Lebanese Sambusik Date Crescents Recipes

CHEESE SAMBOUSEK

Steps:

• First make the dough:.
• Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process for 5 seconds.
• Add the butter and pulse 10 times, or until the mixture is the consistency of fine meal.
• With the machine running, add the water in a steady stream, taking about 10 seconds to do so.
• Process for 1 minute. The dough will gather into a ball and form a mass that whirls around the blade. Feel the dough. It should be smooth, soft, elastic, and no longer sticky.
• If necessary, adjust the texture with droplets of water or small amounts of flour, processing a few seconds after each addition. If you want to add seeds to the dough, knead them in by hand on your work surface.
• Divide the dough into 24 pieces and shape into balls (3/4 ounce each).
• Cover the balls of dough loosely with a kitchen towel and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Next, the filling:.
• Place the cheese, salt, cayenne, egg, and egg white in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse very rapidly 20 to 30 times, until the mixture just begins to gather into a mass.
• Turn out onto a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap and pat into a 6 x 4-inch rectangle.
• Cut the cheese mixture into 1-inch squares.
• Adjust two oven racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°F
• Line two 14 x 17-inch baking sheets with silicone baking pan liners or cooking parchment.
• To shape the sambouseks, pat a ball of dough into a 4-inch circle on your unfloured work surface.
• Place a square of the cheese mixture slightly below the center of the circle and pat it into a semicircular shape, leaving a bottom border of dough a scant 1/2 inch wide.
• Fold the top half of the dough over the cheese and press the edges firmly to seal.
• Use a fingertip to crimp the edge of the dough back on itself, forming a fluted border.
• Place the sambousek on the prepared sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese, placing 12 sambouseks about 2 inches apart on each sheet.
• Paint the sambouseks with the egg wash.
• Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Rotate the pans top to bottom and front to back once during baking to ensure even browning. Use a wide metal spatula to transfer the sambouseks to wire cooling racks, and serve warm or at room temperature.

SAMBOUSEK

Steps:

• For the dough: Put the flour in a mixer and then add the sugar, salt, yeast and oil. Let mix for 3 to 5 minutes. Then start adding the cold water slowly until it forms a big ball (add more flour if the dough is thin/ loose). Let mix for 15 more minutes. Then let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Turn the mixer back on and mix the dough for 15 more minutes, and then let rest for 15 more minutes. Put the dough in a pan and cover the top lightly with canola oil and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Then put in the refrigerator and let rest overnight.
• Form 7-ounce balls with the dough and roll lightly with flour. Put them in a proof box at room temperature for 2 hours after you roll it. Place the balls side by side and put a cover on it that is very tight so no air is let in, otherwise it will get dry.
• For the meat: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onions in 4 tablespoons of the butter until they are golden brown. Then add in all the allspice, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Then add the meat and continue to stir to avoid clumps. Cook the meat for 15 to 20 minutes.
• In another pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until hot. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring so the pine nuts do not burn.
• After the pine nuts are cooked, pour on top of the cooked meat. Let the meat cool off at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Take the dough balls and flatten them into a plate shape less than 1/2-inch thick. Use a round shaped cup to cut out 4 dough pieces. Then take 4 tablespoons of the meat mixture and put inside the dough. Fold in half and pinch the dough together.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or large pot until it is very hot. Fry until golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

LEBANESE SAMBUSIK, DATE CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Rub the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed.
• Heat milk& sugar, stir until dissolved and cool to lukewarm.
• Pour the milk and 1/4 cup olive oil into the flour to form a soft dough.
• Knead until smooth.
• Chop the dates and put in a pan with 1/4 cup butter, cook over medium heat, stirring until the mixture is combined and forms a paste Remove from heat and add the rose water, stir to blend.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board to about 1/4" thickness.
• Cut into 2" circles, place a teasp of the date filling in the centre and fold over to form a crescent, crimp the edges with a fork to seal Place Samusik on ungreased baking sheets and bake in a 350F oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown Place on a rack to cool.
• When completely cool place in cookie tins.