Lebanese Semolina Cookies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 cups superfine flour
2 cups fine semolina
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp orange blossom water
1 tbsp rosewater
None None Powdered sugar, to serve
None None FOR THE DATE PASTE
1 1/2 cups pitted dates
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp butter

Preparation

Combine flour, semolina and granulated sugar in a food processor. Add butter; process to a fine crumb. Add milk, orange blossom water and rosewater and pulse to form a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap; let stand 2-3 hours.
Meanwhile, for the date paste, combine dates, 1 1/2 cups water and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring. Cook 6-8 mins, until very dry. Cool 10 mins. Place in food processor with butter. Process to a paste. Refrigerate until needed.
Knead dough 3-4 mins until smooth and shiny. Divide evenly into 4. Roll each piece out between 2 sheets parchment paper to a 6 x 12 inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Refrigerate for 10 mins.
Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Lightly grease and line 2 baking pans with parchment paper.
Spread 1/4 of date paste along one long edge of one dough rectangle. Roll up tightly. Then roll out to a thin 16 inch length.
Cut into 6. Roll each piece to 1/3 inch thick ropes. Join ends to make a ring shape, smoothing over joint. Place on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough and paste.
Bake 10-15 mins, until just lightly golden on the bottom. Cool in pan 5 mins. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar to serve.