This recipe is part of Asif’s Open Kitchen Project where cooks who were evacuated during the war are invited to a home in Tel Aviv to cook a dish that they miss from their own home. Would you like to participate in the project? Register here.
This recipe is part of Asif’s Open Kitchen Project where cooks who were evacuated during the war are invited to a home in Tel Aviv to cook a dish that they miss from their own home. Would you like to participate in the project? Register here.
“I really miss my home, my corner,” says Etti Yana (43), who, along with her husband and four children, was evacuated from their home in Kiryat Shmona last October. “Baking and cooking feel like an escape from reality — though not entirely,” she reflects.
Amidst the sorrow, Etti acknowledges moments of solace — including a newfound friendship with Shosh Shoshan. “While we knew each other in Kiryat Shmona, we weren’t close. But here we have supported each other with various tasks, from looking after the children to handling laundry, and we’ve grown closer,” she shares.
Today, they’ve come together to bake in Esti Rot’s kitchen. A doctor in Tel Aviv, she’s welcomed the women into her home for The Open Kitchen Project.
Etti acquired her cooking skills from her mother. “She is a culinary maestro, able to conjure a pot of deliciousness from the simplest ingredients,” she shares as she rolls out the shortbread dough for her date cookies. According to Etti, the dough is versatile and can accommodate any filling of your choice. And while she makes it pareve with margarine, it can be made with butter. At home, she bakes large batches since they are an easy-to-make favorite. “We enjoy them on Saturday morning, alongside a large cup of instant coffee,” she says.
After prepping the date cookies and making a no-bake biscuit cake for her children, she joins Shosh in tidying up the kitchen. While stretching dough to make filled Italian pastries called cornetti, she reflects, “Shosh, when we go back to Kiryat Shmona, to our homes, we’ll look back on these moments and say, ‘What an experience we’ve had.'”
For the dough:
270 grams (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour + extra for kneading
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 grams) sugar, or vanilla sugar
160 grams (11 tablespoons) butter, softened (for parve cookies, use margarine)
½ cup (50 ml) neutral vegetable oil
¼ cup + 3 tablespoons (100 ml) orange juice
2 egg yolks
For the filling:
450 grams (16oz) date paste
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange juice
50 grams (½ cup) whole walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 handfuls shredded unsweetened coconut
- Prepare the dough: Combine all the ingredients using your hands until a cohesive dough forms. Knead thoroughly to a uniform soft texture that is not sticky, about 5 minutes. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour and knead.
- Cover and allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the filling: In the meantime, mix the date spread, cinnamon, and orange juice into a smooth paste.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F) and line large baking trays with parchment paper.
- Assemble the cookies: Divide the dough into four equal balls. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the first ball into a 15x30cm (6×12-in) rectangle that’s 1 cm (½ in) thick. Ensure the dough is thin yet firm without tearing.
- Spread a generous spoonful of the filling over the dough, creating a thin, even layer, leaving a small clean border.
- Sprinkle ¼ of the chopped nuts and coconut evenly over the filling. Gently roll the dough from the bottom into a thin log, then roll it back and forth a bit to ensure an even width along its entire length. Using the palms of your hands, lightly press the ends of the roll inward. Repeat this process with the remaining dough balls and filling.
- Using a sharp knife, cut 2-3cm (1-in) thick slices and arrange them on the baking trays, cut side facing up.
- Bake in the oven until the cookies are golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Make sure not to overbake and burn the cookies.
