السكر وعصير الليمون و نستمر في التحريك حتى يثقل القوام

نتذوقه لنتأكد انه بالحلاوه المطلوبه نضيف المزيد من السكر إذا لزم الأمر.

نزيل حبات القرنفل

نرفع الحشوه عن النار و نتركها لتبرد ثم نضعها في الثلاجة لمدة 30 دقيقة. هذا سيجعل من الاسهل التعامل معها. يمكنكم تحضير الحشوه مسبقا و تخزينها في الثلاجه مده اسبوع.

لتحضير الحشوه من اناناس معلب

نصفي الاناناس و نضعه في الخلاط حتى يصبح مهروسا

نضع الأناناس والسكر وعصير الليمون والقرنفل في وعاء على نار متوسطة ويقلب باستمرار حتى يصبح المزيج سميكا (حوالي 20 دقيقة)

نتذوق ونضيف المزيد من السكر إذا لزم الأمر

نضيف النشا و نحرك مده دقيقتين

نزيل حبات القرنفل و نرفع الحشوه عن النار

نتركه ليبرد ثم نضعه في الثلاجه

لتحضير العجين:

نغربل الدقيق و النشا و الملح والسكر في وعاء متوسط.

نضرب الزبده بالخفاقه حتى يصبح لونها فاتحا ثم نضيف صفار البيض و نخفق ثم نضيف خليط الدقيق تدريجيا حتى نحصل على عجين ناعم متماسك لا يلتصق باليد. اذا كان العجين غير متماسك نضيف المزيد من الزبده (انا احتجت 4 ملاعق اضافيه) اما اذا كان العجين رخوا جدا فنضيف القليل من الدقيق

لتحضير الكعك:

نقسم العجين إلى 45 قطعة و نلف كلا منها على شكل كره

نستخدم اصبعنا لعمل فجوه داخل الكره تماما كما نفعل عند حشي الكبه

نضع القليل من حشوه الاناناس و نغلق الحبه ونعدل شكلها لتصبح اسطوانه

نستخدم ظهر السكين لعمل الشكل من الخطوط المتقاطعه على السطح

ندهنها بخليط البيض

نخبز في فرن محمى في 350F / 180ºC لمدة 10 إلى 13 دقيقة

اذا كان السطح لم يصبح ذهبيا بعد نضعها تحت الشواية

اخراج الفرن وتسمح لتبرد على ورقة الخبز لمدة 5 دقائق ثم نقل إلى رف الأسلاك لتبرد

It’s been two weeks since my last post, I am so sorry for the absence. My kids had their final exams and things were crazy but they finished yesterday (Yay!) which means I finally have the time to post more recipes here  and perhaps tell you a little more about what has been happening in these past few months .
Since today is the 15th, it is time to post our MENA (middle east and north Africa)cooking club for the month of June.

The theme for this month was to chose any traditional recipe that is popular in Ramadan in any of the MENA countries. Since Eid is less than two weeks away, I decided to go for a baked sweet treat since I have been receiving a lot of requests for those.
Mabroosheh literally means that which is grated, the name comes from the fact that the dough is actually grated to make the top of these delicious bars. When I was a kid, my grandmother always made mabroosheh for us with orange jam because they had a beautiful orange orchard and an abundance of orange jam all year round, she added cinnamon and cardamom to the jam and the smell of these baking was out of this world.

I will forever have a soft spot for a freshly baked orange jam mabroosheh bar but now, I make them with all sorts of fillings. Apricot jam, blueberry jam, fig jam and date puree happen to be the kids’ favorites. I am sharing two versions with you today: the orange jam mabroosheh and the date puree one, give these a try first then play around with the filling to suit your own personal preference.

Date and orange jam bars

This dough recipe is enough for 2 (9 by 13) pans

For the dough
• 1 stick or butter
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 5 to 5 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1 and 1/2 cups powdered milk
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon rose-water
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cardamon(optional)

Fillings
1.5 cups orange jam
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
or
1 cup date puree
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground anise

