Dates & Nuts Eggless Cookies

Ingredients:

FOR STUFFING:
1 cup packed chopped dates
⅓ cup almonds, chopped finely
⅓ cup pistachios, chopped finely
1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
½ tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp cardamom powder

FOR OUTER DOUGH:
3 cups fine semolina/sooji (zero number)
1 cup melted unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
12 tbsp water + 1 tbsp rose water

FOR GLAZE:
½ cup honey
2 tbsp water

Method:

For Dough:

In a large bowl, combine semolina, salt, and butter. Rub butter with semolina till it’s well combined.

Add water little by little till a homogeneous mixture is formed. Knead it a few times. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate till the stuffing is ready.

For Stuffing:

Blend dates along with cinnamon powder and cardamom powder till it’s a smooth paste.

Remove the paste from the blender and transfer to a bowl. Add the nuts to it and knead well till it’s all combined and forms a ball.

For Cookies:

Divide dough and date ball in 4 equal portions.

Take one portion of the dough and date balls. Make long log shapes of equal size of both balls.

Spread the dough gently with fingers and make a hollow space. Place the date log inside the hollow. Seal the dough over the date roll thoroughly. Roll the dough till the seal is well closed.

Keeping the seal side facing down, pat the dough lightly to flatten it a bit.

With a sharp knife, cut the dough log in equal sized square (or diamond) shapes.

Place the cookies on a baking tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes to slightly firm them.

With help of pincers/flat forceps, make a pattern/design as per your choice or make simple lines.

Cover the cookies with a clean kitchen napkin and refrigerate again till the oven is preheated.

Preheat the oven to 375 deg F (approximately 180 deg C).

Bake the cookies for 35-40 minutes flipping them halfway through baking.

Meanwhile, heat honey with 2 tbsp of water till it’s just simmering. Switch off gas.

Once cookies are baked, dip them in the warm honey to glaze them.

Set them on a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

Store in an airtight container/Ziploc.