Kleicha (Iraqi date cookies #IntnlCookies #christmascookies

• Vegetarian

• Produce

  • 1 cup Dates, dried

• Baking & Spices

  • 3/4 tsp Cardamom, ground
  • 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds, ground
  • 1 tsp Instant yeast, dried
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups Wholewheat pastry flour

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 6 1/2 tbsp Coconut oil

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1/4 tsp Cumin, ground

• Dairy

  • 1/2 cup Milk

• Liquids

  • 3 tbsp Water

Found on carolinescooking.com

Description

Ingredients

• For the dough -
• 1½cups/ 180g wholewheat pastry flour
• ¼tsp salt
• ¼tsp ground cumin
• ¼tsp ground cardamon (see notes below)
• ½cup/120ml milk, warmed
• ½tsp sugar
• 1tsp dried instant yeast
• 6tbsp coconut oil, melted
• For the filling -
• 1cup/140g dried dates (weight without stones, pieces is fine)
• ½tsp ground cardamon
• ½tsp ground fennel seeds
• ½tbsp coconut oil
• 3tbsp water (approx)

Directions

• Mix together the flour, salt, cumin and cardamon. Add the sugar and yeast to the warm milk, stir then leave it around 5 minutes to activate.
• After the 5min, add the milk mixture along with the melted coconut oil to the flour mixture. Stir well then tip onto a surface and knead a couple minutes. It will feel a little greasy, dont worry. Put the dough in a bowl, cover and leave to rise in a draught-free place for approx 30min.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the dates, cardamon, fennel seeds and coconut oil in a small pan and warm over a medium-low heat until the dates soften and the mixture starts to stick together as a bit of a ball. Add some water to thin it to a jam-like consistency, a tablespoon at a time as it will depend on how soft he dates were.
• Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.
• Lay a layer of cling wrap/film or parchment on your work surface and line a baking sheet with a cookie sheet or parchment.
• Tip the dough onto the lined work surface and roll the dough into a rectangle, around 1½ times as long as it is wide and approx ¼in/6mm thick. Dab the date filling onto the top and spread all over the dough leaving a strip without any on the two shorter ends.
• Lifting up the cling wrap/film or parchment to help you, roll from one of the short ends and form a roll. Finish by having the other end on the bottom so it seals together.
• Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the roll into slices, either approx 1in/2,5cm thick or thinner, as you prefer. Carefully transfer the slices to the baking sheet, standing on end if thicker, squashing slightly, or else laying flat if thinner.
• Bake for approx 15min until lightly brown. Delicious served warm from the oven but also good cold.
• Note - if you dont have ground cardamon, use about twice the volume of whole pods. Crush them slightly with a pestle and mortar then squeeze the seeds from the pods and discard the pods. Crush the seeds to a powder.