Instructions

1.Beat the butter and oil with the sugar till combined
2.Add the eggs and vanilla and beat till pale
3.Add the yogurt, rose- water and zest then mix
4.Add the powdered milk and mix.
5.Add the baking powder , baking soda then the flour. Gradually knead the dough. The amount of flour differs with different brands of flour, keep adding flour till you get to a point where the dough does not stick to your hands
6. Divide the dough into 4 parts
7.Press 1/4 of the dough in a 9* 13 pan or a pie dish.
For the jam bars
8.Spread a generous layer of jam (the dough will puff up considerably while baking so you need enough jam to give flavor), sprinkle cinnamon and cardamom on top of the jam
For the date bars
8. Knead the date puree with the olive oil, cinnamon, cardamom and anise if using. roll the date puree between two sheets of parchment paper to be 9 by 13  rectangle then transfer and place on top of the dough crust

9.Take a piece of dough and grate it with a box grater on top of the date filling
10.Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C on the middle shelf for about 45 minutes or until the edges are golden brown
11. Place under the broiler till the top is golden
12. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars

Storage:
Choose in an air tight container in the fridge for up to one week

المبروشه هي نوع من البسكوت الذي يحشى عادة بالمربى. يأخذ البسكوت اسمه من استخدام المبرشة لبرش الطبقة السطحية من العجين لاعطائها شكلها المميز
بامكانكم استخدام اي نوع من المربى لحشو المبروشه او بامكانكم استخدام عجوه التمر المعجونه بالبهارات

كمية العجين في هذه الوصفه تكفي لعمل صينيتين بقياس 9 *13 انش

للعجين

• اصبع  زبدة

• 1/4 كوب زيت نباتي

• 3/4 كوب السكر

• 3 بيضات

• برش برتقاله

• 1 ملعقة صغيرة من الفانيلا

• 1/2 كوب الزبادي

• 5 إلى 5 و 1/2 كوب دقيق (انا استخدم الدقيق الفاخر و لكن يمكن استخدام متعدد الاستخدامات ايضا)

• 1 و 1/2 كوب من الحليب المجفف

• 1 ملعقة كبيرة مسحوق الخبز بيكنغ باودر

• 1 ملعقة صغيرة من صودا الخبز

• 1 ملعقة صغيرة من ماء الورد

• 1 ملعقة صغيرة من القرفة

• ½ ملعقة صغيرة هيل (اختياري)

حشوات

1.5 كوب مربى البرتقال

1/2 ملعقة صغيرة من القرفة

1/4 ملعقة صغيرة من الهيل

أو

1 كوب تمر عجوه
1 ملعقه كبيره زيت زيتون

1/2 ملعقة صغيرة من القرفة

1/4 ملعقة صغيرة من الهيل

1/4 ملعقة صغيرة اليانسون

تعليمات

1.نخفق الزبدة والزيت مع السكر

2. نضيف البيض والفانيليا ونخفق حتى يصبح اللون فاتحا

3.نضيف الزبادي و ماء الورد و نخلط

4. نضيف الحليب و نستمر بالخلط

5. نضيف مسحوق الخبزو بيكربونات الصودا ثم الدقيق. ندلك العجين تدريجيا.

ملاحظه: كمية الدقيق تختلف باختلاف انواع الدقيق، نستمر باضافه الدقيق حتى نحصل على عجين لا يلتصق بيديك

6. نقسم العجين إلى 4 أجزاء

7.نفرد ربع العجين في قاع صينيه الخبز

لحشوه المربى المربى

8نفرد المربى على سطح العجين ثم  نرش القرفة والهيل على سطحه

لحشوه التمر

8. نعجن العجوة مع زيت الزيتون والقرفة والهيل واليانسون ثم نفردها بين ورقتي خبز على شكل مستطيل لتصبح بحجم الصينيه ثم ننقلها الى صينيه الخبز

9. تأخذ قطعة من العجين ونبرشها بالمبرشه الخشنة فوق الحشوه حتى نغطيها

10.تخبز في فرن مسخن على 180 C على الرف الأوسط لمدة 45 دقيقة أو حتى تصبح الحواف ذهبيه اللون

11. ضع تحت اللاحم حتى الجزء العلوي هو الذهبي

12. اترك البرد تماما قبل قطعه في القضبان

If you love soft and chewy cookies (that stay soft and chewy for days), and like it when your house is filled with a cloud of warm enchanting spices then this post is for you.

As promised on Thursday, this is the second recipe in my series using  Palestinian ingredients. Our ingredient in the spotlight today is grape molasses.

