Ingredients
Method
For the dough
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix the ghee and powdered sugar until it is light and fluffy
- In a separate bowl, lightly mix together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, and cardamom powder. Add this to the sugar and ghee mixture. Mix until well combined. Add the milk and continue mixing until a dough is formed.
- Use a cookie dough scooper to shape your cookies and place them on a dish lined with plastic wrap. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
For the agameya (honey filling)
- Chop your pistachios. Size them as rough or as fine as you like.
- In a small saucepan, toast sesame seeds over low heat until they just start to turn color. You are just trying to excite the oils enough to release a great flavor. Set aside after toasting in a separate bowl.
- In the same, now empty, saucepan, melt ghee over medium heat. Add honey and bring it to a boil.
- When the mixture is rolling, add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture is a nice golden color.
- Add the toasted sesame seeds and pistachios and mix until it is mixed evenly.
- Set this aside to cool. Once cooled, take about a teaspoon of mixture and roll into a ball with oiled hands. The mixture should be warm to the touch but not too hot to hold. If the mixture has hardened, heat it a little to loosen it up before balling them up. Do this for the rest of the mixture.
For the Agwa (date filling)
- Chop the dates finely.
- In a small saucepan, melt ghee over medium heat. Add the dates and cinnamon powder and stir.
- Continue heating until a paste is formed adding a teaspoon of water if needed.
- Remove from saucepan and set aside to let cool.
- Once cooled, do the same as for the honey filling. Roll into teaspoon sized balls for filling the cookies.
Shape and bake the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Once the dough has chilled and your fillings made and balled up, you can begin assembling the cookies.
- Start by making an indent in each dough ball and placing a ball of filling in. Wrap the dough around to encase the filling entirely.
- Finally, roll the cookie in your hands to round it out. Repeat for all your cookies.
- (optional) Make a design on top of the cookie using a cookie press or whatever contraption you might have.
- Place cookies on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes at 350℉ or until the tops are golden.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Dust with powdered sugar.
- When the honey filled cookies have cooled, the filling might be too hard. You can fix this by microwaving the cookie for about 10-15 seconds just to loosen it up. Don't break your grannies teeth!