Almond Crescent Cookies

Tags

almond meal, butter cookies, Celebration cookies, Cookie, cookies, eid celebration cookies, how to make almond meal, Orange blossom water, refrigerator cookies, sugar cookies, sweets, tea time, ماء الزهر, بسكويت, بسكويت الزبده, حلويات العيد, طحين اللوز

A powder sugar-coated butter cookies loaded with nutty roasted almond made for special occasions.

Cookies are the one sweet treat that no one can pass up. Because they’re small, and easy to eat on the go, they’re the perfect snack anytime your sweet tooth starts nagging for a quick fix.
A classic holiday favorites, very easy to make, popular through out the world during celebrations. These crescents also make a welcome gift, just wrap and zip it in a decorative tin.

Very light and tasty cookies, combine between luxury creamy butter taste and nutty roasted almonds, scented perfectly with orange blossom water then decorated with copious amounts of confectioner sugar. Butter is essential to the exquisite texture and flavor, use good quality butter for better taste. For the crunch part, I used a home made almond meal, which adds more crunch than using the store bought one. The dough is refrigerated before it’s worked by hands into familiar half moon shapes.

How to make your own almond meal:
Almond meal is also called almond flour, which is just very finely ground almonds. It can be found at natural food stores and many supermarkets, it ‘s very expensive. You can make your own batch, but because it’s chopped not ground, the texture will be a bit rougher than almond flour and the cookies will have more rustic crunch.
to easily peel the almond: put it in small sauce pan, cover it with water and let boil. Once boiled, remove from heat, get rid off the hot water and cool it with cold water, then skin will peeled off easily once you rub it between your fingers.
If the recipe calls for roasted almond, then spread the peeled almond into one layer in a baking sheet, put it in preheated oven at 300 f, and let toast for 15 min, make sure to stir a couple of times to toast all over perfectly. Let cool completely.
Using food processor, add the almond with 1 tablespoon flour (using 1 tablespoon from flour in the recipe). process until the almond are finely chopped. The addition of flour will act as a buffer and keeps the almond from turning into butter.

Almond Crescent Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup icing/powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• dash of salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup raw unsalted almonds, peeled, roasted, then finely ground
• icing/powdered sugar to taste for dusting

Directions:
1- Cream the butter and sugar.
2- Mix in the orange blossom water followed by the flour and then the roasted cnuts.
3- Chill the plastic wrap dough in the fridge for at least 2 h.

4- Shape 1 tablespoon of dough at a time into crescent moons and place them on a baking sheet one inch apart from each other.

5- Bake in a preheated 350F oven until they just start to lightly brown, about 12-15 minutes.

6- Sift the icing sugar over while cookies still warm.

بسكويت اللوز

١ كوب زبده بحرارة الغرفه
١/٢ كوب سكر بودره
١ م ص ماء زهر
رشة ملح
٢ كوب طحين
١ كوب لوب مقشر ومحمص ومطحون
سكر بودره للوجه

طريقة اللوز المطحون
نضع اللوز الني بطنجره صغيره ونغمره بالماء ونتركه يغلي
نطفي عليه ونزيل الماء ونبرده بماء بارد
باطراف الاصابع نضغط عليه لنزيل القشور
هذه اسهل طريقه لازالة القشور عن جميع انواع المكسرات
نحمص اللوز المقشر بالفرن طبعا حسب ما تقتضيه الوصفه لان هناك وصفات تتطلب لوز ني
نضعه بصينيه الفرن ونحمصه على ٣٠٠ ف لمدة ١/٤ س ونقلبه عدة مرات ليتحمص من جميع الجوانب ونتركه يبرد تماما
في محضرة الطعام نطحن اللوز مع اضافة ملعقه واحده من الطحين المستعمل للوصفه
سيكون قوامه من ناعم لخشن نوعا ما
اضافة الطحين حتى لا يتحول اللوز عن الطحن الى زبده

لعمل البسكويت
نخفق الزبده والسكر حتى يصبح متل الكريمه نضيف ماء الزهر والطحين والملح واللوز المطحون
نعجنه مع بعض ونغلفه ونحفظه بالتلاجه على الاقل لمدة ٢ س او طوال الليل
نقطع العجين الى قطع بحجم ١ م ك ونشكلها على شكل هلال ونصفها بالصينيه ونضعها بفرن محمى مسبقا على ٣٥٠ ف لمدة تقريبا ١٥ د
نخرجها من الفرن ونضعها بالسكر البودره والبسكويتات دافئه

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Semolina Maamoul Cookies

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arabic cookies, butter cookies, cookies, eid cookies, maamoul, maamoul date filling, middle eastern, semolina cookies, semolina maamoul, معمول العيد, المعمول بالسميد, حشوات المعمول, طريقة عمل المعمول بالبيت

Maamoul is a  date or nut filled soft buttery cookies enjoyed by all Middle Eastern during religious celebrations, either at Eid El Fitr or Eid Al-Adha and Easter.

