Even though these delicate, little, crumbly biscuits are Egyptian in origin, the Arabic-speaking world as a whole adores kahk and its variants. They are notably presented during the Eid festivities of Coptic Easter and Christmas, as well as Eid-Al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan, under the name "Eid cookies." With kahk moulds being passed down through the family from generation to generation, the designs stamped on kahk would also have particular meanings and tales linked with them.
Ingredients
Samna
1. 1/2 - 1 kg ( 18 - 36 oz) of high-quality butter
Kahk Seasoning:
1. 1 Tbsp Mahlab Powder
2. 1/2 Tsp ground Cardamom
3. 1/2 Tsp ground Clove
4. 1/2 Tsp ground Cinnamon
5. 1/2 Tsp ground Nutmeg
6. 1/2 Tsp ground Chinese Tailed Pepper
Dough
1. 500g flour
2. 300g samna
3. 50g Powdered (icing) Sugar
4. 1tsp Baking Powder Pinch Salt
5. 1/2 Tbsp Kahk Seasoning
6. 40g Ghee
7. 1.5 Tbsp Sesame
Honey Walnut filling
1. 40g Ghee
2. 20g Flour
3. 180g Honey
4. 1 Tbsp Sesame
5. 100g Walnuts
Date filling
1. 120g Pitted Dates
2. 15g Butter
3. 1 Tbsp water
4. 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
Pecan Filling
1. 10g Soft Brown Sugar
2. 2 Tbsp Water 250g Pecans
Method
1. Put a small saucepan on medium heat and add of ghee. When melted, stir in of flour. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
2. Stir in honey before bringing it to a boil.
3. Add toasted sesame seeds and finely chopped walnuts to the boiled honey.
4. After thoroughly combining, cool in the refrigerator.
5. Butter should be melted in a saucepan. Pit and chop a few dates.
6. Cook the dates till they make a soft paste after adding 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
7. Soft brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of water should be added to a saucepan and heated until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is boiling.
8. Pecans should be finely chopped and combined with caramel. To cool, spread the mixture out on greaseproof paper.
9. Mix well 500g of flour, Kahk spice, baking powder, a dash of salt, and toasted sesame in a bowl.
10. Powdered sugar and cold ghee should be whisked together until they create a frothy mixture.
11. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. When you can roll it into a ball and it resists breaking when you press on it, it is prepared for use.
12. To make individual balls, portion up the dough into 20g cookies and roll in your hands.
13. Scoop your filling (apart from the pecan one) into balls.
14. Put a ball of dough in your hand and form an indentation, flattening it in the centre, to stuff your cookies, then roll it into a smooth ball.
15. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius when you are ready to bake, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
16. On the tray, distribute your cookies evenly. Bake until the bottom has browned; the top shouldn't colour significantly during this time.
17. When cookies are done, take it out of the oven and let it cool before transferring it to a wire rack.
18. Place on a work surface once it has cooled, then liberally sprinkle with powdered (icing) sugar.
19. And the most delicious cookie is ready to be served. Enjoy!