Tcharek - Algerian Crescent Shaped Pastries Filled With Dates

As-Salaamu Alaykum,

I will keep this short and super sweet by going straight to the recipe.

Tcharek With Dates

adapted from couscous and pudding
makes: approximately 36

UK cup measurement used 

Ingredients

4 cup plain flour

2 tablespoon icing sugar

1 cup ghee, melted

1/2 tsp halal vanilla extract

2 tablespoon orange blossom water

1 cup cold water*

filling

1 kilogram date paste 

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (cassia)

2-3 tablespoon orange blossom water

syrup, optional

icing sugar, optional

Method

1. Make the pastry - Place flour and icing sugar in a large bowl, melt ghee then add to bowl along with vanilla and mix with your hand, slowly add orange blossom water and cold water in same way with your hand until a soft not dry dough is achieved. * you may need more or less water. Cover and set aside to rest for 1 hour.
2. Prepare filling - In a medium size bowl place all of the filling ingredients and mix with your hand until combined. Cover and set aside. 
3. Make syrup - 2 cup water to 1 cup sugar, bring to boil add 1 tablespoon orange blossom and squeeze of lemon juice, simmer until light syrup formed about 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Make Pastries - Pre-heat oven to 180C. Take balls of dough and roll out (no need to put flour on surface) until about 1/4cm thick cut out circle using a 9cm cookie/biscuit cutter. Place a 25-30 grams date paste shaped sausage in the centre of your circle and fold bottom of pastry over it making sure all date paste is covered then roll over remainder of pastry circle, pinch to seal and  further roll to ensure seal and even out date paste. Shape into crescent by using a clean bottle top, place into centre and curve pastry around it. For a photo step by step on how to shape check out the teal tadjine. 
5. Bake pastries - Once you have filled 1 baking sheet with tcharek bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then place pastries on cooling rack to cool completely. You will fill about 3 baking sheets so will have to cook your pastries in batches.
6. Sugar Coating(Optional) - Once the pastries have cooled you can eat them as is OR you can dip in syrup, remove excess with finger then cover in powdered sugar. Or why not try making glacé icing and drizzle it over each pastry. Choice is yours. 

Here are some more recent photos from my Ramadan batch

If you can't find date paste where you live then you can make  Karimas homemade date paste for this recipe you will need to make 3 and 1/3 batches.