Palestinian Date Ring Cookies
These Palestinian date ring cookies, also known as Kaek bil' ajwa ( date stuffed cookies ) or Kaek Asawer (bracelet cookies), remind me of the holidays. My mom would always bake a batch of these to enjoy throughout Ramadan and to celebrate Eid. I can smell the anise in the cookie dough just thinking of this delicate date cookie.
Serves 2 dozen
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup milk powder
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup anise seeds
- 1 tbsp ground anise
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp instant yeast active dry yeast works too
- ¾ cup warm water start with 1/2 cup and add more to the dpugh if needed.
Date Filling:
- 12 oz Medjool Dates pitted
- 1 tbsp warm water
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- First, mix the flour, milk powder, powdered sugar, baking soda, sesame seeds, anise seeds, and ground anise until well incorporated.
- Then, add the olive oil and melted butter to this and stir together. You will notice it slightly comes together but still needs more liquid. Set aside.
- Mix the yeast, sugar, and warm water and let it rest for 2 minutes. Add this to the cookie dough, slowly kneading it until it becomes a smooth, cohesive cookie dough. This may take a few minutes.
- Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a towel to rest for 30 minutes before using to shape the cookies.
- Meanwhile, make the date paste for the filling.
- Add the pitted fresh Medjool dates to a food processor with warm water and cinnamon. Pulse together until you achieve a cohesive date paste. Add a touch of olive oil to this to make it easier to work with and less sticky. Set aside.
- After the dough has rested, grab a piece about 1-2 tbsp size and roll it into a log.
- Flatten it with your hand until you get an elongated oval shape.
- Add a thin log of date paste in the center, leaving ½ an inch on each end of the oval. Fold over the dough and pinch the edges to seal and shape like a ring.
- Once all the cookies are made, bake in a preheated 350 F oven for approx 25 min until golden brown at the bottom and lightly brown on top. You may need to broil the top to achieve the golden color.
- Let it slightly cool, and enjoy warm! These can be stored in an airtight container once cooled for up to 2 weeks at room temp.
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