Kahk el Eid, stuffed Eid cookies with three fillings

For the ghee, melt two to four full sticks of good quality butter in a heavy saucepan over high heat.

Keep it on high until the foam evaporates, then drop to medium low and simmer about 10 minutes, until the bottom of the pot is visible and milk solids have settled.

Cool about half an hour, then pour through a funnel lined with cheesecloth into a sterile jar. Cool overnight to solidify.

Toast the sesame seeds in a small pot over low heat, tossing every 20 to 30 seconds, until they barely darken to a light gold.

For the honey walnut filling, melt 40 g ghee in a small pot over medium heat, stir in 20 g flour and cook the flour 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in 180 g honey, bring to a boil, cook one minute more and take off the heat.

Chop 100 g walnuts small, add them to the honey, add 1 tbsp toasted sesame, mix thoroughly and chill in a bowl in the fridge.

For the date filling, melt 15 g butter or ghee in a small pot. Pit and chop dates small to get 120 g.

Add the dates, plus 1 tbsp water if they are dry, and cook over medium heat until they loosen. Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and mix to a soft workable paste, about 3 to 5 minutes.

For the caramelised pecans, put 110 g soft brown sugar in a small pot over medium heat with 2 tbsp water and let it melt and dissolve.

Bring to a boil, drop to low and simmer until every sugar granule has dissolved and a caramel forms.

Chop the pecans small, mix them into the caramel, then spread the mixture thin on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool.

For the dough, mix 500 g flour, 1/2 tbsp kahk seasoning, 1 tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt and 1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds in a bowl.

Cream 300 g cold ghee with 50 g powdered sugar on high speed with the whisk until fluffy and doubled, scraping down the sides and bottom so no clumps remain.

Add the flour mixture and mix on medium speed about 90 seconds, to a well combined crumbly mix.

Add 90 g milk and mix again to a soft pliable dough. Rest half an hour. It is ready when it forms a ball and takes an indentation without cracking.

Portion the dough into 20 g pieces with an ice cream scoop, checking against a scale. Even size is what gives an even bake.

Roll each portion into a ball between the palms.

Scoop the fillings into balls about half the size of the dough balls with a melon baller or teaspoon, then roll them smooth by hand. Take the honey filling out of the fridge only just before using it, as it is sticky. The pecan filling is scooped straight into the cookies rather than rolled.

Press a thumb into a dough ball, spread the dough slightly, set a filling ball in the indentation, fold the dough up and around until the filling is completely encased at an even thickness, then roll it smooth again.

For the nut filling use half to three quarters of a teaspoon in the indentation.

Mark each flavour with a pattern pressed into the dough, using anything to hand such as a mallet or a piping nozzle. Leave the honey ones unmarked, as they leak where the dough is thin.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Space the cookies with a small gap, as they spread slightly.

Bake in the centre of the oven 16 to 18 minutes, depending on cookie size and oven. Bake one plain cookie first as a trial to dial in the timing.

They are done when browned on the bottom and an even pale gold all over. Take them out before they brown completely or they dry out.

Rest a few minutes on the tray, then move to a cooling rack.

When completely cool, shake a few tablespoons of powdered sugar through a sieve over them until evenly coated.

Plate in a pile on a cake stand, alternating the flavours by layer, and dust with more sugar.