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A green platter filled with golden-brown, glossy Kleicha pastries featuring a visible chocolate swirl or filling, neatly arranged in overlapping rows.
5 from 4 ratings

Authentic Iraqi Kleicha (Date or Walnut Filling)

Yield: 65 Pieces*
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 50 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
Kleicha is Iraq's national cookie, made for large celebrations like Eid. The dough has a soft yet slightly crisp texture, and it can be filled with a cinnamon date filling or a cardamom walnut filling. Baked until golden brown with a light coating of egg wash, it's the perfect accompaniment to a cup of Arabic tea.
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Ingredients
 

For The Dough (1 Batch):

  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 cup water, warm to the touch
  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour, plus 4 tablespoons (435g total)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cardamom, freshly ground preferred
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or olive oil (118ml)
  • 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, (118ml)

For the Date Filling (using 1 Batch of dough ~ 65 pieces):

  • 1 kg Date paste
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup ground cinnamon

For the Walnut Filling (using 1 Batch of dough ~ 35 pieces):

  • 150 g walnuts
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom, freshly ground preferred
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 100g
  • 1 small egg, or half a large egg

For Baking:

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, to grease the pan
  • 1 small egg plus 1 yolk, for egg-wash (the extra yolk adds colour)

Instructions
 

To Make the Dough:

  • Important Note: This recipe makes 1 batch of the dough, which is enough for either the date filling or walnut filling quantities specified. If you want to make both, either double the dough, or halve the fillings. Also, visual instructions are in the post body above.
  • A large ceramic bowl filled with bubbly, risen bread dough, reminiscent of the airy texture found in freshly baked Kleicha, rests on a white countertop.
    Start by mixing the warm water (this should be warm tap water not hot water), and the yeast in small bowl. Mix with a spoon then leave the yeast to activate for 5 minutes.
  • A metal mixing bowl contains thick, pale yellow Kleicha cookie dough with a flat beater attachment partially visible on the left side.
    In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt and ground cardamom. Use a dough hook and mix to combine the dry ingredients. Then, add the melted butter and vegetable oil. Mix with the dough hook until the butter and oil are incorporated evenly in the flour, and the mixture starts to resemble wet sand. This will take at least 5 minutes.
  • A ball of yellowish kleicha dough rests in the bottom of a large, stainless steel mixing bowl on a light-colored countertop.
    Add the water and yeast mixture to the stand mixer and start kneading the dough on medium speed. Continue to knead for at least 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough starts to come together into a ball. Make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl if required. You'll know its ready when the sides of the bowl are clean and the dough is together as one ball. It will feel soft and greasy to the touch, and it will look slightly dark and speckled with cardamom. Cover with a towel and allow it to rise for an hour while you prepare the filling.

To Make the Date Kleicha (Refer to video and in-post photos for visuals):

