Traveler's Date Cookies - Mamoul

Ingredients:

Dough;
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 tsp orange zest
1 egg
1 stick (4 oz) butter
1.5 cup fine semolina
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup milk

Filling;
3/4 cup date
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp orange zest
1.5 tsp water

1. Dissolve yeast with water inside a large dish. Add orage zest, egg and butter, and mix well.

2. Add first semolina than sugar, and stir. Add flour and make a dough. It should be break easily but when pressed together it should stick together.

3. Cover with a damp cloth and leave it for one hour.

4. While the dough is resting, put all the filling ingredients in a blender and make a paste.

5. When it is ready, take a tbsp size dough, first make a ball, than flaten it in your palm, and put 1.5 tsp filling inside the dough. Close and make it round again.

6. Put the cookies in oiled oven sheet, leaving 0.5 inch distance in between.

7. Using a fork, make holes on top of it and brush the top with milk.

8. Heat the oven to 350F. Bake the cookies aproximately 20-25 minutes untill the bottom of them become golden brown.

9. Place on a rack to cool.