Simply put, grape molasses (also known as debs enab in Arabic, petimezi in Greece or pekmez in Turkey) is an ancient sweetener made by reducing grape juice, especially in the fall when the grapes are at their sweetest. Nothing else is added, no sugar, no colors, simply grape juice. It is one of the oldest forms of sweeteners in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions known long before refined sugar. Grape molasses is prized for its high iron and potassium content (it was used to help people with anemia in the past) in addition to being a great source of energy due to its sugar content. It is a staple in the kitchen throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean where it is usually served by mums to their families for breakfast – a generous swirl of the sweet syrup into a pool of tahini – to keep kids warm and energized throughout the day.

Grape molasses can be used to sweeten cookies, cakes, and bread.  It can be made into a refreshing drink; it can also be used to flavor puddings.You can use it as a replacement for maple syrup on top of your pancakes. On the savory end of the spectrum, you can use it as a glaze for meat or in salad dressings. The possibilities are endless.So if you see a bottle of grape molasses in your middle eastern market, do pick it up, I just know that you’ll love it.

Inspired by the traditional tahini-debs combo, I decided to recreate one of my favorite cookies (molasses spice cookies) but with a fun -and addictive- twist: A sandwich cookie with a tahini debs filling. I will tell you beforehand that this filling is dangerous! I made the filling before the cookies and my kids were like: let’s skip the cookies altogether and eat this by the spoonful!

You have been warned!

Disclaimer: This post was created in collaboration with the Polish Aid program. They provided the products but the opinions and recipes in this post are completely my own.
The project supporting certification of “Mawasem” products is financed by the Polish Aid program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland”

The last week of Ramadan marks the official maamoul making season in many house holds but before you reach for your favorite maamoul recipe or go online to google one, allow me to ask you a question. Have you ever stopped to think about the meaning and the origins of those decorated cookies? what do those decorations mean? And where did they come from? how about taking a walk down history lane with me to find out?

Eid cookies were actually a tradition started during the rule of the Fatimid. The tradition started with Al fitra which was a gift made from sweet pastries that were handed out on the day of eid al fitr (the first day of shawwal when the month of ramadan and the fasting ends). Al fitra was handed out to courtiers,officials, guardsmen and servants in the great hall of the palace. With time the number of people who received al fitra increased to the point where the palace kitchens could no longer keep up with all the baking required,so the caliph Al Aziz establshed A place dedicated to the production of sweet pastries to be handed out to the public. On the first day of Eid, people  would march in celebration until they reached Bab El-Nasr. Then following Eid  morning prayers, the state would distribute the cookies. The cookies were decorated with phrases like (kol o oshkor) which means eat and be thankful and (bel shokr tadoom al neam) which means gratitude preserves blessings.

To give you a glimpse of the amounts being distributed, historians say that dar al fitr started preparing the cookies one and a half months in advance and the budget dedicated to dar al fitr was 10,000 gold dinars! The habit of handing out sweet pastries by the caliphs went on till the end of the Ottoman empire almost 1000 years later. During that time, the habit of making cookies on the first day of Eid went from being a royal custom to a tradition in almost every house hold.

Now that you know when it all started, you may ask: but the maamoul that we have today does not have words on it, it actually has decorative patterns. Well those patterns actually go further back in history. Much further!

Cookies are the festive form of bread. Bread and baking have been used by humanity as a medium for expressing beliefs, myths and even taboos since 3000 BC. The history of bread, as we know it, began with ancient Egypt more that four thousand years ago where wheat was considered a symbol of life and fertility. Over thirty different kinds of bread were made by professional bakers. Many were baked in the shapes of animals, flowers,suns etc., for symbolic offerings to the gods and the cult of the dead. We know this because of the drawings on the walls of the pyramids depicting the process of making bread and cookies, even portraying many of the special forms and designs used to decorate them.

The carving of intricate decorative cookie molds first appeared in Egypt, persia and mesopotamia. Decorative molds have been used to imprint clay and coins long before being used to imprint bread and dough. The carvings illustrate a great variety of subject matter, as historical events, religious symbols, romantic motifs, portraits, and even proverbs.
If you look closely at your maamoul molds you’ll notice that many decorations depict sunburst, (like the ones you see in the mold in the picture above). These were probably handed down from ancient cultures who worshiped the sun. Other patterns are similar to the effect raindrops leave when they hit the soil or water. Historians say that those originated because the Levant is mostly an agricultural community, farmers made bread and cookies with patterns that celebrate the rain, rain in a farmer’s book means a good season. Other patterns look like flower petals, leaves and bird nests, those are traced back to the ancient spring celebrations when people celebrated spring as a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings.

