Meaono Pohaku Stone Cookies Recipes

BIG ISLAND-STYLE STONE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly.
• Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and cream; mix well. Add baking soda and vanilla; mix well. Add flour; mix well.
• Dough may be crumbly. Form by hand into 2-inch balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten.
• Bake until very firm and brown, about 35 minutes. Check cookies frequently in the last few minutes to be sure they don't burn. As long as they feel at all soft in the middle, they need more baking time. Cool and store in airtight container.
• The writer of the food article had this note: They're done when they no longer give at all when pressed in the center. If they're the least bit soft, leave them in the oven. I actually took mine out a little too early - I was afraid they were getting too brown - and although they were hard, they weren't rock hard. I consider this a plus, but if you really want that tooth-breaking goodness, push the envelope and bake 'em 'til they're solid.

MEAONO POHAKU (STONE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with baking parchment or grease lightly.
• Combine flour and cream of tartar.
• Cream shortening with sugar and salt until fluffy. Add egg, milk, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour and mix until well blended. Pat dough into a large ball.
• Dust hands with flour. Pinch off golf-ball-size pieces of dough. Place on cookie sheet and flatten into slabs 3/8-inch thick. Brush with more milk if a glossy top is desired. Bake until brown and almost firm, about 25 minutes. Check to be sure cookies don't burn. Cookies will harden as they cool. Makes about 2 dozen.

MELOMAKARONA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves, baking soda, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Beat butter in a separate bowl until light and fluffy; add sugar and mix well. Beat egg yolks and orange juice together in another bowl. Stir egg mixture into the butter mixture; add flour mixture slowly, mixing after each addition. Add honey. Mix until a soft dough forms.
• Chill dough until firm enough to work with, about 30 minutes. Shape into small ovals and place a few inches apart on baking sheet sheets. Flatten slightly; cookies will spread.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat honey, water, and sugar together in a saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Let syrup cool. Mix walnuts, cinnamon, and cloves together in a bowl to make the topping.
• Dip cookies into the cooled syrup for 10 to 15 seconds per side. Sprinkle walnut topping over syrup and let dry completely. Store in muffin cups or between layers of parchment paper.

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.