Make the Dough:

Mix dry ingredients together. Gradually add warm water and knead together until consistency of typical bread dough. Add melted clarified butter and knead until butter is incorporated into dough. Don't over knead.

Let dough rise in a bowl for 60-90 minutes or until about double in size.

Roll dough until about ⅛-1/4 inch thick. Use a round container about 4 ½ inches wide to cut the dough into circles, as you do with sugar cookies. Re-roll excess dough and cut out more circles. You can also roll remaining dough into balls and then roll those balls flat.

Take a heaping teaspoon of date filling (directions below) and place just above the center of one of the circle cutouts. Fold dough in half, sealing the rounded side of the half moon by pinching the dough between your thumb and index finger. Take the tines of a fork and press around the edges on one side. Lay this side down on a baking tray, covered with parchment paper.

Let the dough rest, covered with greased plastic wrap for another 45-60 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and use the tines of the fork to decorate the top edge of the turnovers just before baking. (If you do this before it rises, the decorative effect will mostly disappear.)

Bake turnovers in the middle of the oven heated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit until lightly golden, approximately 15 minutes. Start checking at 12 minutes so they don't overbake.

Serve Date Turnovers warm for best experience. You can also freeze leftovers and warm in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes. They are also great reheated in the microwave. Serve for dessert or breakfast!

Make the Date Filling:

Chop walnuts finely.

Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter over low heat in a small saucepan.

Roughly chop up date paste.

Add dates, rose water and walnuts (if desired) to pan and stir with melted butter. It may help to place lid on pan and turn off heat for 5 minutes to help soften the date paste without drying out the filling. Remove lid, turn heat on low again and stir until all ingredients are combined. Remove date filling from heat and cover until ready to fill turnovers.