I do hope that you enjoyed this walk down history lane with me , how about sharing it with your friends and loved ones this eid as you make and share those delicious decorated maamoul cookies

I received quite a few reuests for eid recipe suggestions, I’ve decided to gather them all in one post for you. You can find them below starting ofcourse with maamoul

Just click on the recipe name and it will take you to the recipe

Semolina maamoul

Baid al qata (walnut stuffed shortcrust cookies)

Coconut macaroon معكرون جوز الهند

Nastar cookies (Indonesian pineapple tarts)

Caramel chocolate thumb cookies

Chocolate crinkle cookies

Honey sesame biscotti

Persian cookies

Teabag cookies

Sheep cookies

We are expecting some snow here this afternoon and somehow I always end up baking something when the weather is cold and windy!

Since the orange season is in full swing at the moment and fresh oranges are everywhere, I buy some whenever I go grocery shopping! We love them as is. They are a great snack on a cold day. But I also love using them in recipes! My mum’s orange jam is high on that list but I also love adding them to my desserts and baked goods. Like the orange and spiced chocolate marble cake that I shared with you a few days ago, the orange bars, orange and mango layered cake ,orange curd and rice pudding that you see below and of course the recipe that I am sharing with you today

Today’s recipes is one of my “aromatherapy recipes”!
You know, the recipes that fill the house with a cloud of aromas and spice and everything nice!
The floral smell of the orange zest, rich earthy nuttiness of the walnuts, the warm and comforting scents of cinnamon and cardamom, all blend into a heavenly combination that you just have to smell to appreciate.

Not only do these bars smell heavenly, the taste is the perfect match to all those beautiful scents. The chewy dried figs, perfectly compliment the crunch of the walnuts both playing against a canvas of spices and nutty wholewheat.

As you will notice as you go through the recipe below, this recipe can be made in two forms. Bars and biscotti. I got this recipe years ago from the Smitten kitchen.  But when I made it for the first time, my kids (who have to sample every biscotti recipe halfway through before the second bake!) loved it so much as bars that it never made it to the second bake!I have made it many many times over the years and I personally love it both ways but my kids still stand by their opinion and still like it as bars not biscotti. So do give this a try both ways and let me know which one you like best
The recipe written below is the one that I make nowadays. I have adapted it to our liking a little by making a few changes to the spices a and replacing half of the white flour with whole wheat. If you have dried figs on hand, do yourself a favor and give these bars a try, I promise the smell alone is worth it!

Orange scented dried fig and walnut bars

1 cup toasted walnut chopped coarsely
1 cup dried figs chopped
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons or 3 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/3 cup (6 tablespoons) brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of a large orange
1 cup wholewheat flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (or 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon. ground cardamom

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula occasionally.
3. Beat in the vanilla and the orange zest. Your wet mix is ready, set it aside.
4. In another bowl, add all your dry ingredients: stir together the two types of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and beat to form a somewhat firm dough.
6. Add the walnuts and figs and beat until thoroughly combined.
7. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and chill 35 to 40 minutes or until completely firm.
8. At this stage you have two options, you can either make bars or biscotti. If you decide to go with bars, spread the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet
9. If you decide to make biscotti you can roll the piece of dough into a log on a floured surface and then transfer it to a baking sheet.
10. Sprinkle the dough with granulated sugar. Bake at 180 C for 15 to 20 minutes until it is lightly golden brown, firm to the touch and just beginning to crack slightly.
11. Allow the log/baking sheet to cool on a cookie sheet until cool to the touch, about 40 minutes.
12. With a serrated knife, slice the biscotti, slightly on the bias, into 1/2-inch slices. Lay the slices on the cookie sheet in single layer (You may end up needing a second baking sheet in this step, as the cut pieces have a bigger surface area); Return the biscotti to the oven and cook for 20 more minutes, or until the biscotti are toasted and crisp.
13. Store the biscotti in an airtight container. They will keep up to about 2 weeks.(that is if you can keep your hand off them for that long!)

Notes

• You can prepare this recipe in the bowl of an electric mixer or by hand
• To toast the walnuts: Preheat the oven to 150  degrees. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Allow the walnuts to cool completely

Makrouta (maqrouta or ma’arouta) is a traditional Palestinian pinwheel cookie that is as tasty as it is elegant. A date paste filling scented with cardamom, cinnamon and anise is swirled through a flaky and rich cookie crust resulting in the perfect combination of rich, flaky, spice scented and addictive! All the adjectives that you want in a cookie!

