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Date Ring Cookies

YIELD: 2 dozen cookies

Palestinian Date Ring cookies, also known as Ka’ek Asawer is a lightly sweetened anise-flavored cookie stuffed with date paste and shaped like a ring. It is delicious with a cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients

  • Cookie Dough
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup milk powder
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • ¼ cup anise seeds
  • 1 tablespoon ground anise
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • ¾ cup warm water
  • Date Filling
  • 12 oz Medjool dates, pitted
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

  1. First, mix the flour, milk powder, powdered sugar, baking soda, sesame seeds, anise seeds, and ground anise until well incorporated.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a towel to rest for 30 minutes before using to shape the cookies.
  5. Meanwhile, make the date paste for the filling.
  6. 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.
  7. After the dough has rested, grab a piece about 1-2 tablespoon size and roll it into a log.
  8. Flatten it with your hand until you get an elongated oval shape.
  9. 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.
  10. Once all the cookies are made, bake in a preheated 350 F oven for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown at the bottom and lightly brown on top. You may need to broil the top to achieve the golden color.
  11. Let it slightly cool, and enjoy warm! These can be stored in an airtight container once cooled for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.