Similar to a semolina maamoul, the dough needs to rest overnight for optimal results. This is crucial, and not just a recommendation. The dough will be sticky and unworkable on the the day of. By the time an overnight or 24-hour rest is up, it will become perfectly pliable and easy to work with. The fragrant dough can be baked as is for plain kaak. However the added date stuffing make it sublime. A specialized kaak mould is traditional for shaping and aesthetics, however do not deprive yourself of this kaak until you do get a mold; just shape them like plain flat cookies instead.
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1 kg flour
200g butter, soft
1 cup milk powder
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp b. powder
1 tsp b. soda
1 Tbsp kaak spice
1 Tbsp mastica paste, optional
1 kg date paste
Method:
In a small pot, heat the water and the sugar just until the sugar is dissolved (no need to boil). Add the milk and set aside to cool until tepid. Dissolve the mastic paste in it, if using.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, milk powder, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, and kaak spice until evenly distributed. Add the softened butter and using your hands, rub the butter into the flour until evenly distributed and looks like sand. When the sugared milk has cool enough to handle by hand, pour it all in over the flour and knead using your hands. The dough will be very sticky, but this is normal do not worry. Cover the dough and let rest for 24 hours on the countertop. Now you will notice the dough is perfect to handle and no longer so sticky.
Form walnut-sized balls from the date paste and set altogether on a plate.
Take a ping pong sized ball of dough, and wrap it around the date ball. Flatten with your hands then press into a kaak mold to make a large designed cookie.
Bake on the top shelf of a 400F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes (if you bake on the middle or bottom shelf, the bottom might burn.
صحة و عافية
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