Klaychah Date Cookies Food

KLAICHA IRAQI DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour and sugar; cut in butter.
• Mix orange flower water and water together.
• Pour in butter mixture; knead until smooth.
• Let dough rest 35 minutes.
• Chop dates small. Simmer in pan with butter until dates are soft, REALLY low, stir.
• Pinch off dough size of walnut.
• Roll out flat; add teaspoon of date mixture; roll up around; score with fork pretty pattern.
• Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

GLUTEN FREE KLAICHA - DATE FILLED COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flours and xanthan into a mixing bowl and combine well. Add in the sugar and mix evenly.
• Cut room temperature butter into small pieces and rub into flour with fingertips until distributed evenly. I do this in a food processor and just keep pulsing until the butter is evenly distributed and there are no clumps. Don't walk away and leave the machine on or you will end up with a butter ball.
• Mix the rose water with the filtered water and sprinkle onto flour mixture. Pulse again to form a firm dough and then knead lightly until smooth. Cover the dough with cling film and rest for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the filling - Chop the dates and then gently heat them on low with the butter, stirring until the dates have softened - about 5 - 10 minutes, depending on your dates. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Roll the dough into small round balls about the size of a large walnut or tablespoon.
• Flatten each ball like a pancake in the palm of your hand and place a teaspoonful of the date filling in the centre. Fold over the edges of the dough to close over and cover the date filling. Roll the dough back into a ball with your hands. This can be a bit tricky if you fill the balls with too much filling.
• If you want to be really traditional you can press each ball into a special Middle Eastern carved mould similar to a tabi. Alternatively, (which is the way I did it) press each side of the ball with a fork to indent, slightly flatten, and then press the sides of the balls to round up, before placing on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the oven at about 160 C / 325 F oven for 30 minutes until lightly browned.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the tray as they will firm up and get a little bit more crispy. Store in a sealed container for use later - if they last that long.

DATE BAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a nonreactive medium saucepan over low heat, combine dates, granulated sugar, and water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. In a large bowl or bowl of an electric mixer, place brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. Mix on low speed until combined. While mixer is running, add butter, 1 piece or 2 at a time. Mix until crumb like, with some lumps of butter no larger than pea size.
• Using your hands, press and flatten half of crumb mixture into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Spread cooled filling over crust. Cover with remaining crumb mixture, patting lightly. Bake until lightly browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into bars while still in the pan. Gently remove cut bars from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Date bars, stored in an airtight container, refrigerate and freeze well.

KLAYCHAH (DATE COOKIES)

Steps:

• In saucepan, combine dates, butter, water, cardamom and cloves.
• Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until dates become a paste.
• Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well; add shortening and milk. Knead into dough, adding more flour or milk if necessary.
• Divide dough into 4 parts then roll, one at a time, to about 1/4-inch thickness.
• Divide date paste into 4 parts and roll each out, between sheets of wax paper, to match dough size.
• Remove wax paper; place date layer on dough. (If date paste is too soft, gently spread each portion on dough with knife.)
• Roll into cylinder, jellyroll style.
• Slice rolls into 1-inch pieces and place on greased baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated 325F oven 35 minutes or until cookies begin to turn golden brown.
• Let cool.

CHOCOLATE DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Place dates in a small bowl and add enough hot water to cover. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to soften.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove dates from water, reserving soaking liquid. Combine dates, walnuts, and vegetable oil in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse several times until mixture forms a paste and no large chunks of dates remain; this may take several minutes. If mixture is too dry, add soaking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a paste-like consistency is reached. Add egg and vanilla extract; pulse to combine. Add oats, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Fold in chocolate chips; dough will be very sticky.
• Use a medium cookie scoop to place rounded balls of dough 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press tops of dough down with damp fingers to flatten slightly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are just set, 13 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely. Keep stored in refrigerator until ready to serve.

BRöTCHEN (GERMAN BREAKFAST ROLLS)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit until creamy; about 10 minutes.
• Mix in shortening, salt and 3 cups of the flour. Beat with dough whisk or heavy spoon for 2 minutes. Fold in egg whites. Gradually add flour 1/4 cup at a time, until dough forms a mass and begins to pull away from bowl. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead, adding more flour as necessary, for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic with bubbles.
• Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Deflate the dough, form into a round and let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and form into oval rolls about 3 1/2 inches long. Place on lightly greased baking sheets, cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Place an empty baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white with the 2 tablespoons of milk to make the egg wash. Lightly brush the risen rolls with the egg wash. Place 1 cup of ice cubes on the hot baking sheet in the oven and immediately place the rolls in the oven.
• Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for about 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
• Remove to a wire rack and cool.

OATMEAL DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix until well combined, 1 minute. Add the egg and mix for another minute. Add the flour and oats and mix on low speed until combined. Finally, add the dates in two additions to make sure they're distributed evenly throughout. The dough will be very soft at this point.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk with your hands, then wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (and up to 2 days)-​chilled dough will be much easier to handle.
• Place two racks in the middle positions and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Divide the dough into 16 equal portions, about 1½ ounces (45 g) each. Working quickly so that the dough doesn't warm up, shape each portion into a ball with your hands. You can freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 2 weeks in a freezer bag to be baked from frozen at a later time. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart to prevent the cookies from touching as they spread when they bake. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheets and switch their positions in the oven, and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are brown and the middle is golden. Rotating and switching the sheets halfway through the baking process will ensure that the cookies bake evenly. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets. The cookies keep well for a couple of days stored in an airtight container.

DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Combine the water and dates; stir into the dough along with the chopped pecans. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

DATE DROP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients; beat well.
• (Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.) Add flour and soda; mix well.
• Stir in dates and nuts.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

OATMEAL DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease cookie sheets.
• In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together shortening and both sugars until light and fluffy, using electric mixer at medium speed.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Blend in vanilla.
• Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, mixing well with spoon.
• Stir in oats, dates and walnuts.
• Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, on cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on racks.