The holy month of Ramadan has almost come to an end, meaning the joyous occasion of Eid-ul Fitr is just around the corner.
To celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, many families will come together to socialise and eat good food.
Eid cookies are sweet biscuits which are enjoyed in most Muslim households celebrating the end of Ramadan, though particularly in Egypt and Sudan.
Also known as kahk, the sugar-covered festive treats are thought to date back to Egypt’s pharaonic era.
In some parts of the world, baking Eid cookies is a long-standing tradition, one where women get together to bake, chat and swap stories and recipes.
A lot of families take pride in the patterns stamped on their kahk, for many kahk moulds have been passed down from generation to generation.
How to make Eid cookies
Ingredients
3 cups flour
A dash of salt - approximately 1/8 teaspoon
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional but highly recommended)
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
1 cup ghee, room temperature and not melted
1/3 cup warm water
For the pistachios and honey filling
1 tablespoon ghee or butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup pistachios coarsely ground
For garnishing
Method
In your mixing bowl, add flour, salt, sugar, yeast, cinnamon and sesame seeds.
Add unmelted ghee - at room temperature - and mix until completely incorporated.
Add water and continue mixing until you get a nice consistent dough.
Cover and let it rest for an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a small pot over medium heat add ghee or butter then add the flour and mix until the flour turns golden brown.
Remove from heat, add sesame and honey, mixing well, then return the mixture to a low heat until it thickens.
Remove from heat, add pistachios and mix well. Let it cool down for 10 minutes then form it into 20 small balls.
After an hour has passed, divide the dough equally into 20 balls of 40g each approximately.
Place dough balls in a plate and cover with plastic wrapping.
Now start filling and shaping the kahk.
Take one of the balls of dough, put one portion of the pistachio filling in the centre, and close the dough to form a ball around it.
Press lightly into a Mamoul tool or make an engraving using a fork.
Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, bake in a 350ºF oven for 20-25 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown.
Let the cookies cool down on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.
When ready to enjoy, sprinkle top with powdered sugar.
With thanks to Amira's Pantry for the recipe and video.
