As the 2012 Cookie Challenge continues, the kitchens of Full Moon Cuisine look around the globe for inspiration. For this week, we took a note from the Persian Gulf, reaching back into time to make ma'amoul. These stuffed cookies are quite quick to prepare and pack a big punch of flavor. Traditionally eaten on religious festivals, these cookies make a great addition to your daily coffee/tea. So with a little time and VERY little equipment, you can experience a culture half-a-world away in the comfort of your own kitchen. Here's what you'll need:

For the filling:
- 1/2 pound Medjool dates (pitted)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup crystallized ginger
- Zest of one orange
- Pinch of salt

For the dough:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup butter at room temp (1 stick) plus 2 tbsp
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1/4 cup milk

Note: This recipe will make approximately one-and-a-half dozen cookies

Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F and get out your food processor. Note: you do NOT need a food processor for this recipe, but it makes it MUCH easier. Begin by combining all of the ingredients for the filling and pulse for about a minute to combine them. Remove the contents to a bowl and set aside, cleaning out the bowl of your processor.

Next, add the flour, baking powder, powdered sugar, and salt to the processor and pulse 3 or 4 times to combine. Next, add in your butter, oil, and milk, pulsing just until the dough comes together (it should still be somewhat wet to the touch). Using a small ice cream scoop, make balls of dough (approximately 20) and gently roll them out to 2 3/4 inches in diameter. Take a rounded teaspoon of your filling and place it in the middle of each disc. Next, bring the sides of the disc together and pinch them shut. Once completed, take each cookie and roll it between your palms to make them into smooth balls. If you'd like, you could now take a toothpick and make gentle pricks along the surface of the cookie (do NOT pierce through to the filling) in a decorative pattern.

Place each ball seam-side down on a greased, parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes (the tops should still be pale and the bottoms should just be starting to turn brown). Remove to a cooling rack and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Allow to cool and serve alongside tea or coffee.

Food is often one of the best ways to experience culture. It allows us to better understand a people, a region, and bring it to your own home. These filled cookies date back for centuries and carry with them part of a history. Remember never to limit yourself when it comes to cooking, as there's a whole world of recipes out there just waiting for you and your diners. In order to help celebrate this multicultural view, the kitchen will be staying open late tonight. Care to place an order?

Want to know what this challenge is all about? Check out my journal and feel free to send in recipes for cookies! http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3096204/