Ghraybey_Middle Eastern Butter Cookies

Tags

butter cookies, cookies, Dessert, ghraybeh, ghreybeh, middle eastern, shortbread, بسكويت الزبده, غريبه

Delicate, buttery shortbread cookies, a special occasion treats in many middle eastern countries.

Ghraybeh [ghray-beh] or ghreybey is a soft middle eastern butter cookie garnished with pistachios, and it is also referred to sometimes as a sugar cookie or wedding cakes. It is so soft and delicious, due to its abundance in butter ghee and powder sugar, has a distinctive smooth taste that melts in your mouth in seconds.

It is popular in many Middle Eastern countries, especially in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, and the Gulf region. It is also popular in Turkey, Morocco and Greece.

To make Ghraybeh, the dough is first prepared by creaming butter ghee (sometimes use half butter half margarine) with powder sugar, mix in flour and a hint of rosewater or orange blossom water, but you can add vanilla if you like. Small pieces of dough are then cut and rolled by hand to form circular shapes. Whole pistachio pieces are added for garnish, and the dough is baked on medium temperature for 10 minutes. They must remain pale, almost white, to keep their delicious taste and tender.

The cookies come in many shapes - rounds, crescents, diamonds, or S shapes.
It is a cookie best served with coffee or tea.

Ghraybey_Middle Eastern Butter Cookies

1/2 cup sugar confectioner
1/2 cup butter
about 1 1/4 cup sifted cake flour, you may need more
1\2 teaspoon rosewater or orange blossom water(optional)
almonds, pistachios, or pine nuts

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar for about 3-4 min. Until it is smooth cream, add the rosewater.
Gradually, mix in the flour, with hands, mix well until combined, the dough should be soft and pliable when shaped into a ball. If required add 1 -2 tablespoon of flour.
Cover the dough and let rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. heat the oven to 300 f.

Take a small amount of the dough, the size of walnut, roll in your hands and shape into a ball, then flatten slightly with your balm, in the middle press a pistachio nut into the dough. Arrange them on a baking sheet a little apart from each other bake for 10 min.

Do not let them overcook, they must remain white. Let them cool completely before you try to move them.

Tagine of Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Tags

Comfort food, dawood basha, dinner meals, ground beef, Healthy meals, kids friendly, lunch meal, meatball stew, meatballs, middle eastern, Soups and Stews, tomato sauce, Turkish, vegetable meatbals

Adding vegetables to your meatballs to enhance the flavor and add a nutritional boost to your hearty comfort meal.

Getting your kids to eat their vegetable is a challengeable mission lots of moms have.
How many time I forced them to eat veggies?
How many hours spent lecturing on how veggies are good for their health and bodies?
I asked myself if there is a way to end this dilemma?
So why not to make tricks and think out of the box?

Sneaking some vegetable into their favourite food is a good way to start with.
Why not to add some cauliflower, or spinach to the meatballs! Some carrots is  good too!

Tagine of Meatballs in Tomato Sauce - a well known dish called Dawood Basha, it has been told that it’s originally from turkey and where it took it’s name – is one of the classic comfort foods that enjoyed all over the levant countries. The basic recipe is only meatballs with pine nuts fried then simmered in the oven with tomato sauce.

Nothing Better Than a comfort hearty meal to enjoy in weekdays also to gather the whole family at weekends, baking the meatballs instead of frying make it light and fresh, adding the vegetable to the meatballs was a great idea to boost up more nutrient to the meal. Any vegetable available is very welcome, I tried to add spinach, cauliflower, and carrots. Make sure to shred or chop them very fine so they can mix in easily with the ground meat.  The vegetable wasn’t noticeable though, it’s all blended in with the herbs and spices that added to make it more flavorful, tender, and juicy. For a bonus, I like to add potato to the stew, since the original recipe can be served along with mashed potato instead of the rice.

Serve with rice pilaf.

 

Tagine of Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

To make the meatballs:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped cauliflower
1/4 cup minced parsley
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon of each: dried coriander, cinnamon, all spice
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the tomato sauce:

4-5 ripened tomato
1/2 cup chopped onion
2-3 garlic Cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste

To make the stew:

2-3 potato cut into medium cubes
Cooked rice pilaf to serve

Preheat the oven to 400 f.
In a bowl, mix the ground beef lump with the vegetable add the onion, parsley, spices and oil, and work with your hands, don’t over mix. Roll into a small ball the size of walnuts.
Arrange the meatball in an oven tray, bake for 15-20 min until little browned.

