Walnut Pastries

Ma’moul always accompanies date cakes, ka‘k b’ajwa, as an Easter treat and the same dough is used; it symbolises the sponge that was used to wipe the face of Jesus as He suffered on the cross. As with the date cakes, ‘pinching’ the finished pastries with special tweezers is an exercise in patience and creativity that not many women enjoy. It is delicate but necessary work as it allows the cakes to hold the powdered sugar sprinkled over them before serving. It is customary to fill these past