Eid al Adha is one of the 2 major holidays celebrated across the Muslim world. Lasting 4 days, it’s filled with visits from loved ones, delicious food, and endless amounts of sweets.
Eid al Adha marks the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca, which is required of all Muslims (who are able to, both physically and financially). It also commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to comply with God by sacrificing his son (who God replaced with a lamb). Translated as Feast of the Sacrifice, Muslims slaughter an animal, usually a lamb, for their families and the poor.
My mom remembers the days leading up to Eid in their home in Homs, Syria, when generations of women huddled together in the kitchen preparing varieties of cookies to offer visiting relatives, friends, and neighbors. Indulgent, lightly sweetened, and buttery doughs made with flour and/or semolina are stuffed with dates, pistachios, or walnuts. Read on to learn the 5 special cookies they make in Homs for this scrumptious holiday.
A non-typical filling with a traditional dough. These semolina cookies pair perfectly with candied orange peel and orange blossom syrup.