  • A green spatula stirs a thick, reddish-brown Kleicha paste in a black skillet on a stovetop. Some oil is visible around the mixture as it cooks.
    Preheat the oven to 425F and place a rack on the bottom. In a skillet on medium low heat, melt the butter. Add the date paste to the skillet and use a non-stick spatula to mix the paste into the butter for a few minutes. This step caramelizes the dates and adds extra flavour, as well as softens it. The paste will be a bit sticky but that's okay. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes
  • Hands kneading dark brown kleicha dough on a red and beige silicone pastry mat with concentric circles and measurements in inches. The person’s fingers are dusted with dough.
    Since the date paste is sticky, you need to use a large non-stick silicone baking mat OR use a large piece of greased parchment paper or wax paper, at least 15 by 20 inches in size, placed on a flat surface. Place the date paste onto the mat and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon and then use your hands to knead the cinnamon in. The cinnamon will also start to make the date less sticky (sort of like using flour). Use up 3/4 of the cinnamon in this process and continue to knead the cinnamon into the paste.
  • A sheet of dark fruit leather is being peeled away from parchment paper, revealing its smooth texture beneath, on a red and beige silicone baking mat reminiscent of traditional Kleicha preparations.
    Then gather the date paste into a disc on the surface and place a large parchment sheet or wax paper on top. Use a rolling pin to roll the date paste on top of the parchment paper so it does not stick. Roll it into a very thin layer, roughly 1/8 inch thick.
  • A wooden rolling pin with light green handles rests on a large, evenly rolled-out sheet of kleicha dough on a light surface.
    On another large flat surface, roll out the dough using a rolling pin to a thin layer, approximately 1/8 inch thick. This should be easy to do since the dough will be pliable and greasy. Once rolled out, you are ready to start filling it with the dates.
  • Rolled-out Kleicha dough with a marbled, cow print pattern made from patches of dark brown and light tan colors, resembling the appearance of a cowhide.
    Break small pieces of the rolled out date paste using your hands and place it on top of the rolled out dough. Continue to break up small pieces and stick them over the dough, covering the whole surface and leaving just 1/4 inch of space between the pieces. It will start to resemble a cow-like pattern. The reason the date paste is added in this manner is to make rolling much easier than using a whole sheet of the paste.
  • A sheet of rolled dough covered with a spread of dark cinnamon filling and sprinkled with cinnamon, ready to be rolled up for delicious Kleicha or classic cinnamon rolls.
    Once the date paste is used up, sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon over the dough and dates.
  • Rolled-out dough covered with a cinnamon-sugar and chocolate filling is being rolled up on a marble surface, much like preparing Kleicha or classic cinnamon rolls.
    Use a knife to make a straight cut across the length of the dough to divided it into two equal halves. Starting from the inside, roll the dough gently onto itself so that the dates is on the inside and the dough is on the outside. Roll each half into a long log until you reach the end.
  • A hand slices rolled Kleicha dough logs with a knife on a marble surface, preparing even pieces for baking.
    You can cut the logs in half to make them slightly shorter and more manageable, in which case you will have 4 shorter logs. Use the rolling pin to flatten them just slightly. Then use a sharp knife to cut them into pieces roughly 3/4 of an inch wide.
  • Five strips of Kleicha dough, sliced into sections, are arranged on a marble surface. Each piece has two holes poked in it, and a hand is poking holes in the dough at the bottom right.
    Once all the pieces are cut, use a date seed or any other utensil to make two small holes in the middle of the date kleicha pieces.
  • Grease a large sheet pan generously with the vegetable oil, and whisk together the egg and the yolk. Arrange the kleicha pieces on the pan, leaving roughly 1/4 inch of space between each. Brush each piece with the eggwash. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the bottom is golden brown, then broil for 2 minutes. Stay close by as you broil so the kleicha does not get too dark. Remove from the oven and place in a large tray covered with a towel so they don't dry out.

To Make the Walnut Kleicha (Refer to video and in-post photos for visuals):

  • A stainless steel mixing bowl contains a crumbly mixture of brown sugar, butter, and chopped nuts—perfect for preparing Kleicha—with a metal spoon resting inside.
    Prepare the walnut mixture by crushing the walnuts into small pieces but avoid crushing them into a powder. You can crush them using a food processor or pound them in a closed freezer bag with a rolling pin. Add the cardamom, sugar, and the egg and mix well using a spoon until the mixture is well incorporated.
  • On a large flat surface, roll out the dough using a rolling pin to a thin layer, approximately 1/8 inch thick. This should be easy to do since the dough will be pliable and greasy.
  • A hand uses a glass to cut circles from rolled-out Kleicha dough on a marble surface, creating several perfect dough rounds.
    Use a small tea or coffee cup, or a cookie cutter that has a diameter of roughly 2 inches to cut out 2-inch circles in the dough. Do this all over the dough, then gather up the dough scraps to roll them out again and cut more 2-inch circles until the dough is used up.
  • A hand holds a piece of dough filled with a brown, chunky Kleicha filling. In the background, flat dough with circular shapes cut out is visible.
    Take each circle and flatten out using your fingers. Place a spoonful of the walnut mixture in the middle and fold the circle into a half moon shape, securing the edges. Use as much or as little filling to make this possible without over filling the dough.
  • Two hands are folding and pinching the edge of a small, round piece of dough, forming a dumpling shape similar to kleicha. In the background, more dough circles are cut out from rolled dough.
    Using your fingers to create a braid-like edge (similar to an empanada) to secure the kleicha. If you find this difficult you can simply press it shut without creating a pattern. Use your pink to create a small indent in the middle of each piece (this prevents it from bubbling).
  • A hand uses a brush to apply egg wash to rows of uncooked dumplings or kleicha arranged on a baking sheet.
    Grease a large sheet pan generously with the vegetable oil, and whisk together the egg and the yolk. Arrange the kleicha pieces on the pan, leaving roughly 1/4 inch of space between each. Brush each piece with the egg-wash. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the bottom is golden brown, then broil for 2 minutes. Stay close by as you broil so the kleicha does not get too dark. Remove from the oven and place in a large tray covered with a towel so they don't dry out.

Notes

  • Important note: this recipe gives you quantities for 1 batch of dough, which is enough to make 1 batch of the date filled kleicha (approx. 65 pieces) OR 1 batch of the walnut kleicha (approx. 35 pieces).
  • If you want to make both, either double the dough to 1 batch of each kleicha, or halve the filling portions and use half the dough for each of the fillings.
  • Visual step by step photos are in the blog post above. I highly recommend you reference them to make this recipe.
  • You can also reference the video in the recipe card.
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