Eid El Fitr, is a major muslim feast that marks the end of fasting the whole month of Ramadan. Days before, women start the preparations for Eid that includes a thorough house cleaning, making cookies, and other savory treats. Preparing for Eid also meant that new outfits and shoes had to be purchased for the small children of the family. On the last week of Ramadan, families are busy shopping for the coming Eid celebration. The streets are crowded with shoppers and stores are filled with merchandise.

It is a tradition in Middle East that women gather during the last week of Ramadan to make Maamoul cookies for Eid. Each family has their own Maamoul recipe that pass by from mothers to daughters. For me, It was always a special time when my mom let us set to help her with making and shaping Maamoul. I was always picking the shaping part, guess it was the easiest one. Now, I still making the Maamoul for my family and my kids enjoying the shaping part.

I like to shape my cookies by hand, like the old traditional way. Perhaps, there are many different molds for this sold at Middle Eastern stores, the wooden or plastic one, but by using a special Maamoul clip, a small brass clip with pinked edges, called Malqat, it’s much more fun to see your own decorative patterns on the surface of each cookie.

To make Maamoul you have to manage your time and starts a day before to prepare the dough. The dough must be set a whole day to let the semolina flour time to absorb the butter, which in turn results in a very elastic and soft dough.

You can also make the filling a day a head. Some of the traditional filling is date paste, nuts like pistachio nut filling and pecan filling.

Semolina Maamoul Cookies

• 1 kilo course semolina flour (it’s sometimes called Farina)
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon mastic gum
• 1/3 teaspoon mahleb
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups melted butter
• 1/4 cup rose water
• 1/4 cup orange blossom water
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• About 1 cup warm milk

To Prepare The dough:
In a bowl, combine the semolina, all purpose flour. In the coffee grinder, grind the mastic with sugar until powder, then grind the mahleb, add to the semolina and flour.
Mix all together, add the nutmeg and melted butter. Working with your hands, mix the dough until the the semolina flour absorbs all the butter. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest overnight, at least 24 hours.

The day of baking the cookies:
Add the rose and orange water to the dough. Disolve the yeast with 1 cup of the warm milk, sprinkle over the dough. Work the dough with your fingers until it is smooth.
Add more liquid if need it.
Divide the dough into walnut size balls, place it in the palm of your hand and flatten it with the other palm. Make the filling balls half the size of the dough balls. Place the filling ball in the centre and gather the dough around it. Using the traditional clip, pinch the edges. Make decorative patterns all over the surface by lightly pinching the dough with the clip. Avoid puncturing the dough, or the filling will ooze out during baking. Using the Maamoul mold is more easy and quick.
Preheat the oven to 400 f. Place the pastries on baking sheet and bake until are pale blonde, 10 – 15 minutes. Transfer the pastries to racks to cool.

Serving:
Before serving, dust the cookies liberally with powdered sugar by tapping it through a fine mesh sieve.

Storing:
The cookies once cooled can be stored in rigid airtight containers in the freezer for 3 month, thaw and serve at room temperature. The cookies also can keep at room temp for more than 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Date Filling:

• 2 pound Medjoul date, pitted
• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

To Make the Date Filling:
Combine the dates, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg, you can use the food processor and pulse until it forms a smooth, thick paste.

If you are making nut filling:

Pistachio filling:

• 3/4 cup shelled unsalted and roasted pistachio
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon soft butter
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water

Pick over the nuts and remove the shell. Place in a food processor and pulse until they form course crumbs. Add the sugar, melted butter, and orange blossom water, and pulse to form a thick paste.

معمول السميد

١ كيلو سميد خشن
٢ كوب زبده
١/٢ ك طحين
١/٣ م ص مستكه
١/٣ م ص محلب
١/٢ م ص جوز الطيب
١/٤ ك سكر
١/٤ ك ماء زهر
١/٤ ك ماء ورد
١ م ص خميره
١ ك حليب سائل دافي

لكل كيلو سميد له ٢ ك من الزبده او السمنه
وهنا لك حرية الاختيار بين السميد اما يكون سميد خشن لوحده
اوممكن اضافة سميد ناعم بمقدار ٢خشن و١ ناعم
بالنسبه للسمنه ايضا لك الاختيار
احيانا اعمله بسمنه لوحدها وهون استخدم الكريسكو او الغزال او بالزبده لوحدها
نطحن المستكه في مطحنة القهوه مع السكر ونضيفه للسميد
وايضا المحلب نطحنه ونضيفه وايضا الجوز الطيب
كل هذه المقادير يتم عملها وخلطها قبل بيوم على الاقل من عملك للمعمول لانها سوف تنتقع حتى تطرى حبة السميد وتتشرب الدهن