Meanwhile, cut the tomato, add onion, garlic and liquidate them in the blender. Add spiced, herbs, and tomato paste, blend in. Put the sauce in a pot on low heat to simmer and thicken.

Fry or bake the potato with a little oil, add to the simmering tomato sauce along with baked meatballs and don’t forgot to add the meat juices, it adds more flavor to the stew.

Adjust the seasoning and continue simmering for 15-20 more minutes.
Serve along with rice pilaf. You may add some toasted pine nut on top.

Roasted Eggplant with Pomegranate and Yogurt

Tags

arab food, eggplant, meze, middle eastern, oven roasted eggplant, pomegranate, pomegranate molasses, tahini, yogurt sauce

In Arab world, the eggplant is often called “the noble fruit”, gracing the tables of rich and poor alike.

Didn’t I mention before that I’m a big fan of any eggplant recipe. Yes, and don’t wonder if you see my blog is all about eggplant.

Eggplant is appreciated in most of middle eastern countries. There is a common lore has been told for long ago that a woman ability to manage the household is judged by how many ways she can prepare eggplant. Indeed, you can find many middle eastern dishes containing eggplant, it may be savored hot or cold, grilled, barbecued, deep-fried, sautéed, roasted, baked, stuffed, marinated, pickled, in pastry, casseroles, stews and even confitures and jams.

This is a wonderful middle eastern way to enjoy the eggplant. A healthy, light, and quick dish that served as an appetizer at any meze table. You have the choice to fry the eggplant, but I prefer it healthy by roasting the eggplant slices with a little of olive oil. make sure to roast the eggplant on high oven heat.

The dressing of pomegranate molasses and vinegar gives the eggplant slices a sweet and sour flavor. Serve them hot or cold, with the yogurt and tahini topping at room temperature.

Roasted Eggplants with Pomegranate & Yogurt

3-4 eggplants
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1\2 tablespoon sumac
1 1\2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1  tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoon tahini
1\4 cup pine nuts
1\4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
fresh parsley, chopped

Cut the eggplants, lengthwide or crosswide, into slices about 1\2 inch thick. place them on an oiled sheet of foil on baking tray. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a very hot oven preheated to 475 f for about 20 minutes, until they are soft and browned, turning the slices over once. Arrange on a shallow serving dish. sprinkle with sumac.

Mix the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoon olive oil, and brush the eggplant slices with the dressing. Beat the yogurt with the garlic and tahini and pour them very lightly all over, and sprinkle over the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley, and sumac.

My Ultimate Spiced Date Ring Cookies “Ka’ak Bl Ajwa”

Tags

cookies, date-filled cookies, desserts, easter cookies, eid celebration cookies, ka'ak, middle eastern, spiced cookies, كعك, كعك العيد, كعك بالعجوه, بسكويت, بسكويت بالبهارات, حلويات

These are a traditional cookies made on the Eid and Easter holidays in all middle eastern families, and they are really addicting! A little time-consuming but so worth it.
The name in arabic is “Ka’ak Bl Ajwa“, or “The Ring Ka’ak” , “The bracelet Ka’ak“, while others called it “The Easter Ka’ak“. But the names doesn’t matter as it all refers to a very delicious and special cookies. “Ajwa” is the other name of date paste in arabic.

I like to make these cookies to my family more than any cookie recipe, these are not like any cookies. The nutrients loaded in with the uses of multiple seeds and spices, the milk, semolina, the date filling, make these cookies most nutritious for kids to enjoy as a snack or even as a healthy desserts. you can also make it more healthy and cholesterol free by using olive oil only. Enjoy these cookies with a warm cup of milk or hot tea in the evening or in the morning with your coffee.

My recipe passed from my grand mom to my aunt whom she always make it once she visits us, and whom she learnt me how to make it. My husband’s addiction to these cookies let me wants to try to make it by myself when my aunt can’t come.
Although, it looks very hard and time-consuming to make these cookies, but the beautiful aroma of spices that you can’t resist, make these cookies your greatest and really makes you want to try it again and again.

It’s part of the tradition when making these cookies, that is to me like something dreamy that always takes me in dreams to those days, where I can remember all the women in my family gather around to make these cookies in large amounts, then they share the cookies between them. It’s not all about the joy in making these cookies themselves, but the good times they also share. Their stories that each woman could tell. And their everyday life. Their joys, giggles, besides their problems and complains. To me now, these days is like fairy tales that told by our grands which take me to another world of dreaming, to the most beautiful days I ever lived, my childhood.

