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) 

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