Kleicha (Iraqi Date Cookies)
75 min · 11 steps
Hard: over 60 min or 12+ steps
About this dish
Kleicha are Iraq's national biscuit, a cardamom-scented yeasted dough wrapped tightly around a sticky date paste and stamped with a simple fork pattern before baking. Nigella seeds in the dough are the detail that tells you it is kleicha rather than any other stuffed pastry.
Allergy Info
Dairy, Gluten, Eggs
Diet Info
Vegetarian
Ingredients
Fresh Produce
- Medjool datespitted and mashed to a paste300 g
Dairy & Eggs
- Milkwarmed120 ml
- Unsalted buttermelted, for the dough100 g
- Unsalted buttermelted, for the filling30 g
- Eggsbeaten, for egg wash1
Dried Goods
- Fast-action dried yeast1 tsp
- Plain flour400 g
- Caster sugar50 g
Spices & Seasonings
- Ground Cardamomfor the dough1 tsp
- Nigella seeds1 tsp
- Fine sea salt1 pinch
- Ground Cardamomfor the filling0.5 tsp
Utensils
- Mixing bowl
- Baking tray
- Pastry brush
Method
Warm the milk until lukewarm, stir in the yeast and a pinch of the sugar, and leave to stand for 5 minutes, until frothy.
Whisk the flour, remaining sugar, the dough cardamom, nigella seeds and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Pour in the frothy yeast mixture and the melted dough butter and bring together into a soft dough, kneading for 5 minutes until smooth.
Cover the dough and leave to rise at room temperature for 1 hour, until roughly doubled in size.
Make the filling: mash the dates, the filling butter and the filling cardamom together into a smooth, thick paste.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Divide the risen dough into 16 pieces, flatten each into a disc, and place a spoonful of the date filling in the centre.
Gather the edges of each disc up and over the filling to seal, then turn seam-side down and gently press to flatten slightly.
Arrange the filled cookies on a baking tray, brush the tops with the beaten egg, and press a simple pattern into the surface with the tines of a fork.
Bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown.
Leave to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before serving.