Saudi Shortbread Cookies	Recipes from "Forward Motion with Karen Allen" *The Following Recipes are exerpts from Arabian Delights: Recipes and Princely Entertaining Ideas from the Arabian Peninsula by Amy Riolo. Saudi Shortbread Cookies (Featured in Photo) Ingredients: 1 cup vegetable shortening, plus extra for greasing baking sheets 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon rose water 1 teaspoon orange blossom water 5 ounces blanched (skinless) almonds, slivered Preparation: Position racks in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.Grease 2 double air-cell baking sheets Mix shortening and sugar in a large bowl with a woodenspoon until sugar is completely incorporated. Add thecardamom, flour, rose water, and orange blossom water.Mix to combine well. To make colors, divide dough and add a few drops of food coloring. Mix well to incorporate the color and continue with the recipe. Roll spoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls and place on bakingsheets, leaving 1-inch between each ball. Gentlypress an almond sliver into the top of each ball andflatten slightly. If dough cracks, mend it by gently smoothing over it with your fingers. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tops begin to turn golden.(Cookies should still be white when taken out of oven.)
Ali’s Mother’s Bread Pudding Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter, for greasing pan 1 day-old classic French baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes (5 cups total) 1/2 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup dried apricots 1/2 cup pistachios, shelled 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided 1 teaspoon orange blossom water 2 cups whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon rose water 1 cup heavy cream Vanilla ice cream, for serving, if desired Preparation: Butter a 9x13-inch or 10-inch oval baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place bread chunks in the bottom of the baking dish. Mix coconut and dried apricots together and scatter over the bread. In a food processor, combine pistachios with 1 tablespoon sugar and orange blossom water. Pulse until pistachios are coarsely ground. Sprinkle mixture on top of bread. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat milk, vanilla,and 1/2 cup sugar until just boiling. Add 1 tablespoon ofhot milk to beaten eggs. Slowly pour egg mixture into milk mixture, and stir vigorously for 2 minutes. Take milk off heat, stir in rosewater, and pour evenly over bread in baking dish. Pour cream evenly over ingredients in the dish. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until bread is goldenand liquid has thickened. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Serves 6 to 8.	Date, Orange, and Feta Ball Salad Ingredients: 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped into 1-inch pieces 4 medium carrots, peeled and grated 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, rinsed 1/2 cup pitted dates Juice of 1 orange Juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon orange blossom water Freshly ground pepper, to taste 1/2 cup feta cheese, drained 1 large egg 1/4 cup flour Canola oil, for frying Preparation: Arrange romaine lettuce on the bottom of a large serving dish. Scatter carrots on top of lettuce. Arrange mandarin oranges on top of carrots. Arrange pitted dates around the top. Make dressing by whisking orange juice, lemon juice, orange blossom water, and freshly ground pepper togetherin a small bowl. Set aside. Combine feta cheese, egg, and flour in a medium bowl. Using a fork or whisk, mix until light and fluffy. Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a medium frying pan. Roll feta mixture into 1-inch balls or use a melon baller to make equal-size balls. Carefully drop feta balls into thehot oil. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a platter lined with paper towels. Arrange cheese on the top of the salad.Drizzle dressing over the salad. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Pureed Fava Beans Ingredients: 1 tablespoon clarified butter (ghee) 1 (15-ounce) can cooked fava beans with juice Juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon Saudi Spice Mix or cumin Salt, to taste 1 hard-boiled egg, crumbled 2 roma tomatoes, diced Preparation: Heat clarified butter in a medium frying pan over medium low heat. Add beans and juice from can, lemon juice, Saudi Spice Mix, and salt. Stir well to combine. Cook for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Reduce heat to low and mash slightly with a fork or potato masher.Spoon onto a serving plate. Top with crumbled egg and tomatoes. Serve with pita bread. Serves 4 to 6.	Bread with Meat Ingredients: 1/2 pound ground beef 1 onion, finely chopped Salt, to taste 1 teaspoon Saudi Spice Mix or cumin 4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) 1 teaspoon vinegar Dash of chili powder 1 tablespoon corn oil 1 (16-ounce) can prepared biscuits 1/4 cup flour, for dusting 4 tablespoons pine nuts Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F. To make meat filling, brown ground beef and onion together in a large frying pan over medium heat. Season with salt and Saudi Spice Mix. Once meat is browned, set aside. Allow meat to cool and stir in tahini, vinegar, and chili powder. Grease two baking sheets with corn oil or line with parchment paper or silicone mats. Remove biscuits from package. Dust a work surface and rollingpin with flour. Roll biscuits out into 5-inch rounds. Place 4 on each baking sheet. Evenly spread filling on top of each one leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges. Sprinkle the tops of each evenly with pine nuts. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes until bread is golden. Serve warm or cool. Or, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. Makes 8 pieces. Serves 4.   Pink Lady Cocktail Ingredients: 4 cups cold guava juice (white or pink) 4 cups cold milk 4 teaspoons grenadine Preparation: Place all ingredients in a mixer and whip until blended. Pour into glasses and serve immediately or store in a pitcher in the refrigerator. Serves 6 to 8.