Arab cuisine, best known for specialties such as hummus, lamb shish kebab, kofta, falafels, tabbouleh and many other traditional dishes, is also proud of its pastries.
Especially popular are the different types of cookies, filled with nuts or dried fruits, eaten with pleasure as soon as Ramadan fasting ends and the celebrations begin. Here are 2 of the most popular recipes for Arabic cookies which you can enjoy as well:
Egyptian Cookies
Ingredients: 3 cups flour, 3/4 cup melted butter, 1 cup rose water, 1 1/3 tbsp each of almonds, hazelnuts, roasted peanuts and pistachios, 7-8 dates, 1 pinch cinnamon, 3 tbsp sugar, powdered sugar for sprinkling.
Preparation: Sift the flour, put it in a bowl and form a well in the middle. Pour nearly all of the butter in it (set aside 1 tbsp for the filling) and rose water.
Use this mixture to form a smooth dough, make balls the size of an apricot, press them in the middle to form indentations to put the filling in.
Separately, using a chopper or a plain old mortar and pestle, grind the shelled nuts and dates, having had their pits removed ahead of time. To this mixture add 1 tbsp butter, the sugar and cinnamon and stir everything well.
Use this stuffing to fill the cookies and arrange them in an oiled tray. Bake in a preheated 390°F (200°C) oven until pink. Once they are ready, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Maamoul Cookies
Ingredients: 2 cups flour, 4/5 cup butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp orange water, 2 tbsp rose water, 4/5 cup walnuts, 1/3 cup sugar.
Preparation: Grind the walnuts with a chopper or using a mortar and pestle - but not too finely. To them add the sugar and rose water and mix everything well. Separately heat the butter and once it is semi melted, mix it with the flour.
Add the powdered sugar and orange water to this. Knead a dough from this mixture and if necessary add a little water. Leave the dough for about 2 hours in the refrigerator then form balls in the way described in the previous recipe.
Place the walnut filling in the indentation, press the dough so the filling doesn't leak out and bake these cookies in a preheated 390°F (200°C) oven until pink. Serve them warm, sprinkled with a little powdered sugar.
