Iraqi Coconut Kleicha

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Today for the alphabet I, I am taking you to Iraq for to taste an authentic cookie made during Eid. Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a western Asian country. Its capital is Baghdad. It shares its boundaries with Turkey in the north, Iran in the east, Kuwait in the south east, Saudi Arabia in the south, Jordan in the south west and Syria in the west. Source: Wikipedia I watch Food Safari in Fox Life often. I have lost the count of watching the same show again and again but every time I watch it becomes more interesting. But today’s recipe is not from the TV show. I was going through recipes for cookies while I saw these cute kleichas. These cookies are made during Eid and are shared with friends and relatives. The original recipe uses 6 cups of flour which would make a huge batch perfect for celebrations.

At first I planned on making the famous dates stuffed kleichas but as they were so much like the maamoul cookies I made earlier, I went for a different recipe and shape. These cookies or pastries are half moon shaped and are quite easy to make. There are no tehniques involved in making. They turn our so crispy and flaky and the inner coconut filling stays soft and flavourful. Today is hubby dear’s birthday and I wanted to make these coconut filled cookies as he is a great fan of coconut filled breads and pastries. When he came home he had one and liked it very much. While taking a snap, I tried cutting the kliecha into half and was filled with joy when the knife cut into the crispy outer layer. Sruti’s friend’s brother also celebrated his birthday today. So I took them a batch of these cute cookies. Also we shared it with some of Sruti’s little friend’s from the school bus stop.

I also made a cakeless cake for the cake cutting. Wondering what I am talking about? My hubby is not a great fan of cakes but Sruti wanted her father to cut a cake for his birthday. I wanted to make her wish come true and at the same time wanted hubby also to be happy. After all it is his birthday today. In the morning came an idea. He loves Semiya Kesari a lot and every birthday I usually prepare it. For this birthday, I prepared it, transferred it to a cake pan and allowed it to cool completely. When I flipped the tin, I got a cute semiya kesari cake. And before Sruti went to school, hubby cut it and we relished it.

Recipe Source: Maryam’s Culinary world

Makes 20 cookies

Ingredients:

For The Outer Dough:

Flour/ Maida-1 1/2 cups

Milk-1/2 cup

Butter-1/2 cup, melted

Salt-a pinch

Cardamom Powder-1/2 tsp

Instant Yeast-1 tsp

Sugar-1/2 tsp

For The Filling:

Grated Coconut-2/3 cup

Sugar-1/3 cup

Cardamom Powder-a pinch

Curd-1 1/2 tbs

Rose Essence-1/2 tsp

Procedure:

In a bowl mix together flour, salt, cardamom powder, sugar and yeast.

Add melted butter and mix well.

Now add milk and mix until it is well incorporated and you get a soft and non sticky dough.

Cover with cling wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 175°C.

Now mix the coconut, cardamom powder, sugar, curd and rose essence.

Roll out the dough into a large thick disc.

Cut out small rounds with a cookie cutter.

Place some filling in the centre.

Fold the circle into a crescent and seal the edges. Use a fork to make some designs along the edge.

Place on a baking tray.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Cool on wire rack.

Store in an airtight jar.