Dates happen to be the centerpiece in many Palestinian cookies and baked goods, think maamoul, bracelet cookies -or kaek asawer-, mabroosheh, date bread rings and these makrouta cookies, just to name a few. The dates were traditionally used as a natural and healthy way to add sweetness, a contrast in texture, and a medium to infuse with spices and aromatic seeds. In makrouta, the dough and the filling are both scented with spices and ground seeds giving makrouta layers of flavors that will make stopping at one simply impossible! 

If you are still trying to decipher the name, allow me to help you out. The name Makrouta actually comes from the Arabic verb karata which means cut from the edges. If you scroll down to the step by step pictures you will understand the connection between the name and the preparation technique

I got this recipe from my wonderfully talented friend, Banan Gharaibeh. She brought some to the (April is for Arab Food) gathering in Amman and was kind enough to give me the recipe with the permission to publish it.

The recipe as listed below (the way that I got it from Banan) makes a huge amount of Makrouta, you can half or quarter the recipe. But do keep in mind that if you decide to make the full batch, the elegant Makrouta cookies make a perfect gift for friends, family or school teachers. They also last for weeks in great condition if kept them in an airtight container in a cool place.

Palestinian Makrouta (Date pin wheel cookies)

Dough ingredients
4 cups whole wheat flour
5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground anise
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mahlab
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon nigella seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup olive oil
1 cup melted ghee or melted butter

For kneading the dough
1 to 1.5 cups warm water

Filling ingredients
2 kg date paste
2 tablespoons melted ghee (this helps the filling stay soft)
2 tablespoon anise seeds
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

Instructions

1. In a bowl mix all of the dough ingredients. Start by adding both types of flour , spices, seeds and baking soda.Mix to combine Then add the oil, butter/ghee and rub them into the flour mix with your finger tips till they are completely absorbed into the mix and it resembles wet sand.
2. Cover and leave over night
   This is to allow the flour to completely soak up the oil and flavors from the spices. You can do this step up to a week in advance
3. Prepare the filling: knead the date paste with all the filling ingredients till smooth and homogeneous
4. On the day you decide to make the cookies, add the water to the flour mix. Start with 1 cup of water and slowly add more. You will know you have added enough when you take a small piece of dough, roll it into a thick rope then turn it into a loop without it cracking or falling apart.
   You can also tell that you need to add more water if you roll out the dough and it cracks in the following steps

5. divide the dough into quarters
6. Spread a sheet of parchment or silicon mat or nylon sheet on your surface and start by rolling one quarter of the dough into a rough rectangular shape till it is 3 mm thick.

7. On another silicon mat, roll out 1/4 of the date filling till it is roughly the same shape, size and thickness.I find it easier to roll the date filling between two parchment sheets/ silicon mats

8. Remove the top parchment/silicon mat and use the bottom one to flip the date rectangle over the dough one

9. Use a knife to trim the edges
10. Start rolling the dough from the short end
11. after 4 to 5 turns cut the roll

12. Cut the roll into 2 cm slices

13. to give the Makrouta it is distinctive shape, you can use a knife or an egg slicer or avocado slicer. You can do it horizontally or diagonally or not do it at all

14. Arrange the pieces on a parchment lined baking pan and bake at 180 C for 20 to 25 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown

15.Place under the broiler till the tops are golden
16. allow to cool for 5 to 10 minute on the pan then transfer to a wire rack till it cools completely and store in an air tight container

Trouble shoot

If your cookies crack after baking, this is due to the dough being too dry, you should add more water in the kneading step

You can tell before getting to the baking stage as the dough will crack when you roll it in step 6

Every year in the summer we go on a camping trip to a natural reserve in the north of Jordan. Ajloun Forest natural reserve located in the Ajloun highlands north of Amman and covers 13 square kilometers. The reserve is mainly a breathtaking open woodlands of Evergreen Oak, Pine, Carob, Wild Pistachio and Wild Strawberry trees with a few eco friendly wooden huts in one of the reserve’s corners .