انا من ناحيتي بتركه حسب الفضاوه ممكن يوم او ٢

طريقة الخلط بعد وضع المكونات الاولى للنقع يبس السميد باطرف الاصابع ولا يعجن كطريقة العجين للفطائر حتى لا تتكسر حبات السميد
ملاحظه اذا لاحظت ان السميد تجمد اثناء النقع فلا تقلقي فقط حركيه بملعقه كبيره بخفه بين الحين والاخر

في اليوم التالي
نضيف ١/٤ ك ماء زهر
١/٤ك ماء الورد
ونبسه مره اخرى ونتركه عدة ساعات

نضيف ملعقه صغيره تذوب مع الحليب الدافئ المستخدم للبس النهائي
ويرش على السميد رشات رشات مع استمرار العجن
انا ياخد معي من ١/٢ ك الى ٣/٤ ك ولا تنسي اننا اضفنا ١/٢ ك من الماء زهر والورد
هنا نكون انتهينا من تحضير عجينة السميد

الحشوا ت
التمر :
كيلو تمر منزوع النواه
١/٢ م ص جوز الطيب
١ م ص قرفه
١/٤ كوب زبده لينه
نعجن التمر او نضعه بالخلاط مع باقي المقادير

حشوة الفستق الحلبي:
٣/٤ كوب فستق محمص نيئ
٢ م ك سكر
٢ م ك زبده
١ م ك ماء زهر

فستق حلبي نطحنه جيدا ثم نضيف عليه باقي المقادير ونطحنه مره اخرى حتى نحصل على قوام سميك

حشوة الجوز: جوز نطحنه ناعم قليلا ونضيف قرفه وقطر ويحرك

طريقة الحشي

ناخذ قطعه من السميد مناسبه لحجم القالب المستعمل للطبع ونبسها براحة اليد ونفرده وقطعة من التمر اصغر من عجينة السميد ونكورها ونضعها داخل عجينة السميد ونطبقها ونلفها على شكل كره نضعها بالقالب ونطبعها

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.

Anise-Scented Fig and Date Swirls

Tags

anise, Anise cookies, cookie dough, cookies, cream cheese, dried dates, Dried fig, Fruit cookis, Spice cookies, swirl cookies, turbinado sugar

Soft, delectable, sweet cookies touched by the sweet flavor of anise wraped wonderfully of healthful filling of fig and date.

If you want a rating for these cookies, I’ll give 10/10. Yes, can’t believe how delicious these cookies are, all together from the filling to the dough layers.

Another successful recipe from The Gourmet Cookie Book. I made before Biscotti di Regina.

When my son’s 3rd grade class was planning to make bake sale week to collect money for the zoo trip. They were divided into two groups; one to design and sell cards of some zoo animals, and the other making cookies and goods for the bake sale. My son was so excited to be with the bake sale group so he will join me to make some cookies. I searched for a good and healthy cookie recipe to make for the kids, when I found it, I knew this is the one.

You can’t go wrong with the date and fig when it comes to nutrition, which are within the most food rich in fibers and nutrients. To make the filling, it’s better to use a food processor to purée the figs and dates and don’t forget to trim the stems from the figs before pureeing.

The cookie dough is so rich, I used cream cheese to give more extra flavors and yield to soft crunch that will melt in your mouth. The anise will add a pleasant sweet taste to the dough, and usually the taste complement better with fig and date. When making the dough, if it becomes too soft while rolling, chill it in the fridge until it is firm. This also will make it easy when you spread the filling, also make sure to Leave 1/4 inch border when spreading the filling.

Another good advantage, before baking and slicing, you could keep the logs chilled up to a week in the fridge, or freeze for a month, if you see that the amount of the cookies is too much. After baking ke ep the cookies in airtight container to keep up soft and fresh up to a week.

Anise-Scented Fig and Date Swirls

1 cup packed soft dried figs stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 cup packed pitted dates  trimmed and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons anise seeds, ground in an electric coffee/spice grinder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup granulated raw sugar such as turbinado or Demerara

Purée figs and dates with milk and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until almost smooth.

Whisk together flour, anise, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter, cream cheese, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderate speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and yolk until combined well. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined.

Halve dough and form each half into a rectangle. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.

Roll out 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 9 by 7 inch rectangle, about 1/3 inch thick. Remove top sheet of wax paper and drop half of fig mixture by spoonfuls onto dough, then gently spread in an even layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Starting with a long side and using wax paper as an aid, roll up dough jelly-roll style into a log. Roll log in raw sugar to coat completely. Make another log in same manner. Chill logs, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut logs crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and arrange slices about 2 inches apart on lightly buttered baking sheets. Bake in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, 15 to 17 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool.