Make the filling: In a small saucepan, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking often, until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Pour in the honey and bring to a simmer, whisking to mix it evenly with the ghee-flour mixture. Once the honey begins bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds and nuts (if using). Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Using a teaspoon, scoop some of the honey mixture and roll it into a small ball. Place it on a plate and repeat rolling balls of honey filling. Place the plate in the refrigerator to chill the balls of honey filling until ready to use.

Make the dough: In a small saucepan, melt the ghee completely. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the milk and yeast (if using). If using rose water or vanilla instead of the spice mix, stir it in now.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spice mix. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the warm ghee mixture. Stir with your hands until a dough forms and there are no dry patches of flour remaining, kneading only as long as needed to form a smooth dough.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1-ounce (2-tablespoon) ice cream scoop, portion the dough and roll into balls. Flatten each ball in your hand into about a 3-inch (7.5 cm) round and place 1 ball of honey filling in the center. Gather the dough around the filling to encase it and then reroll the dough into a ball. Arrange the filled dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.

If using a kahk stamp, press it lightly onto each flattened dough ball.  If using a maamoul mold, lightly press the cookie ball into the mold to imprint its design. If using tongs, pinch a design on the top of each flattened dough ball. If using a fork, press its tines on the top of the cookie in a crosshatch pattern. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator to chill the cookies for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas Mark 4).

Bake until golden brown all over, about 20 minutes, switching racks and rotating the baking sheets front to back halfway through.

Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies rest on the pans for 1 minute. While the cookies are still warm, dust each with powdered (icing) sugar on top and let cool completely on the pans.

Once completely cooled, dust the cookies with more powdered sugar before serving.

– Excerpted from Crumbs © 2024 by Ben Mims. Photography © 2024 by Simon Bajada. Reproduced by permission of Phaidon. All rights reserved.