Kahk el Eid

For the malban, pour sugar, water and half a tablespoon of lemon juice into a small pot and turn the heat to high until the sugar melts completely.

Drop to medium high and heat to the soft ball stage, 112C or 234F, then add a teaspoon of vanilla essence; do not let it reach firm or hard ball.

In another pot combine the cornstarch and cream of tartar, whisk in the water and a tablespoon of lemon juice to a smooth lump-free slurry, and leave it off the heat until the syrup is done.

Put the starch pot on high heat and whisk continuously three to four minutes until it thickens and resembles glue, then cook a couple of minutes more.

Pour the syrup in a bit at a time, whisking each addition in until smooth, cream-coloured and like petroleum jelly.

Turn down to medium and simmer 45 minutes, stirring every five minutes, until reduced to about two thirds and thick like honey; mix in the salt.

Pour into a deep oven tray lined with oiled greaseproof paper, spread to the corners and cool 4 to 6 hours to room temperature.

For store-bought Turkish delight, knead 500 g with one to two tablespoons of butter into a soft workable ball and divide into small balls.

Homemade malban is better cut into cubes than kneaded; his kneading attempt failed and he roughly chopped it into blobs.

For the agameya, rub the pistachios against each other to remove the skins, then chop each into two or three pieces.

Melt the samna in a pot over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook two to three minutes, stirring the whole time and working out any lumps.

Pour in the honey, stir to combine and cook until it comes naturally to a boil, then stir in the chopped pistachios.

Pour into a bowl and cool completely for a few hours until firm, then scrape with a melon baller and roll into smooth spheres.

For the dough, combine the flour, toasted sesame, powdered sugar, baking soda, salt, cac seasoning and vanilla powder in the mixer bowl and mix on the lowest setting, never pulsing.

Add the clarified butter and mix on low; it forms a rough biscuit dough and then a light fluffy cream, at which point whip on medium high 2 to 3 minutes.

Back on low, slowly pour in the whole milk and knead about two minutes more.

Test by rolling a ball and pressing an indentation in it; if the edges crack, run the machine in 30 second increments until they do not. His dough took about four and a half minutes in total.

Rest the dough 30 to 60 minutes.

Portion at around 20 grams each, or 15 grams for smaller plain cookies; stuffed ones want 20 grams so there is enough biscuit around the filling.

Roll each into a smooth ball and space them on a lined baking sheet so they can spread.

To stuff, press an indentation into a ball, seat the filling in it and gather the dough around until covered evenly, then roll smooth.

Mark the fillings with a pattern - he uses a frying spider or a meat mallet - pressing harder on the unstuffed ones and only lightly on the stuffed so they do not burst.

Chill the tray 15 to 30 minutes for a pronounced marking.

Preheat to 160C or 320F with the fan on and bake 18 minutes; stuffed ones two minutes less.

They are done when the bottoms are slightly browned and the centre has a dry crumb; cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar.

They keep about six weeks in an airtight container and reach their best flavour and texture after two days.