Lebanese Pastry

Note the dough requires overnight refrigeration, so plan ahead.

1. First, make the dough. In the bowl of a large food processor combine the ground mahlab seeds, flour and salt. Pulse it together to aerate it. Add the cubed butter and pulse it again until the mixture is pebbly. In a separate bowl, add the warm water. Pour the yeast into the water and let it dissolve, then gently stir in the evaporated milk. Then add the yeasty mixture into the food processor along with the eggs. Run the processor just until you have a sticky, uniform dough. Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover it lightly with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

2. The next day, make the filling first. In a bowl, combine the walnuts, butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey and rose water. Stir it together thoroughly to finish the easy and yummy filling! Set it aside. Then, preheat the oven to 325 F and line four sheet trays with silicone mats or parchment paper. Take the dough out of the refrigerator.

3. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Take the first piece and lightly coat it in flour, then pat it out into a disc on a clean, well floured surface. Roll the disc out with a floured rolling pin until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3.5 inch round cutter, cut out rounds from the dough. You should get about 9. Then gently form the scraps into a smooth disc and roll it out again to cut out another 3 discs.

4. Add a scant tablespoon of filling on one half of each disc, then seal them by bringing the other half over and thoroughly crimping the edges together. Form pretty tine marks on the edges by pressing a fork along the edges of each pastry. Transfer the dozen pastries onto one of the prepared trays, and repeat the process with the other three quarters of dough.

5. Once all 4 trays are full, bake them in two batches for 20 minutes each until they are puffy and golden. Take them out when they are done and sprinkle them generously with powdered sugar while they are still a little warm. Let them finish cooling on cooling racks before you seal them up in pretty tins. Have fun spreading the holiday cheer!