makes
50
prep
1 hour
cook
20 minutes
difficulty
Easy
makes
50
serves
preparation
1
hour
cooking
20
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
For the shortbread
- 900 g (2 lb/5 cups) self-raising (self-rising) flour
- 100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) almond meal (ground almonds)
- ½ tbsp mahlab (if you can source it)
- 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) milk
- 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) vegetable oil or neutral oil
- 200 g (7oz) butter, softened
For the date filling
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) pitted dates in a bag (from a Lebanese grocer)
- 2 tbsp rosewater
- 2 tbsp orange blossom water
- 2 tbsp ghee or butter
- Icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting
Resting time: about 1 hour.
Instructions
- Start by preparing the dough, as it requires an hour to rest. You will need a large mixing bowl, as you will need to mix and knead the dough by hand in the bowl.
- Sift the flour into the bowl, then add the ground almonds, mahlab, milk, oil and butter. Using clean hands, bring all the ingredients together to form a very soft dough. This shouldn’t take too long and does not require rigorous kneading, just ensure all the butter has been worked into the flour and other wet ingredients.
- Cover with a dish towel and leave to rest for 1 hour while you work on your filling. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F/gas 6).
- For the filling, place the dates in a colander and wash with warm water. Place the washed dates in a deep tray along with the rosewater, orange blossom water and ghee. Bake until the dates are soft, about 5-10 minutes, but be careful not to burn or overcook them. Once they have softened well, mash them using a fork to combine them and form a thick, textured paste. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Once the dates have cooled, have a small bowl of water handy, as your hands may get sticky from the mixture. Take a small handful of filling (about 30 g/1 oz) and shape it like a small finger, then place on a clean tray. Repeat with all the filling. By now your dough should have rested. Give it a final knead, and begin breaking off small amounts of dough (about 40g (1½ oz) and rolling to form a ball. Press the ball into the palm of your hand and place a portion of date filling in the middle, then roll to encase with the dough. The date filling should be visible at each end and the middle should be encased in dough. Place on a tray lined with baking parchment and repeat until you have no more filling and dough.
- Increase the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F/gas 7) and bake the shortbread for 10–15 minutes until golden. Leave to cool before handling, as they are very delicate, then dust generously with icing sugar before serving.
Note
You can store these, without the icing sugar, in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
This is an edited extract from by Karima Hazim Chatila and Sivine Tabbouch, (Hardie Grant Books, RRP $50). Photography by Luise Brimble.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.