Some important tips to make these cookies more successful:

• You have the choice to not to do the first step and omit the addition of semolina, that makes it flour only cookies, and in this case you need to use 2 & 1\4 cups of shortening, any of your choice, and the process is faster that you mix the dough and make the cookies in one day.
• For the use of shortening, I sometimes use butter and olive oil only, or you can use butter only, even the traditional way is to use the olive oil only with 1 tbsp ghee for the flavour.
• The dough should be pliable not dry throughout.
• The proving time is vital to the required results, as it ensures the texture of the cookies is light yet perfectly combined.
• The date paste should be soft and not sticky.
• You can pinch the rings with a cookie tweezer to decorate it, also you can sprinkle some icing sugar on the top after baking and cooling.
• The oven temperature is as important as the position of the tray in the oven, watch the cookies through the glass oven while baking.
• Don’t over bake the cookies as they become hard quickly - watch for that light golden colour.
• The cookies can be stored for at least 3 weeks in an airtight tin or plastic container.
• “Practice makes perfect”: remember this saying if your first attempt is not to the required standard. The making of these cookies is very therapeutic once the techniques is mastered. Be patient.

Spiced Date Ring Cookies ‘Ka’ak Bl Ajwa”

recipe makes around 100 cookies

2 cups(0.75 lb)(340 gm) semolina
8 cups(2.20 lb)(1000 gm)(1 kg) all-purpose flour
3 cups shortening (softened butter, ghee, or oil) preferable if third butter(soft), third ghee or Crisco (melted), and third olive oil
1\2 cup(115 gm)(4 oz) icing  sugar
1\2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1\2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp Mahlab , ground (black cherry kernels) (available at Middle Eastern stores)
1\2 tsp gum arabic, ground (Arabic miska)
1\2 tsp cardamom
1 tbsp black Nigella seeds – the black seed
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1\4 cup dried milk powder
2 tbsp ground anis seeds plus 1 tbsp whole seed
2 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp baking powder(use only baking powder if you like it to crunch otherwise you can add 1\2 tsp dry yeast with 3 tbsp warm water and 1 tbsp sugar, this will make it less crunchy)
1\4 cup of rose-water + orange blossoms
about 1 cup tap water or you can use milk if you don’t like the dried

Directions:
First day:
In a large bowl, add the semolina and the melted ghee or shortening (Crisco is a good choice, I always prefere to use it), mix. Cover and leave for ten hours, or overnight.

Next day:
Measure flour and spices (all the dry ingredient except the liquids) in  the soaked semolina bowl. Add the softened butter and the olive oil mix (you can use corn oil).

Stirring well so that the flour mix soaks the butter, rub with your fingertips. Continue rubbing but not kneading for at least 15 min, this is an important step to get the crunch of the cookies.
Rest for 30 minutes, the mix will be crumbly.
Dissolve the yeast (if you want to use it) in 2 tablespoons water and a dash of sugar. When it rises, add to semolina flour mixture.

Add the rose-water and orange blossom, gradually add the warm water and start kneading to make a soft pliable dough.
Test the dough if it’s ready, take a small piece, knead it in your hands to soften, shape it into a rope and pend it and inclose the two ends to make a ring, if get kracked easily then the dough is dry or it need more kneeding, if the dough looks smooth, then it’s ready. Rest the dough for 1\2 hour .

Prepare the baking sheets, set aside. Using a cutting board (I use a rough surface cutting board, this will make it easy to roll the dough). Take a piece of the dough into walnut size ball, kneed it in your fingers first. And a piece of date filling, roll it into a ball smaller than the dough. Roll each ball into a rope. Flatten the dough with your hand and shape it into a long rectangle. Take the date rope and place it directly on the dough. Seal the dough ends around the date paste to enclose. Roll out the log on the cutting board with the bottom of your palm, back and forth until it thins out to your liking. Cut the rope into individual cookies, each about 4 inches long.

Rest the cookie on the baking sheets leaving small space between them. Bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until light gold.

For the date paste:

For this amount of dough you will need:
3 bags of pitted date paste (you can find it from any middle eastern store), or you can use whole date then take off the pitts and either work it with your hand or put it in a food processor to make like a paste.
Add to it:
1 tsp cinnamom
1\2 tsp nutmeg
1\2 tsp cardamom
1\4 cup oil or ghee or soft butter

Mix the paste to combine the spices and the shortening, kneed it well in your hands to soften the dates. You can use the food processor to make it more malleable