Maha in Arabic means “beautiful eyes”, specifically deer eyes. In Persian, it means “moon like” or “resembling moon”. These cookies are called as such because their shape resembles the eyes of a deer. Oyoun Al Maha are small oval shape cookies baked until golden in color then dropped in sugar syrup.
Ingredients:
- 950g all purpose flour
- 600g unsalted soft butter
- 100g confectioners sugar
- 100g semolina (farkha)
- 100g desiccated shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 egg yolks+water (egg wash)
Sugar Syrup:
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- Juice of half a lemon
Method:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Make the sugar syrup by mixing all ingredients on a medium high heat. Set aside.
- In a standing mixer, whip the butter for a couple minutes.
- Add the confectioner sugar, vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Continue mixing.
- Add the shredded coconut, semolina and baking powder. Then the flour, one tablespoon at a time.
- Mix till you have a formed dough.
- Make small balls with the dough.
- Press each ball with your hands to form an oval shape cookie.
- Place the formed cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Make the egg wash by mixing the egg yolks with 2 tablespoons water.
- Cover each cookie with the egg wash.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
- Reheat the sugar syrup and drop the baked cookies in it.
- Leave the cookies in the syrup for 3 minutes to absorb some of the syrup then place them over a colander to remove the excess syrup.
- Present these delicious cookies to your friends and family and enjoy 🙂
Bon Appetit 🙂
Linda
Like it: very delicious. Thks