To add a touch of Lebanese and Middle Eastern spirit to the holiday season, I’ve rounded our archives to compile a list of our festive cookies and bars, they’re guaranteed to rock your holidays.
Tamara Ghraybeh, Date Ghraybeh
Tamara (Date Filled Gyraybeh with Pistachios) are one of the most delicious cookies I have ever made. If you’re looking for something sophisticated to enjoy with coffee or tea, an edible gift to share with friends or neighbors, or just a fun baking project, these cookies are exactly the right thing you need to learn and keep in your baking repertoire.
Plain and Pistachio Filled Saniora
Sanioura is a shortbread cookie that hails from Saida (Saidon) south of Lebanon, the city has a reputation for being home to some of the best Lebanese sweets, and one of the most celebrated desserts is Sanioura, it is scrumptious with a straightforward ingredient list: ghee, powdered sugar and flour. I’ve offered the two famous variations: The same dough can deliver both plain and another sanioura with a sweet pistachio surprise inside.
If you are looking for a quick recipe that doesn’t involve long periods of dough rest, or if you’re running into issues with any other maamoul recipe, the answer then is yes, you need this recipe in your life! It is a quick and easy version, even a novice baker can easily make, they’re melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and it’s impossible to eat one without reaching for a second!
You are going to love both the wonderful flavor and the crumbly texture of these cookies! Let me tell you that these taste even better than the store-bought stuff – they are rich, buttery and extremely indulgent!
These apple maamoul are just about the most adorable treats I’ve ever had and remarkably, they are a cross between maamoul and apple pie cookie, they’re a perfect treat when you want something out of the box.
These carob cookies are crispy with rich flavor coming from carob molasses, they’re completely refined sugar-free, vegan and a perfect choice for those seeking a healthier option, yes carob molasses or dibs al carob, as know in Arabic, is nutrient dense and high in antioxidants.
Lebanese Milk Kaak/ Kaak Bhaleeb is a favored sweet ring bread that is plushy and pillowy, where every bite collapses softly in your mouth; it has a golden hue, and an agreeable mahlab flavor — might be the rolls of your dreams.
Barazek, Syrian Sesame Cookies
These scrumptious cookies that go by the name Barazek are the signature cookies of Damascus Syria, they are made with ghee, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, they’re thin, and moderately sweet and cruchy with a coating of nutty sesame seeds that deliver extra substance as well as a lively taste. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of nibbling barazek, you alread value its nutty and buttery flavor combination.
Crispy, crunchy Lebanese sweet kaak cookies that pair beautifully with tea, and are perfect too to dunk them in a cup of hot salep, they are supposed to be a bit hard and crispy with a pleasant crunch in every bite. Seasoned with anise seeds and mahlab, their flavor is warm and fragrant, and are coated with sesame seeds that add a nutty agreeable character; if you have been raised in Lebanon, then you must have seen them gracing the windows of most Lebanese bakeries.
Namoura, Lebanese Semolina Cake
A quintessential Lebanese and Middle Eastern dessert that goes by many names such as namoura, basbousa, hareesa, revani, safra and maybe more; it varies from country to country — depending on where it is being baked. Namoura could be one of the most requested recipes I have been asked for. So dear readers, here I am bringing you a flawless recipe, just like the pastry-style variety.
Any occasion is more celebratory with this yellow Lebanese sheet cake that is called sfouf, it is the kind typically brought to gatherings in Lebanon and served with a cup of coffee or tea, flavorful enough to serve plain.
Maamaoul Mad Bil Tamer, Lebanese Date Bars
Maamoul Mad Bil Tamer/ Date Bars are every date lover’s dream. They have a supremely dense date middle, sandwiched in a buttery crumbly semolina dough; they appear in Lebanon in numerous varieties and fillings, they are made with either dates, walnuts or pistachios. The word mad literally translates to spread, so maamoul mad means spread in a pan or tray. Here, forget about the individual maamoul molding and baking batch by batch, just one pan and you’re done, yes way less tedious to prepare without compromising on taste.
Maaoul Mad Bil Ashta, Lebanese Semolina and Clotted Cream Bars
Maamoul Mad Bil Ashta! Popular throughout Lebanon and a personal favorite -semolina-butter bars filled with clotted cream, crunchy on the outside with a creamy white filling on the inside – they have a wonderful distinct orange blossom flavor with a dense texture!
Date Ring Kaak, Kaak Al Asawer
“Date Ring Kaak” from Palestine that goes often by the name “Kaak Al Asawer” which literally translates to bracelet cookies. They are not your ordinary cookies, but would describe them as sort of crispy and fragrant bites made with a spicy dough that surrounds an enticing date filling; in short, the contrast of crisp kaak and dense dates is magical, and a must have if you are a date lover like most Middle Easterns including me, no matter how it is served, we have a close relationship with dates, and these “Date Ring Kaak” will never fail to impress you.
these cookies are seriously good! They are soft and loaded with an ultra-delicious almond flavor! But I guess these are an adult cookie recipe, a well scented something to enjoy with your morning coffee or afternoon tea.
Gingerbread Men with Carob Molasses
These gingerbread men cookies are absolutely delicious and bursting with flavor. They are made of spices and carob molasses and are a great addition to your Christmas dessert table or even a great gift basket.
Two crispy dough sandwiched liberally with a date paste then the whole thing is rolled into a log. When sliced, the date creates an interesting pattern. But still don’t obsess if yours doesn’t form a perfect pinwheel, they are meant to have that rustic look! They are a staple treat in Iraqi households around Eid and would make a light, refreshing addition to your holiday dessert platter, though a bit of a project to make but worth every minute of it.
Ghraybeh, Middle Eastern Melt in your Mouth Cookies
A much loved Lebanese and Middle Eastern holiday treat. Ghraybeh are mini cookie pastries that have a smooth texture and shaped into ring-like cookies. When you bite into them, you first hear a crunch, that is followed by that melting sensation on your tongue that is unlike any other cookie I have had, maybe similar to shortbread cookies, but with deaper flavor notes coming from the ghee. Ghraybeh are always a hit around the holidays, but beware they are highly addictive, and resisting them is hard.
