Spiced coconut pastries

Method

1. To make the filling, bring 400ml water to the boil in a medium saucepan, add the cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf, then simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the coconut, then turn the heat to low. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the coconut has softened and absorbed all the water. Remove from the heat.
2. In a frying pan over a medium heat, melt the ghee, then stir in the coconut mixture. Add the date molasses, then cook gently for 7-8 minutes more until the molasses has blended with the coconut and the mixture is soft with a caramel consistency. If it’s a bit runny, cook it for 2 minutes more. Take it off the heat and leave to cool completely (it will thicken as it cools).
3. Meanwhile, to make the dough, combine the flour, salt, sugar and oil in a bowl. Mix in 125ml water, then add more, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a soft, firm dough. Knead a few times, then cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
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4. When you’re ready to make the pastries, shape heaped tablespoons of the cooled filling mixture into rough balls. Knead the dough well on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Divide into 16 equal portions, then roll each into a thin round about 0.5cm thick and 8cm in diameter.
5. Put a ball of filling on the lower half of each round of pastry, about 1cm from the edge, then fold the pastry over to cover the filling to make a half-moon-shaped parcel. To seal the pastry, crimp the edges or press together lightly with a fork, making sure you ease out any air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
6. Fill a deep frying pan/wok with oil to a depth of about 5cm, then put over a high heat until the oil reaches 190°C on a digital probe thermometer (or a cube of bread turns golden in 30 seconds). Carefully fry up to 5 pastries at a time, turning the heat down to very low as soon as you’ve added the pastries. They’ll take 4-5 minutes and should be pale golden when done. Lift out the cooked pastries with a slotted spoon, then drain on the prepared tray and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining pastries, bringing the oil back up to temperature each time, then lowering to fry each batch.
7. Scatter the pastries with petals (optional) and serve warm with a cup of tea (or see make-ahead).