Tender buttery date-filled kahk (Printable)

Tender buttery Kahk with sweet date filling, sesame coating, and warm Middle Eastern spices.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
04 - 1/4 cup milk, plus additional as needed
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Filling

08 - 1 cup pitted Medjool dates, chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

→ Coating

12 - 1/2 cup sesame seeds, untoasted

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy.
03 - Add vanilla extract, then gradually mix in flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
04 - Add milk tablespoon by tablespoon, kneading gently until the dough becomes soft and pliable. Cover and set aside.
05 - Over low heat, combine chopped dates and butter in a saucepan. Stir until softened into a paste, then mix in cinnamon and cardamom. Allow to cool.
06 - Portion the dough into 24 equal pieces and flatten each into a disk in your palm.
07 - Place 1 teaspoon of the date filling in the center of each disk. Fold dough over the filling, seal by pinching, and roll gently into a ball.
08 - Roll each ball in sesame seeds, pressing lightly to adhere the seeds evenly.
09 - Arrange cookies on the prepared sheet. Use a fork or special mold to gently flatten and create decorative patterns as desired.
10 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the bottoms are golden and tops remain pale.
11 - Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The dough is forgiving and soft, nothing like temperamental pastry dough that fights back.
  • One batch fills your whole kitchen with the smell of warm butter and caramelized dates—comfort food in cookie form.
  • Kahk looks fancy enough to serve at gatherings, but nobody needs to know how simple it is to make.
  • They stay fresh for a week, which means you can prepare ahead without the last-minute panic.
02 -
  • Overbaking these cookies even by 2 minutes turns them dry and tough—your timer is your friend, and the bottoms should be golden but not deep brown.
  • If your dough feels too sticky, resist adding more flour because it will make the cookies dense; instead, refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes and start over with lighter hands.
  • The date filling needs to cool completely before you fill the cookies, or the heat will warm the dough and make it impossible to seal properly.
03 -
  • If your dough starts cracking as you shape it, let it warm up for a minute—cold dough is stubborn, and warmth makes it forgiving.
  • Sesame seeds are easier to manage if you toast them yourself at 350°F for 3-4 minutes first; they'll taste richer and adhere better to the dough.
  • A fork works fine for decorating, but if you find yourself making kahk repeatedly, a traditional kahk mold is worth the small investment—it makes the process faster and the cookies look even more beautiful.
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