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A tray of warm and fragrant kahk fresh from the oven ready to devour.

Why you need more Kahk cookies in your life

Kahk is a fragrant and light cookie stuffed with nuts or dates that has been around since Pharaonic times to celebrate important occasions.
Servings 12 large cookies
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

  • 500g (4 cups) Flour
  • 300g (1.5 cups) Melted butter
  • 1.5 tbsp Icing sugar
  • 16g (2 heaping tbsp) Dry active yeast
  • 100g (6 tbsp) Lukewarm water
  • 1 tsp Kahk extract
  • 1 tsp Mahlab *if no kahk extract, use 2tsp mahlab

Walnut stuffing

  • 40g (1/4 cup) Chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 3 tsp Icing sugar
  • 1 tbsp Rose water

Pistachio stuffing

  • 40g (1/4 cup) Chopped pistachios
  • 3 tsp Honey
  • 1 tbsp Orange blossom water

Date filling

  • 250g (1.5 cups) Dates (pitted and chopped yourself or bought already prepared)
  • 25g (1/8 cup) Butter
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon

Instructions

Walnut and Pistachio filling

  • Add all ingredients to a chopper or food processor and set aside.
    Bowl of rose water and crushed walnut filling for Kahk.
  • The longer the nuts sit in its mixture with the fragrant water, the more flavourful the kahk will be.
    Bowl of orange blossom water and chopped pistachios filling for Kahk.

Date filling

  • Using a pan on medium heat, add butter.
  • When melted, add the dates and cinnamon.
  • Continue stirring until all the butter has been absorbed.
  • If the date mixture still seems very dry, add a bit more butter.
    Bowl of chopped dates mixed with butter and cinnamon to fill a Kahk.

Dough

  •  In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and butter.
  • Mix together until the batter is lumpy and all the flour has been used.
  • If you have bought unground mahlab seeds, you can grind them easily with a mortar and pestle
  • Mix together the kahk and mahlab and sugar. (or just the sugar and mahlab).
  • In a small container, add the lukewarm water. Make sure there is enough room (at least half) for the yeast mixture to rise.
  • Add the kahk mixture and yeast to the water.
  •  Keep the mixture loosely covered and at room temperature for at least ten minutes.
  • When the mixture has at least doubled in size, (about 15 mins) add to the flour mixture.
  • Mix using hands until all the ingredients have been worked in and it is a ball of dough.
  • Set oven to 190C (375F)

Filling the kahk

  • Grab a handful of dough and shape into a ball. Don't worry so much about the size, but more about the consistency. Each ball should be roughly the same size.
  • If you are using a mould like this, then press the dough into it, making a little dip in the middle to put the filling.
    Spreading the kahk dough into the mold ahead of filling it.
  • If you are not using a mould, use your thumb to create a little dip in the dough to add the filling.
  • Add about a teaspoon of any filling of your choice.
    Fill the kahk with the filling of your choice.
  • Pinch the side pieces of side together to cover up the filling.
    After stuffing the kahk dough, the ends are carefully folded over to seal it.
  • Lay on a non-greased baking sheet. Or you can use parchment paper.
    Final result after stuffing the kahk dough in the mould.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until golden in colour.
  • Take out and set aside to cool before dusting with icing sugar.

Notes

If you want to make your own kahk mix, it is equal parts of: Fennel seeds, Anise seeds and Mahlab. 
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