Millions of Muslims around the world are gathering to celebrate Eid al-Adha. The festival honors the willingness of Ibrahim – known as Abraham in the Hebrew bible – to sacrifice his son following God’s command. Thus is also the Feast of Sacrifice. This festival also marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Many Muslims in the United States celebrate Eid al-Adha with prayers and social gatherings. Eid al-Adha is a time for wishing one another well and I thought the best way for me to do this for my Muslim friends was by giving them cookies. I planned ahead and baked these batches up earlier in the week, so that I could have some me time for Autumn Equinox and the rest of the week.
Traditionally Eid cookies are a big part of the Eid celebrations that come after Ramadan, however like any religion, Islamic observances are always celebrated by different people in different regions by incorporating regional cultures and food. Around here cookies are a big part of celebrations, so I see no reason why they shouldn’t be a part of Eid al-Adha celebrations as well.
I noticed that sweet food in the Muslim cultures incorporate a lot of earthly elements, such as fruits, nuts, and rose water. I came up with three cookie recipes to satisfy these tastes – Lemon Almond Cookies, Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Date Nut Cookies because Dates are a significant part of the Muslim culture. Notice that I have a variety of nuts to work with!
Lemon Almond Cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 pkg. Instant Lemmon Pudding Mix (4 serving size)
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3-4 Tbsp. raw sliced almonds
Method
Preheat oven to 375 F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and pudding mixture with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour, adding about 1/4 cup at a time. Stir in half the raw sliced almonds.
Form dough into balls and place on cookie sheets. Gently flatten the balls with your palm. Sprinkle the rest of the almonds on top of each cookie, and gently press them into the dough so they stick on.
Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes, until the bottoms are light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container.
Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 pkg. Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix (4 serving size)
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp. chocolate chips
3-4 Tbsp. chopped raw pistachio nuts
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and pudding mixture with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour, adding about 1/4 cup at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Form dough into balls and place on cookie sheets. Gently flatten the balls with your palm – these will not spread very much while baking so however much you flatten them is what the baked cookie will turn out like. Roll the top of each cookie ball in the pistachios, and gently press them into the dough so they stick on.
Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, until the bottoms are light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container.
Date Nut Drop Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons milk
2 cups dates, pitted and chopped
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
18 – 24 pieces of whole pecans
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Combine butter, salt, and vanilla – blend well. Add sugar and cream well. Beat eggs and blend into mixture.
Sift flour with soda and slowly add to the creamed mixture part by part, alternating with the milk. Mix thoroughly.
Stir in dates and walnuts.
Drop from teaspoon and flatten with glass covered with damp cloth. Press down one pecan on top of each cookie.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy.
I placed an assortment of the cookies on decorative plates and to take to friends’ homes.
