Kleija

Kleija is the pride of Buraidah, the date capital of Saudi Arabia’s Qassim region, where families have baked these stuffed cookies for generations. The shortbread-like dough is scented with cardamom, anise, and caraway, wrapped around a heart of sweet date paste, and pressed with a carved wooden mold before baking. The city is so proud of the cookie that it hosts festivals in its honor, and no guest leaves Buraidah without a box. Bakers in Qassim still press each cookie by hand with family molds that are decades old.

The pride of Buraidah

The cookies are crumbly and delicate, barely sweet in the dough itself, so the rich, caramel-like date filling is the star. Cardamom and anise give every bite a warm, perfumed character that makes kleija unmistakable. They keep for weeks in an airtight tin, which is why they are the region’s favorite gift — and why you should make a double batch. They are excellent with Arabic coffee, which is how they are always served.

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