Lebanese Oatmeal Cookies Recipes

THE BEST OATMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the eggs, raisins, and vanilla. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and stir until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Next, stir in the egg and raisin mixture, then stir in the rolled oats and pecans. Dough will be stiff. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an unprepared cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

MA'AMOUL (LEBANESE DATE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix semolina flour, all-purpose flour, mahlab, and salt together in a large bowl. Work clarified butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until thoroughly incorporated. Cover bowl and let dough rest at room temperature, 8 hours to overnight.
• Pour milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until just warm, about 15 seconds. Stir in sugar and yeast until dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Pour yeast mixture and orange blossom water over the dough and mix until evenly moistened. Pinch off a piece of dough and roll into a ball; it should hold its shape without cracking. Add more milk or orange blossom water if needed. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Sprinkle some flour over the ma'amoul molds and tap out the excess. Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll into a ball. Press your thumb into the ball to create space for the filling. Work the edges with your fingers so the sides are even and fairly thin. Drop in a piece of date paste and pinch dough over it to seal.
• Place cookie into the mold cavity seam-side up. Press down so that the top is flush with edges of the mold. Trim off any excess dough. Invert the mold and tap it against your work surface to release the cookie. Repeat with remaining dough and date paste, arranging cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven, 1 baking sheet at a time, until edges and bottoms are golden but tops are still mostly pale, about 15 minutes.
• Sift powdered sugar over the cookies while still slightly warm. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

LACY OATMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cover baking sheets with foil, then coat the foil with a non-stick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour and oat mixture until just combined. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges turn golden. Cool, then peel cookies off with your fingers. Be sure to re-spray baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray between batches.

EASY OATMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Soak raisins in hot water and set aside.
• In large bowl, sift flour with soda, salt and spices. Blend in rolled oats, sugar and nuts. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with fork and add oil, vanilla, and raisins and water mixture. Pour into dry ingredients, stirring until well mixed. Drop by teaspoonfuls about two inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 10 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden.

LEBANESE OATMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
• Mix all the ingredients (hands work best) except water until dough is combined and crumbly.
• Add water and vanilla and knead until smooth.
• Roll dough into walnut size balls and place on cookie sheets about 2" apart.
• Flatten with a fork.
• Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Transfer to wire racks to cool.

GHORAYBEH (LEBANESE SHORTBREAD COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix butter, sugar, flour and baking powder and arak together.
• Work into a dough.
• Take a generous tablespoon of the dough and make it into a ball.
• Press down into a circle.
• Place on cookie sheet, and press your finger into the center of the dough to form a ring shape.
• Continue with the rest of the dough.
• (Traditionally, the dough is formed into short snakes, and formed into circles, and a shelled pistachio is placed at the join).
• Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes (do not brown the cookies--they're supposed to be white).
• Stores at room temperature for up to a week.

LEBANESE WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, and heat oven to 375°F.
• Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
• Add orange water and sifted flour, and stir until the mixture forms a thick dough.
• Set aside.
• To prepare the filling, combine the nuts, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Form 1 inch balls with the dough, and press the center to form a dent for the filling.
• Fill each cookie with about a teaspoon of the filling, and place the cookies on the parchment.
• Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden.
• Cool on wire racks.

LEBANESE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In mixing bowl, beat cooking oil and butter until blended; beat in sugar.
• Add orange juice, baking powder and baking soda, mix well.
• Gradually add flour to make a soft dough.
• With clean hands, shape dough into 2-inch ovals. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.
• Cool about 2 minutes and remove to a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the 3/4 cup sugar, honey and 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil. Gently boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Dip the COOLED cookies into the warm syrup.
• Sprinkle immediately with the finely chopped walnuts.
• Return to wire rack to set.