We love going on long hikes to watch the sun rise and set over the mesmerizing landscape. The kids love making up stories about the trails, the Roman ruins hidden between the trees ,the smells , colours and sounds of the forest. It is incredibly calming to wake up in the middle of a forest. No angry car horns, no morning rush, no to do lists.Just eyes wide open (literally and metaphorically)forcing your brain to slow down and take a moment to enjoy being alive! It is a refreshing and humbling experience.

The reserve supports local women by hosting a number of projects. A small olive oil based soap house, a shop that sells calligraphy adorned cards made from recycled paper by local women and a house of biscuits and cookies.

Each of the three projects is called a house to give you a sense of walking into the ladies homes, sharing their creativity and products

The house of cookies offers and number of freshly baked goods for sale but these sweet sesame crackers happen to be one of my family’s favorites

I have been experimenting with the recipe for quite some time and finally got the seal of approval from the kids so I am sharing it with you .

These crackers and rich and crumbly , sweet but not overly so, the sesame and anise seeds pop in your mouth when you bite into them, like little firecrackers for your taste buds!

Sweet sesame crackers

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm melted ghee (you can use butter)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup anise seeds
1 teaspoon ground anise
1 teaspoon baking powder

1.Mix the dry ingredients (flour,sugar sesame seeds, anise seeds, ground anise, baking powder in a bowl)
2.Add the olive oil and melted ghee and rub them into the dry ingredients
The consistency will be slightly crumbly but should hold together if you take a handful and press it in your hand
3.At this point you have two options: roll the dough into small balls and bake them that way or spread the dough out and cut it into rectangles , I prefer the second, they look better and are crisper around the edges
If you decide to go with the rectangles, use two parchment sheets and roll the dough between them to create a rectangle that fits your baking sheet (I use 38 cm*25 cm (15*10 inches) sheet pan)
You can use a larger pan if you prefer your bars to be thinner
What I usually do, is line my baking sheet with parchment, place the dough on it, top it with parchment then use a smaller baking sheet to spread and even out the dough
4.Next using a knife or a pizza cutter cut the spread out dough into rectangles (I make mine 5 cm * 3 cm but the size is totally up to you)
5.Bake in a 180 C oven till the edges are golden brown then place under the broiler till the top is golden brown

Notes
If you would like your crackers to be sweeter or prefer an added crunch, sprinkle the dough sugar after rolling it out . Once baked this will add a crunchy sparkly topping to your crackers

مربعات اليانسون و السمسم

ثلاثة أكواب دقيق متعدد الاستخدامات
نصف كوب سمن مذاب دافئ (يمكنك استخدام الزبدة بدلا من السمن
نصف كوب زيت زيتون
نصف كوب سكر
نصف كوب من بذور السمسم المحمصة
ربع كوب من بذور اليانسون
ملعقة صغيرة من اليانسون المطحون
ملعقة صغيرة من مسحوق الخبزبيكنغ بلودر

نمزج المكونات الجافة (الطحين ، بذور السمسم السكر ، بذور اليانسون ، اليانسون المطحون ، مسحوق الخبز في وعاء)

نضيف زيت الزيتون والسمن المذاب ونفركه باطراف الاصابع مع المكونات الجافة
سوف يكون القوام متفتتا بعض الشيء و لكن إذا أخذنا حفنة منه وضغطنا عليها في كف اليد يجب ان تتماسك

في هذه المرحلة ، لديكم خياران: تشكيل العجين على شكل كرات صغيرة أوفرد العجينة وثم تقطيعها إلى مستطيلات ، أنا أفضل الخيار الثاني ، فهي تبدو أفضل وتكون أكثر هشاشة حول الحواف
لتسهيل فرد العجين ، استخدم صفحتين من ورق الخبز ونفرد العجينة بينهما بحيث يصبح حجمها يناسب صينية الخبز الخاصة بكم صينية الخبز التي استخدمتها مقاس 38 سم * 25 سم (15 * 10 بوصة)
يمكنك استخدام صينيه اكبر ان كنتم تفضلون ان تكون سماكة مربعات اليانسون اقل

باستخدام سكين أو قاطع بيتزا ، نقوم بتقطيع العجينة إلى مستطيلات (انا اقطعها لمستطيلات بحجم 5 سم * 3 سم ولكن الحجم متروك لك تمامًا)

نخبزها في الفرن على حرارة 180 مئوية حتى تصبح الحواف بلون بني ذهبي ثم نضعها تحت الشواية حتى يصبح لونها بنياً ذهبياً