Palestinian Date cookies - Makrouta

Introduce

Chef :

Linda L.

Palestinian Date cookies - Makrouta

Makrouta is the name of this type of date cookies. It’s originally from Palestine but very popular in the middle east. It’s prepared all year round but it’s a MUST for Eid with other types of cookies filled with dates or crushed nuts, such as Maamoul which is very similar but with more crumbly texture #sweetbake #middleeastern #palestinian #dates

Ingredient

Cooking time :

2 cups

all purpose flour

1 cup

very fine semolina

3/4 cup

vegetable olive mixed with 1/4 melted butter or ghee

1 teaspoon

instant dried yeast

1 teaspoon

anise powder

2 tablespoons

orange blossom water

1 tablespoon

sugar

1 cup

(more or less) of warm milk

Cooking instructions

* Step 1

Mix all the dry ingredients first (semolina, flour, sugar, yeast, anise powder)

* Step 2

Add the oil, butter and orange blossom water and mix the ingredients very well. The flour mixture will look crumbly like wet sand, not sticking together in a shape of dough but well covered with the oils.

* Step 3

You can add the sesame seeds at this point so it’s combined with the dough (i prefer it this way) or use it as a topping in the end before baking the cookies

* Step 4

Now start some of the milk and mix with your hand. Add a bit of milk at a time and stop when you have a nice dough formed. It shouldn’t stick to your fingers when you touch it. Set it aside to rest for around an hour or 2 (the longer the better so the semolina grains absorb all the oil)

* Step 5

The dough will not rise a lot after two hours and this is normal. Slice it into 4 rounded balls.

* Step 6

Using a rolling pin spread the dough. I put baking sheet under it because it’s easier and the dough doesn’t stick to the surface. Add around two tablespoons of the date paste and spread it evenly. Roll up the dough tightly like you’d do for Swiss roll.

* Step 7

For a straight roll i adjusted the edges with the help of the baking sheet.

* Step 8

If you want to add the sesame on top of the dougn instead then you’ll just have to spread some on the baking sheet and it’ll stick to the dough when you’re rolling it.

* Step 9

Press slightly with your hand to flatten the surface. Slice them into thick slices using a sharp knife and place on a baking tray, they will grow slightly in size so leave space between them.