Palestinian Kahk Tender Butter Cookies (Print)

Buttery Middle Eastern treats filled with sweet dates and coated in sesame seeds.

# What You 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

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Cream unsalted butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
03 - Add vanilla extract, then gradually incorporate flour, baking powder, and salt into the creamed mixture.
04 - Add milk incrementally, kneading gently with each addition until a soft, pliable dough forms. Cover and rest.
05 - In a saucepan over low heat, combine chopped dates and butter. Stir until softened into a paste. Add cinnamon and cardamom, mix well, then cool.
06 - Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Flatten each portion into a disk in the palm of your hand.
07 - Place 1 teaspoon of date filling in the center of each dough disk. Fold over and seal by pinching edges; roll gently into a ball.
08 - Roll each ball in sesame seeds, pressing lightly for adherence.
09 - Arrange on prepared baking sheet. Flatten each ball gently with a fork or cookie mold to create patterns as desired.
10 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until bottoms turn golden while tops remain pale.
11 - Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving or storing.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The buttery dough practically melts on your tongue while the date filling gives you something genuine to sink your teeth into.
  • Once you make them once, you'll find yourself shaping these cookies for every gathering, every celebration, every quiet afternoon when you want something that tastes like home.
02 -
  • The dough must be soft and pliable, not stiff—if it's cracking at the edges when you fold it around the filling, you need a splash more milk.
  • Don't skip cooling the date filling or you'll end up with melted dough and leaking filling, which happened to me exactly once and taught me patience.
03 -
  • Use a cookie mold or fork to create a consistent pattern on each cookie—it helps them bake evenly and makes them look intentionally handmade.
  • If your date filling seems too thick after cooling, warm it gently with a teaspoon of milk until it's spreadable but not runny.
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