Date ka'ak

Name: Date ka'ak
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 3 cups flour; 1/2 cup Oil and ghee; 1/3 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon Yeast, anise, and mahlab; 1/2 cup warm milk; 400 grams Ajwa dates; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Soft, date-filled cinnamon-flavored cookie rings — the family cookie that never runs out of a box.

Vegetarian

Cooking time: 2 hr 25 min
Hands-on time: 55 min
Free time: 1 hr
Difficulty: Medium
Cuisine: Levantine
Calories: 520
Contains: Nuts, Gluten, Dairy

Between luxurious maamoul and ordinary biscuits stand the rings of date cakes: a soft dough with aniseed aroma wrapped around a date thread, made in bulk and stored in boxes that always empty faster than expected.

Before you start

Before you beginRead the steps completely, measure the ingredients, and prepare the tools before turning on the fire or oven.
Heat and restingPrepare the ingredients precisely and allow the dessert time to cool or set before cutting.

Ingredients

12people

Amounts follow the number of people

For the dough

3 cups flour — Sifted, then spooned lightly into the cup
1/2 cup Oil and ghee — Half and half
1/3 cup sugar — fine white
1 teaspoon Yeast, anise, and mahlab — Instant, and within its use-by date
1/2 cup warm milk — approximately

For the filling

400 grams Ajwa dates — Measured and prepared before starting
2 tablespoons butter — At room temperature
1 teaspoon cinnamon — Freshly ground for the best flavor

When doubling the quantity, use two molds of the same size instead of one deep mold, and maintain an even thickness for cooking.

Equipment

Kneading bowl — A soft dough that rests in it for half an hour.
Baking tray — At 180°, for the rings or the diagonal cuts.

Method

Rub the flour with the oil and ghee until the grains absorb it, then add the anise and mahlab.
10 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The mixture holds together for a moment when held, then crumbles, and has a fragrant smell.
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water and leave it until it foams.
10 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
A layer of foam formed on the surface — if it doesn't foam, the yeast is dead.
Tip: Testing the yeast before kneading saves you a whole batch of dough.
Pour the yeast mixture onto the flour and knead until you get a soft, non-sticky dough.
10 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
It pulls away from the wall of the bowl and leaves the hand almost clean.
Cover the dough and leave it to rise in a warm place.
1 hrYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
It doubles in size, and if you stick your finger in it, the mark remains and does not bounce back.
Soften the date paste with a little oil and divide it into small, equal balls.
10 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The balls are soft, uniform, and do not crack.
Tip: Hard dates tear the dough when shaping it.
Take a ball of dough, hollow it out, place a ball of dates inside, close it, then flatten it into a disc.
25 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Equal, tightly sealed discs so that the dates do not show from the edges.
Arrange them in the tray and bake at 180° until the base is browned.
20 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
The base is golden, the top is pale, and each piece has risen slightly off the tray.
Tip: Watch the bottom, not the top — that is what tells you they are done.