Kelechi Arabic dessert:

Also called Kleicha, is a traditional Iraqi cookie, stuffed with dates, walnuts, and honey/sugar. Culturally, these are served with Arabic coffee or hot tea. It is also considered as the national pastry of Iraq and Saudi and is popularly known as date pastry or Kleichat tamur.

Kleicha word is derived from the Greek word “kolo” meaning Round, and from the word “kuklus”, meaning Wheel.

In the past, these cookies were baked on wood fire in a communal oven. Now-a-days, these are baked using the traditional oven, called tandoor.

The Arabic prepare this dessert for two main occasions and important religious holidays which are Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.

Ingredients include:

For dough

v  3 cups flour

v  1 cup warm milk

v  1 cup melted butter

v  ½ tsp. salt

v  1 tsp ground mahlab

v  2 tsp yeast

v  1 tsp sugar

v  2 tsp black nigella seeds

For filling

v  2 cups dried dates

v  1 tsp fennel seeds

v  1 tsp powdered cardamom

v  1 tbsp ghee

v  ¼ cup sesame seeds

v  1 beaten egg, for brushing

The detailed recipe is given below as:

1.     Heat the ghee in a saucepan, add the fennel seeds, cardamom, and the dates. Stir often until the dates soften. Date paste is ready.

2.     Add the sesame seeds and stir to incorporate(optional). Set aside to cool enough to handle.

3.     For the preparation of the dough, mix the flour, mahlab, salt, and nigella seeds.

4.     Whisk yeast and sugar in half a cup of the warm milk, set aside for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.

5.     Pour the yeast mixture, remaining warm milk, and the melted butter over the flour mixture. Knead well for 5 minutes. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes.

6.     Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.

7.     Place the date paste between two large parchment sheets or clean plastic sheets and roll out to about the same dimensions of your rectangular rolled dough.

8.     Remove the top sheet from the rolled date paste, then invert over the dough. Peel off the other sheet.

9.     Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, then roll each half from the middle long side into two long rods.

10.  Flatten each rod slightly, brush the surface with egg wash, then cut the rods into 1/2-inch pieces.

11.  Place, seam-side down on a baking sheet.

12.  Bake in a preheated 360 F oven for 15 minutes, then broil to a golden brown for a minute or two.

13.  Serve with a hot cup of tea.