Menenas These are a Syrian delicacy and may be kept very fresh in a tin for about 10 days or more. 6 oz. of self-raising flour 5 oz. of butter 1 lb. of dates 3 dessert spoons of sugar 2 tablespoons of oil The peel of ½ a tangerine ½-1 cup of water Icing sugar Stone the dates and mince them coarsely. Put the oil, sugar, dates and finely chopped tangerine peel into a frying pan. Mix over a gentle heat until very soft (15 minutes). Turn out on to a plate to cool. Melt the butter but do not allow it to cook. Sieve the flour on to a slab. Pour the melted butter into the middle, working with the hands as for dough. Then add the water and work well until smooth and slightly wet. It must cling together well. Roll out the pastry thinly. Cut it into rounds (1 inch in diameter). Put a teaspoonful of the mixture into each round. Close up into a ball. Pinch the pastry all over to decorate. Lay the menenas on well-greased baking sheets and cook in a very hot oven for 10 minutes, or in a pastry oven for about 20 minutes. When lightly brown, dip the menenas into the icing sugar and leave to cool on a wire rack. From "Middle Eastern Cooking" by Patricia Smouha middle eastern recipe index christina m k al-sudairy buy the book!