The perfect plate of Moroccan cookies for Passover and Mimouna

In recent years it seems to me that people are waiting for the end of Passover not because of the chametz, but because of Mimouna. So whether you are preparing for the celebrations or simply want to experience the spirit of Passover at home, I have selected a variety of recipes for sweets suitable for Passover and Mimouna, using Passover-friendly ingredients: Nuts, almonds, peanuts, egg whites, and others.

For this purpose, I chose to host in this column Dalya Bar-Tikva, known as one of the experts in making authentic Moroccan cookies. On a sunny morning, I traveled south to her home in Moshav Yad Rambam. Dalya welcomed me warmly and, with a broad smile, led me into her well-equipped “kingdom,” which had everything. On the shelves were neatly arranged large boxes containing a huge selection of cutters, stencils, molds, decorations, colorful paper cups, tools, equipment, and many ingredients. Everything was neatly organized for making the cookies she creates with great talent.

Dalya says she entered the field of Moroccan sweets completely by chance. She began her professional path as a designer of evening dresses and bridal gowns, after completing her studies in the design track at Shenkar. She opened a bridal salon and also worked as a dress designer for some of the leading designers in Israel.

After a few years, she left the design field in order to try to make an impact on the society she lived in. She joined the mayor of Lod, the late Maxim Levy, and began working as his secretary. Years later, following a family crisis, she found herself at home without work. As the daughter of a mother who loved cooking, Dalya began spending her time cooking and baking for her family members. When a friend asked her to prepare Moroccan cookies for her daughter’s henna celebration, Dalya did not want to disappoint her friend and, despite her lack of experience, decided to do everything she could to prepare impressive sweets.

The responses were enthusiastic, and orders soon followed. Within a few months her hands were full of work. Bar-Tikva, who enjoyed making cookies, began to study and specialize in the field while improving and refining her techniques.

Her sense of design shifted from fabrics and dresses to cookies, which come out of her hands like small pieces of jewelry. Bar-Tikva invests a great deal of time in selecting raw materials and insists on their quality, placing emphasis on unique designs. When she creates sugar paste flowers, for example, she colors and paints each flower and decoration with food coloring. Today, alongside making cookies for events, she also conducts workshops in her “sweet kingdom.”

In honor of the upcoming holiday and Mimouna, we selected delicious and beautiful recipes that are, most importantly, not complicated to prepare. I am sure you will succeed in making them in your own kitchen.

Happy holiday and “Tirbahu ve-tis’adu,” Pascal.

In a separate wide pot, place the sugar, spices, and lemon juice. Mix and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Add the eggplants to the syrup and cook for about one hour on low heat. The jam is ready when the syrup is absorbed into the eggplants. Remove from heat and cool well. Transfer to an airtight jar.

Tip: The recipes here are given in grams. For accuracy, use a scale, a universal measuring cup, and a thermometer.

Gradually add the almond flour while stirring, then add the remaining ingredients and mix until a firm dough forms. Divide the dough into four parts and roll each into an even log. Wrap each log in baking paper and cling film. Refrigerate for one hour.

Remove from the fridge and cut each log into 30-gram pieces, shaping each into any form you like. Place on a tray (silicone molds are recommended) and freeze until set.

For the coating: Place the fondant, water, and food coloring in a pot. Heat over a bain-marie until the fondant melts into a smooth coating.

Line trays with baking paper and place a metal rack on top. Arrange the cookies on the rack and coat them evenly with the fondant. Let dry for about 6 hours at room temperature. Remove excess fondant and decorate with pearl, silver, or gold candies or sugar flowers.

Gradually fold in the ground walnuts carefully so the foam does not collapse. Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe 2–3 cm rounds onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Press an Amarena cherry or a golden hazelnut into each cookie. Bake for 16 minutes at 150°C in a preheated oven.

Place powdered sugar in a bowl. Take small portions of dough and weigh exactly 17 grams. Roll lightly greased hands into oval shapes. Coat in powdered sugar and place in paper cups. Repeat for all dough. Arrange on a baking tray and bake for 8–10 minutes at 80°C. Remove and cool.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Add food coloring and mix. Gradually add the egg mixture to the almond mixture while stirring until a firm dough forms. Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes.

If making two colors, divide the egg mixture and almond mixture accordingly. Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe mounds onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Press a golden almond or hazelnut into each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes at 160°C. Cool well.