Iraqi Date Cookies

Ingredients

Dough:

• 3 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 cup melted butter
• 1 tsp maamoul spice mix
• 1 packet traditional active dry yeast

Filling:

• 500g pitted dates- (can replace with date paste)
• 1 tsp maamoul spice mix

Maamoul Spice Mix:

• 1 tbsp ground cardamom
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground anise
• 1 tbsp ground fennel
• 1 tbsp ground nutmeg

Seed mix:

• 2 tsp black sesame seeds
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 tsp fennel seeds

Egg wash:

• 1 egg

Directions

To prepare Maamoul Spice Mix:

1. Add all spices and mix well
2. Store in an airtight jar, this will last you for a long time

To prepare the dough:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F
2. Proof yeast (follow instructions on the package)
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment, mix the flour, maamoul spice mix and melted butter scraping the sides once or twice during.
4. When the yeast has doubled in size, add the yeast to the dough and knead for about 2-3 minutes
5. Once the dough has formed, (it should hold itself together, just make sure you don’t over mix it) cover and set aside for 30 mins

Prepare the Filling:

1. In a medium ball, add pitted dates or date paste along with maamoul spice mix and mix very well
2. Shape the filling into balls of equal size (about 20g each)

Prepare the cookies:

1. When the dough has proofed, it should be slightly crumbly but sticks when squeezed together, if it’s too sticky you need to add more flour, if it’s too dry, you need to add more butter. 
2. Take a piece of dough (about 20g - same size as the date filling), shape into a ball by rolling the dough between the palms of your hands then press into the center of the ball to create a hollow space in the center 
3. Place your date filling into the center of the dough and shape into a ball making sure the dough is covering the filling completely- remove any excess dough
4. Dip the cookie ball into the seed mix then place it on a flat surface, press gently to flatten the cookie
5. Place the flattened cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and poke with a fork
6. Brush egg wash on top
7. Bake for 15mins then turn on the oven from top for about 3mins until you get a nice golden colour
8. Store your cookies in an airtight container and keep it in a cool place for up to one week.

Yields about 24 cookies

Cook’s Tips:

• Maamoul spice mix adds an aromatic flavour, you can use only ground cardamom instead of the spice mix or add more cardamom to the spice mix this is entirely to your own taste and preference.