Maamoul

Maamoul

Maamoul

Veg

Delicate semolina shortbread moulded into decorative shapes and filled with date paste, walnuts, or pistachios — baked for Eid and Easter celebrations across the Levant.

Cuisines

Levantine

Best for

Snacks

Recipe

Prep: 30 min Cook: 20 min Total: 50 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

Semolina 1 cup Semolina
Flour 1 cup Flour
Unsalted Butter 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter , melted
Milk 1/4 cup Milk , full-fat
sugar 1/4 cup Sugar , powdered, for dusting
Mahlab 1 teaspoon Mahlab , optional
salt 1/4 teaspoon Salt
Date 1 cup Date , pitted
butter 1 tablespoon Butter
cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon , ground

Instructions

  1. 1 In a large bowl, mix the semolina, flour, sugar, mahlab, and salt.
  2. 2 Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix until crumbly.
  3. 3 Gradually add the milk and knead the mixture into a soft dough.
  4. 4 Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  5. 5 In a food processor, blend the dates, butter, and cinnamon until smooth to make the filling.
  6. 6 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. 7 Take a small piece of dough and flatten it in your palm.
  8. 8 Place a small amount of date filling in the center and fold the dough over to seal, shaping it into a ball.
  9. 9 Place the shaped maamoul on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
  10. 10 Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the maamoul are lightly golden.
  11. 11 Allow to cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Tips

For a more authentic taste, use a maamoul mold to shape the cookies.