Palestinian Kahk Sesame Cookies (Printable)

Buttery dough filled with sweet date paste, coated in sesame seeds for a delightful Middle Eastern treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1/4 cup milk, plus additional as needed
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Filling

08 - 1 cup pitted Medjool dates, chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

→ Coating

12 - 1/2 cup sesame seeds, untoasted

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Add vanilla extract to the creamed mixture, then gradually mix in flour, baking powder, and salt.
04 - Add milk one tablespoon at a time, kneading gently until a soft, pliable dough forms. Cover and set the dough aside.
05 - Combine chopped dates and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously until dates soften into a paste. Incorporate cinnamon and cardamom if using. Allow to cool.
06 - Divide dough into 24 equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disk in your palm.
07 - Place one teaspoon of date filling in the center of each dough disk. Fold dough over the filling, pinch to seal, then roll gently into a ball.
08 - Roll each ball in sesame seeds, pressing lightly to ensure adherence.
09 - Place cookies on the prepared sheet. Using a fork or mold, gently flatten each ball and create a decorative pattern if desired.
10 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden while the tops remain pale.
11 - Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before serving or storing.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • They taste like tradition but come together faster than you'd expect, with no fancy equipment required.
  • The balance of buttery dough and warm spiced dates hits differently with coffee or mint tea, especially when someone you care about is sitting across from you.
  • Making them becomes its own kind of meditation—there's something grounding about rolling dough in your hands and coating it in sesame seeds.
02 -
  • Don't overmix the dough once flour is added or you'll end up with tough cookies instead of tender ones—cream the butter and sugar thoroughly, then treat the flour gently.
  • The date filling needs to cool before you fill the dough or the heat will soften the dough too much and it becomes impossible to seal and shape cleanly.
  • Baking time depends on your oven's personality; every oven runs a bit differently, so the first batch might be a learning round—watch the bottoms, not the tops.
03 -
  • Your butter truly needs to be soft when you start—if it's too cold, your cookies won't be tender, but if it's too warm and greasy, they spread too much and lose their shape while baking.
  • The optional cardamom is where the magic lives; don't skip it thinking you'll make a simpler version—that small amount is what makes these taste like memory.
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