The national cookie of Iraq, eaten during Eid and at various celebrations during the year 

Kleicha

Makes 40

Ingredients

1/2 cup (250m1) warm milk 
2 tsp (10ml) sugar
2 tsp (10ml) instant yeast
1 cup (250g) butter, melted 
4 cups (600g) flour 
1 Tbsp (15ml) nigella seeds
1/2 tsp (3ml) salt
Whisked egg. for glazing 
Toasted white sesame seeds, for garnish  

For the paste  

2 Tbsp (30m1) canola oil 
1 Tbsp (15m1) ground cardamom 
2 cups (500m1) date paste  

Method

1. Place milk and sugar in a bowl and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle over yeast and set aside for 5 minutes until foamy. 
2. Stir the butter through the milk mixture. 
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, seeds and salt. 
4. Pour wet mixture into the dry and knead for 3-5 minutes until dough is smooth. 
5. Place dough back into the bowl and cover to rise for 1 hour. 
6. For the paste, add oil to a pan over medium heat, then add cardamom and fry until fragrant, about 10-20 seconds. 
7. Add the date paste and stir well to infuse cardamom oil into the paste. Remove from the heat and cool. 
8. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
9. Punch dough down and divide into 4 portions. 
10. Roll first portion of dough out on a floured surface into a 30x15cm rectangle with a 2.5mm thickness. 
11. Spread 1/2 cup of date paste evenly onto the dough. 
12. Roll the dough up into a coil, taking care to not press too hard and squeeze out any date paste. Repeat with remaining portions and date paste to make four coils. 
13. Refrigerate the coils for 15 minutes to rest. 
14. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 
15. Glaze dough with egg wash and sprinkle over white sesame seeds. 
16. Using a sharp knife, slice logs into 1/2 cm-thick cookies. 
17. Space cookies out on a greased and lined baking tray, keeping them about 1-2cm apart. 18. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden. 
18. Remove and cool the cookies on a baking tray before serving. 

Good to know 

The yeasted dough makes wonderfully light cookies, and the combination of spices with the dates create a savoury-sweet treat. 

By: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photography by: Zhann Solomons

Also read: 3 Baking mistakes you may be making (and how to fix them) 

The post Kleicha  appeared first on MyKitchen.

If you haven’t tried these coconut and lemon whoopie pies, you are missing out! Make them this weekend for whatever occasion!

SERVES 12 // COOK TIME 25 mins

INGREDIENTS
For the cakes
250 g flour
100 g sugar
25 g desiccated coconut
1 tbsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 egg
125 ml milk
80 ml vegetable oil
½ tsp coconut essence
For the lemon curd
60 g sugar
60 g butter, cubed
2 lemons (juice of 2, zest of 1)
2 egg yolks

METHOD
For the cakes
1. Preheat oven to 160°C and line a baking tray.
2. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, oil and coconut essence.
4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms.
5. Drop about 24 tsp of batter on to the baking tray, 5 cm apart. Bake for 7–9 minutes, until puffy and lightly golden.
6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
For the lemon curd
1. Place the sugar, butter, and lemon zest and juice in a pot. Cook over low heat until sugar and butter have melted.
2. Place egg yolks in a clean glass bowl and pour in lemon mixture, stirring continuously to prevent the eggs curdling.
3. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Cook, still stirring, for 12–15 minutes, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
5. Sandwich together pairs of  cakes, with a spoonful of lemon curd in the middle. Store extra lemon curd in a jar in the fridge.

Having people over for tea, and don’t want to serve just regular biscuits? Then why not make these delicious hertzoggies filled with coconut and smooth jam?

The post Coconut and lemon whoopie pies appeared first on MyKitchen.

Can’t choose between your favourite desserts? You don’t have to! Let your imagination take hold with this delicious giant cookie cake.

SERVES 12 // COOKING TIME 45 min

INGREDIENTS
180 g unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a cake tin.
2. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until well combined. In another bowl, mix flour, bicarb and salt. Add the dry to the wet ingredients, and mix gently until dough is thick and sticky. Fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips.
3. Transfer the dough to the cake tin, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, until the cake is golden brown around the edges. Then cover with foil and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

Keen for more gigantic mixed desserts? You have to try our lemon and poppyseed trifle!

The post Sweet dreams are made of this giant cookie cake appeared first on MyKitchen.

Create a yummy forest display that the whole fam can dig into with these adorable hedgehog biscuits. They’re a fun and easy treat for the kids.

MAKES 15 // COOKING TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS
250 g butter
180 g caster sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla essence
375 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
160 g milk chocolate, melted
100 g walnuts, chopped

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a baking tray.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well until smooth. Add vanilla essence.
3. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the salt. Mix into the butter-sugar mixture.
4. Tip out the mixture on to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, until a smooth dough forms.
5. Roll the dough into 15 balls. Flatten each ball into an oval with a slightly pointed tip. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
6. Bake for 7–10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
7. Brush chocolate over the round half of each biscuit. Sprinkle with walnuts to create spikes and dot on a chocolate nose and eyes.
8. Arrange the biscuits on a platter decorated with nuts and leaves to look like a forest.

Tip: Kick it up a notch by using raisins for the eyes and slivers of glacé cherries for the mouths.

Recipe & Styling: Lisa Clark
Photography: Gareth van Nelson/HMimages.co.za

The post Cooking with kids: Hedgehog biscuits appeared first on MyKitchen.

They say brekkie is the most important meal of the day, and that’s why we’ve put together this amazing breakfast pack. It’s healthy and will keep you going strong until lunch time.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS
2 cups oats
1 cup peanut butter
¼ cup honey
3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
4 eggs
Lemon juice
2 nectarines, halved

METHOD
1. Mix the oats, peanut butter and honey. Roll into balls, then flatten, pressing into the sesame seeds.
2. Cook the eggs in salted boiling water for 6 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath to prevent further cooking.
3. Squeeze lemon juice on to the nectarine halves to stop them going brown.
4. Pack all the elements into airtight containers and munch away throughout the morning.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen

The post The ultimate breakfast pack: Raw cookies, nectarines and jammy eggs appeared first on MyKitchen.

These delicious honey and chamomile biscuits also have lavender in them, packing them with natural calming ingredients. With natural sugars, these biscuits make a lovely tea-time snack.

MAKES 25 // COOKING TIME 35 min

INGREDIENTS
1½ cups flour
2 tbsp camomile tea
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
125 g unsalted butter, softened
½ cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Lavender, to decorate

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Combine flour, tea, bicarb, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Grind any large pieces of tea between your fingers.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter until light. Add the honey and continue to beat until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, lemon zest and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
4. Slowly add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
5. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface to 3 mm thick. Use a round cutter to cut out biscuits. Arrange them on the baking tray, about 2 cm apart.
6. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until golden. Place on a cooling rack.
7. Decorate with lavender sprigs to serve. Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container.

The post Honey and chamomile biscuits appeared first on MyKitchen.