Twaytat, or Walnut-Filled Sweet Pockets, are a Homs specialty around Eid. They’re made with a mahlab and fennel-scented dough that is a cross between bread and cookie with a hard chew and crumbly exterior. They’re stuffed with walnuts, sugar, and orange blossom, deep fried, then coated in powdered sugar to create a sweet, crispy, nutty, melt-in-your-mouth treat.
It’s always all hands on deck for these Homsi Eid delicacies. My mom remembers generations of women gathering in the day or 2 before the holidays: her grandmother, mother, aunts, and older sisters huddled in the kitchen, kneading, forming, and stuffing dough by hand. There were a lot of mouths to feed back in the day, between the adults, siblings, and cousins. Eid was also prime opportunity for relatives and friends to visit, and every single one had to be presented with a tray full of treats, even though they just came from a house where they were offered the exact same.
Twaytat are undoubtedly the most indulgent out of all the cookie options. We were always a fairly health-conscious household. Especially since twaytat bring my dad so much joy, my mom gave us a pass with these during Eid celebrations. And on these few days out of the year? They’re 100% worth it.
Reserve half of the dough for E’ras, or delicious anise-scented shortbread disks, which will add some variety to your sweet offerings and will also save a bit of time and labor.
I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments to let everyone know how it worked out. You can also tag @omayah.atassi and #omayahcooks on Instagram! I love to see your creations!
Twaytat (Walnut Filled Sweet Pockets)
Decadent, deep fried, mahlab and fennel-scented dough pockets that are filled walnuts, sugar, and fragrant orange blossom before they’re deep fried and coated in powdered sugar. Traditionally served for Eid celebrations in Homs, Syria.
Makes: About 70 cookies
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
6 c flour
1/4 c sugar
2 c ghee
2 Tbsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp ground mahlab
1 c warm water
Filling:
4 c walnuts, chopped finely
2/3 c sugar
1/4 c orange blossom
2 q neutral cooking oil, like canola or vegetable
2 c powdered sugar
Instructions:
Combine the flour, ghee, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment set on medium. Slowly drizzle in the water until well combined. The mixture should appear somewhat crumbly, and you should feel some graininess when forming a ball in your palm, but it should come together easily. Set aside, cover with plastic wrap, and rest for 30-60 mins.
Combine the filling ingredients in a medium bowl.
To form the cookies, roll out a portion of the dough until about 1/4-inch thick. Cut circles with a 2-inch round cookie cutter.
Take a circle and flatten out the edges with your fingertips. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle, and press closed, flattening out the edges again.
At this point, you can make a pretty crimping design, or seal closed with the tines of a fork if that seems too complicated. Repeat with remaining circles and batter.
Heat your oil to about 350 F/180 C, or until a piece of bread bubbles immediately when dropped in. Fry each cookie until lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Add the powdered sugar to a medium bowl. Allow the cookies to cool for about 30 minutes before dipping and coating in the sugar.
Enjoy for up to 2-3 weeks!