Iraqi cookies

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 500 g flour
• 300 g butter, soft
• 1 egg white
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp water
• 200 g walnuts, chopped
• 100 g sugar
• some cinnamon or cardamom
• 200 g dates
• 10 g butter
• 50 g walnuts, chopped
• 1 egg yolk for brushing the cookies

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 1 day 6 hours; Total time approx. 1 day 7 hours

Külce, filled cookies

For the dough, sift the flour with salt and baking powder, add the softened butter, egg whites, and water. Knead the dough by hand or with a dough hook, then let it rest for 30 minutes. For the nut filling, chop the walnuts and mix them with sugar and cinnamon or flour. For the date filling, pit the dates and warm them slightly in a pan with butter, then add the chopped walnuts. Roll out half of the dough thinly with a rolling pin. Spread the date mixture evenly over the dough with a spoon. Roll the dough like a Swiss roll and cut each slice into 2-centimeter slices with a knife. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Roll out the other half of the dough thinly with a rolling pin and then cut out circles with a glass. Fill with the nut mixture and fold over to form a crescent, pressing the edges together. Place the filled cookies on the baking sheet and brush each with egg yolk. If you like, you can sprinkle some sesame seeds on the cookies. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes.