B’ebe be Tamer (Date-filled Cookies)

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March 21, 2024

Penny De Los Santos

Ilana Isaac’s mother, Marcel, never wrote down her recipes. Her granddaughter Ayelet Izraeli, who is Ilana’s niece, was the one to ensure they were documented. “She had the recipes in her head and I had to fish them out,” Ayelet says. She and her sister Dana are trying to keep the tradition of the family’s Purim party alive.

When Ilana’s family lived in Baghdad, relatives would gather in the weeks leading up to Purim to bake these date-filled cookies, along with cheese sambusak and coconut cookies for their annual Purim party. Today Ilana is passing along the baking tradition to her grandchildren in Israel, adding hamantaschen, which she calls by their Hebrew name, oznei Haman, to the menu.

The rich, buttery dough is slightly soft, so shaping the cookies might be a bit of a challenge at first. Once you’ve filled and shaped a few, however, you’ll get the hang of it.

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Ingredients

For the Dough

1tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon (10g) active dry yeast (1 ½ packets)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150ml) lukewarm water
1tablespoon sugar
2 ½ cups (325 g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
3 ½ ounces (7 tablespoons/100 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled but still pourable
¼ cup (60ml) canola oil

For the Cookies

1cup (300 g) unsweetened date paste
2tablespoons unsalted butter
Flour, for dusting the work surface
1large egg, beaten, for egg wash
About ½ cup (70 g) sesame seeds for sprinkling

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Preparation

For the Dough

Step 1
Put the yeast, water, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix until combined. (If your dough hook doesn’t reach the bottom of your bowl, use the paddle attachment).
Step 2
Add the flour and salt and mix on medium-low speed to incorporate them. With the mixer running, slowly add the butter and then the oil, mixing until the dough starts to come together. Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead until you have a smooth, soft dough, about 12 minutes. The dough will be quite oily.
Step 3
Transfer the dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until the dough has almost doubled in size, 1 to 1 ¼ hours.
Step 4
Transfer the risen dough to a clean work surface and lightly knead it for a few strokes, then continue with your chosen recipe. (Alternatively, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let the dough come to cool room temperature before you continue with your recipe).

For the Cookies

Step 1
Place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2
Put the date paste and butter in a medium bowl and microwave on low power until the paste has softened slightly and the butter has melted, or heat gently in a small saucepan over low heat.
Step 3
Remove from the microwave or stovetop and mix until the filling is evenly combined and easy to work with.
Step 4
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Cover 3 of the pieces with plastic wrap. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the remaining piece of dough into a rough round that is ⅙ inch (4 mm) thick, lifting the dough from the work surface after every few strokes of the rolling pin so that it doesn’t stick. Using a 3-inch (7.5 cm) round cookie cutter or glass, stamp out 9 rounds from the dough.
Step 5
Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of the date mixture in the center of each round. Gather the edges of the dough over the center and pinch closed, making a small parcel. Flip the parcel so the seam is down and gently flatten it into a disk with the palm of your hand. Place on one of the prepared baking sheets, seam side down, and repeat with the remaining rounds. Then repeat with the remaining dough and filling, putting the second half of the pastries on the second baking sheet.
Step 6
Lightly brush the cookies with the beaten egg and sprinkle them with the sesame seeds. Using the handle of a wooden spoon dipped in the egg wash, gently press 3 holes into each cookie, pushing the handle of the spoon all the way down to the baking sheet. This is decorative and also prevents air pockets from forming and making the cookies puff.
Step 7
Bake the cookies, rotating the pans halfway through, until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before serving.