798- Richbond Cookies / حلوة الريشبوند

Ingredients :

For the dough:

2 eggs

70 grams (1/3 cup) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

80 milliliters (1/3 cup) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

300 grams (2 cups) all-purpose white flour

For decoration:

100 grams (3.5 oz) pineapple jam (or apricot)

3 tablespoons orange blossom water

125 grams (4.4 oz) dried unsweetened finely shredded coconut

Directions :

Step 1: Preparing the dough

1- In a large bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, baking powder, salt, ground cardamom, and mix all together with a whisk for 1 minute until well combined.

2- Add the flour little by little and continue mixing using your hand until an homogeneous and smooth paste is obtained.

3- Start shaping the cookie dough into small balls the size of walnuts.

4- Flatten the cookie balls a little bit with your hand palms, and place them in a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

5- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 8-10 minutes, or until they turn golden. The bottoms of the cookies should be golden brown, but they will be mostly pale in color from the top.

6- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Step 2: Decoration

7- In a saucepan, over medium heat, put the pineapple jam and heat for a few minutes until the texture becomes a little bit liquidy. Turn off the heat and pour the mixture in a bowl. Add the orange blossom water and mix.

8- Dip the cookies in the jam sauce, and leave them for 5 minutes. This step allows the cookies to absorb the liquid and become soft and tender in the mouth.

9- Roll the richbond cookies in the shredded unsweetened coconut one at a time until fully covered. Serve!