Tajik Cookies are made with the cream cheese in the dough. They are stuffed with a little pocket of raisins and walnuts and dipped in sugar. They went perfectly with the green tea which is considered to be the national drink of Tajikistan.
Honestly these cookies were fun to make and everybody loved them! The cream cheese in the dough makes for a very light and delicate cookie. A true delight! These cookies can be found in Uzbekistan as well.
Fruit could also be used as a dessert for either country. Apples and pears came originally from this region and Uzbekistan is said to have the sweetest melons in the world.
Did you know that there is a strikingly beautiful mountain lake in Tajikistan called Iskanderkul? It gets its name from Alexander the Great and is believed to be where his horse, Bucephalus, drowned in a battle. The water appears to change color during the day from turquoise to milky white.
If you would like to learn more about Tajikistan an Uzbekistan, check out "Our Journey to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan" be sure to get the other Tajik and Uzbek recipes to make a complete and delicious meal, qurutob bread salad, Tajik bread and plov.
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Tajik Cookies (Cream Cheese Cookies)
Ingredients
- 2 cubes butter
- 1 pkg Cream Cheese
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp raisins
- 2 Tbsp walnuts chopped
- 1/4 cup sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Leave butter and cream cheese at room temperature.
- Soak the raisins and chop the walnuts
- In a bowl, mix butter and cream cheese well.
- Add in vanilla, flour and baking powder and mix together until a soft dough forms.
- Put the sugar on a small plate
- Take a spoonful of dough and make a ball about the size of a golf ball.
- Flatten the dough and place one side on the sugar. Flip, then put a small bit of raisins and walnuts on sugar side.
- Fold in half and place on sugar on one side.
- Fold again and place on sugar.
- Unfold a little of upper top side.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes till the cookies golden brown.
- Serve with green tea for an authentic experience.
