Making Easter cookies

In this part of the world, it's a tradition to make cookies every year for Easter. Not just any cookies -- we make ka'ak bi 'ajwe (date cookies) and ma'moul. They're these little cookies made with semolina flour (or regular flour, but semolina's better) and stuffed with a date mixture, then the dough is formed into wreaths (to represent the crown of thorns placed on Christ's head) or stuffed with a nut mixture and shaped into oblong, sort of oval shapes (to remind us of the tomb where Jesus was placed). Like most things worth eating, they take a bit of prep work, and, true to form in the Arab world, take a long time to make. I think that has to do with the fact that Arabs tend to be incredibly hospitable people, so they make A LOT. Not just a few dozen -- we're talking hundreds of these little morsels to share with family and friends who come over to socialize during the Easter holidays. Making these cookies is also a very communal event, so usually you get together with a couple of other ladies from your church or family and work on them together. Many hands make light work, that sort of thing. On Thursday I went to my neighbor's house and spent a few hours helping.

Yesterday, it was my turn. My neighbor and her mother showed me how to make the dough (I had already prepared the filling at my house), and then we got to work!
My neighbor's mom forming the cookies

This is the part that takes a long time -- the decorating. We use these tiny, serrated tweezers to imprint the designs onto the dough. My neighbor is quite a pro at this, as she's been doing it for years, so I wanted a picture of hers instead of mine!

This is the ka'ak bi 'ajwe. Once these have baked and cooled, they are dusted with powdered sugar.
ka'ak on the left, ma'moul on the right