Best Date Cookies Menena Recipes

DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Turn the mixer to low, add the egg and mix well to combine. Add the oats, flour and cinnamon and mix on low until combined. Fold in the dates and walnuts with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Scoop mounds of dough with a cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie) and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
• Bake on the middle rack until golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.

DATE COOKIES (MENENA)

Steps:

• Soak dates in cold water for 2 hours. Drain, pat dry on paper towels, then chop fine in food processor.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil.
• Cream butter or margarine in food processor or electric mixer or by hand until fluffly. Add sugar and mix until incorporated. Add flour gradually, then water and orange flower water. Mixture should be very soft but not sticky.
• Roll lumps of dough into little balls, hollowing out as you go to make room for the filling. Stuff each with a little of date mixture, less than teaspoon. Seal opening gently with fingers and shape into round, flattened dumpling 2 inches in diameter. Gently indent tops of each with tines of fork and arrange cookies on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow to cool, then dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Combine the water and dates; stir into the dough along with the chopped pecans. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

OATMEAL DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix until well combined, 1 minute. Add the egg and mix for another minute. Add the flour and oats and mix on low speed until combined. Finally, add the dates in two additions to make sure they're distributed evenly throughout. The dough will be very soft at this point.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk with your hands, then wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (and up to 2 days)-​chilled dough will be much easier to handle.
• Place two racks in the middle positions and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Divide the dough into 16 equal portions, about 1½ ounces (45 g) each. Working quickly so that the dough doesn't warm up, shape each portion into a ball with your hands. You can freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 2 weeks in a freezer bag to be baked from frozen at a later time. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart to prevent the cookies from touching as they spread when they bake. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheets and switch their positions in the oven, and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are brown and the middle is golden. Rotating and switching the sheets halfway through the baking process will ensure that the cookies bake evenly. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets. The cookies keep well for a couple of days stored in an airtight container.

CHEWY DATE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg; mix well. Combine the flours, lemon zest, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in dates., Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

EGYPTIAN EL MENENAS (ALMOND PASTE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Add sugar to the almond paste; mix well. Add 1 teaspoons orange flower water and cinnamon to taste (at least 1/2 tsp). Blend well into a smooth paste.
• In a bowl, combine melted butter with flour. Add the other teaspoons of orange flower water. Knead into a dough that holds together. Do not add any water unless absolutely necessary.
• Form balls about 1.5 - 2 inches round. Make a depression in the center of each ball with your thumb. Fill hole with almond paste.
• Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Sprinkle with grandulated sugar.
• VARIATION: A date filling can be substituted for the almond one. Chop 1/2 lb. pitted dates and combine into a paste with 4 T. soft butter.

ANISE-SCENTED FIG AND DATE SWIRLS

Steps:

• Purée figs and dates with water and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until almost smooth.
• Whisk together flour, anise, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter, cream cheese, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderate speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and yolk until combined well. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined.
• Halve dough and form each half into a rectangle. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 9- by 7-inch rectangle, about 1/3 inch thick. Remove top sheet of wax paper and drop half of fig mixture by spoonfuls onto dough, then gently spread in an even layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Starting with a long side and using wax paper as an aid, roll up dough jelly-roll style into a log. Roll log in raw sugar to coat completely. Make another log in same manner. Chill logs, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, at least 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut logs crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and arrange slices about 2 inches apart on lightly buttered baking sheets. Bake in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, 15 to 17 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool.

DATE SWIRL COOKIES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine filling ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes stiff, 15-20 minutes. Chill. , For dough, cream butter and sugars in a bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add extract. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to a 12x9-in. rectangle, about 1/4 in. thick. Spread with half of the filling. Roll up, starting with the long end. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Wrap in plastic; chill overnight. , Cut rolls into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.