Set the oven to 350°F (180°C) before starting the dough. This is the baking temperature for the cookies’ lightly colored finish.

Stir the sugar into melted ghee or butter, then use your fingertips to work the mixture through the flour in a bowl. Expect a crumbly mixture, using as much flour as it absorbs, typically 2¼ to 2½ cups.

Work in the rose water or listed orange blossom alternative, then knead while adding the milk gradually. A little initial stickiness should give way to a soft, pliable dough as you continue kneading.

Leave the dough undisturbed for 30 minutes, then portion it into 32 pieces and roll each into a ball. The rested dough should feel easier to shape, with smooth surfaces and evenly sized portions.

Run the chopped dates through a food processor until they form a cohesive paste. The filling should look smooth rather than chunky, with no firm pieces to push through the dough.

Roll the paste into 32 equally sized balls, using lightly oiled hands or gloves when needed. Each portion should hold together neatly without leaving a thick, sticky coating on your fingers.

For hand shaping, open a dough ball into a round in your palm, enclose one date ball, pinch the seam shut, and gently flatten into a disc before decorating with a fork or nut pick. Keep the filling centered and the shell evenly thick so no thin patch exposes the dates.

For the first mold alternative, cover the mold’s interior with part of one dough portion, add its date filling, and close with the remaining dough. Smooth the closure so the filling stays enclosed without an overloaded center.

For the preferred mold alternative, make a sealed, hand-shaped cookie first and gently press it into the mold. The surface should pick up the design while the dough remains intact around the filling.

Release molded cookies by tapping the mold’s edge against a firm surface with your other palm beneath it, using thin plastic wrap or a light flour dusting to help prevent sticking. The cookie should come out whole, with its patterned surface undisturbed.

Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet 1-2 inches apart, placing hand-shaped cookies smooth side up and molded cookies patterned side up. Keep the decorated surfaces facing upward so their details remain visible.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool, and add the optional confectioner's sugar only after cooling. At the end of baking, look for a matte, dry top and faint golden color, with pale blonde bottoms rather than a browned crust.

Pack the cooled cookies into an airtight container, or freeze them for longer keeping. Let them cool completely before packing so trapped warmth doesn’t create moisture.