Middle Eastern Butter Cookies Recipes

LEBANESE EASTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in sugar and water; continue stirring to dissolve sugar. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Measure flours into a large bowl. Add melted butter, yeast, spices, and sesame seeds; stir slowly for about 10 minutes to thoroughly blend ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave dough in bowl to rest for 1 hour.
• Prepare 3 baking sheets with cooking spray or parchment paper. In a small bowl, pour the rose water and orange flower water. Pour the warm water in to a second small bowl. Working on a floured board, pull off about 1 cup of dough. Dip your fingers first in the warm water and knead the dough a few minutes; then dip the dough in the flower water and knead it again until the dough is soft and pliable.
• Use the palm of your hand to roll the ball of dough into a rope 12 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Cut the rope in half and make a wreath-shaped cookie with each one, pinching the ends together. Place on a baking sheet. When you have filled a baking sheet, cover the cookies with a clean towel and refrigerate overnight to rest the dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove baking sheets from the refrigerator to warm up while the oven preheats. Bake cookies in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

GHRAYBEH (BUTTER COOKIES) MIDDLE EAST, PALESTINE

Steps:

• Beat butter, sugar, and orange blossom water thoroughly with a mixer. Add flour gradually and mix well.
• Form small cookies into an S shape, with each cookie being about a couple inches in size, give or take.
• Press a blanched almond in the center of each S cookie. Place on cookie sheets and bake at 300 degrees in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Avoid browning.

DANISH BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the milk, vanilla extract, almond extract and egg.
• Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour and salt until just combined. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 2-inch circles spaced 2 inches apart onto two ungreased baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake until the cookies are just set and the bottoms are slightly golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

BARAZIQ -- SESAME COOKIES (SYRIA -- MIDDLE EAST)

Steps:

• FOR THE COOKIES: In a mixing bowl, combine sugar & butter & stir together with a wooden spoon until completely blended.
• Add rest of the cookie ingredients & blend with your hands until there is a soft dough. (If too soft to work with immediately, refrigerate for 1 hour.).
• Divide dough into 18 pieces to make small baraziq.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F & line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Shape each ball of dough with your hands until you have a thin disk about 2 1/2 inches across, & place it on a large platter. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
• FOR THE GARNISH: Put the egg white in a saucer, the pistachio nuts in another saucer & the sesame seeds in a third saucer.
• Dip each of the shaped disks in the egg white, then in the pistachios ON ONE SIDE ONLY & then in the toasted sesame seeds on the other side, making sure you coat them well with the seeds.
• Arrange the coated disks, pistachio side down, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake 25-35 minutes or until cookies are golden brown, then let cool before serving. Keep uneaten cookies up to 2 weeks in a tightly sealed container.

BUTTER COOKIES III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter or margarine over low heat. Remove from heat and add 4 cups of flour and the sugar. Beat eggs in one at a time until it is all blended. Slowly add in the remaining 4 cups of flour.
• Roll out the dough on a floured area to a thickness of about an 1/4 of an inch. Cut cookies using cookie cutters and place the cut outs about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until brown on the edges.