Arabic Sweets

 

Maamoul is a delicious traditional Lebanese cookie that is typically made on religious holidays such as Easter or Eid. What makes maamoul distinct are the subtle flavorings used in the dough and in the filling to give it an aromatic flavor, and in some cases with Acacia Incense

MAAMOUL DOUGH INGREDIENTS

1/2 kg Coarse Semolina سميد خشن

1/2 kg Fine Semolina سميد ناعم

200g Lurpak Butter

200g Crisco Vegetable Shortening

1/2 cup of Dried Milk

1 tbsp.Mahlab محلب

1/2 tbsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tbsp. Mustaka مستكه, (crush it with a tsp of sugar)

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg جوزة الطيب

1 tsp. Yeast, (dissolved in a 1/2 cup of warm water)

3 tbsp. Rose Water ماء الورد

3 tbsp. Orange Blossom water ماء الزهر

A bit of Acacia Incense, بخور optional

METHOD

Mix the coarse and fine semolina and rub with hands until well combined.

Melt the butter and Crisco on low heat, let cool down then pour on top of the semolina mix and work it with your hands until it seems crumbling and flaky.

Let rest overnight, at least 7 to 10 hours.

Next morning,

Add all the dried ingredients, dried milk, mahlab, baking powder, Mustaka, nutmeg, rose water and orange blossom water, kneading and working the dough gently.

Dilute the yeast and sugar with warm water, let rise then add it to the mixture.

Knead the dough well with your hands, cover and let rise for at least 2 hours.

NUT FILLING INGREDIENT

1/2 cup Regular Sugar

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1/4 kg Walnuts

2 tbsp Rose Water

2 tbsp Orange Blossom Water

To prepare nut filling, grind your choice for walnuts or pistachios, (don’t grind them too much as you want the filling to still have chunks of nuts).

Add sugar, rose water and orange blossom water, mix to make a juicy paste.

Same ingredients for pistachio nuts

DATE FILLING

2 cups Dates

3 to 4 tbsp. Butter

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

Use 2 cups dates. On very low heat combine the dates with 3 tbsp. of butter, bring them together to keep it a soft paste, so you can work with it, (don't overcook it, it will harden later inside the cookie when it is baked). Add ground cardamom. Let the mixture cool before using it.

MOLDING AND BAKING THE MAAMOUL

Traditionally, maamoul is shaped using a mold called a tabbeh.

These molds are carved out of wood and have a handle that can be tapped to release the cookie.

The shape of the mold signifies what filling is inside the cookie.

• Round with a flat top means a date stuffed maamoul
• Round with a cone-shaped top means walnut filled maamoul
• Oblong maamoul is stuffed with a pistachio filling

Take a piece of dough that is a bit smaller than a golf ball is placed in the palm of the hand, flattened to a thickness of 1/3 inch, fillings is placed in its center and the dough is then closed by folding the edges over the fillings. It’s then placed inside the wooden mold and press it gently with your fingers until it becomes even with the mold surface. On a cutting board (covered with a towel), strike the top tip of the mold on the board to release the cookie and make it fall out nicely shaped to the mold.

Repeat and when you have a full tray of molded maamouls, place in a none greased baking pan, bake at 200 degrees in a preheated oven and bake for a maximum of 15 to 20 minutes, until they begin to turn slightly pinkish, (you don’t want to brown them!)

As soon as you take them out of the oven and while still hot, place powdered sugar inside a strainer and sift/shake on top of the maamouls to fully cover them. Let cool down at room temperature and then sprinkle them with more powdered sugar.

Ma’amoul cookies will keep, unrefrigerated but well-sealed for up to one month, if they last longer than a day!

Note

Optional for the adventurous: If you have Acacia incense (Gum Arabic, aka "Bakhoor") handy, you can burn a bit of it in the pot that you're going to use while mixing the rose water and orange blossom water for the maamoul dough. This gives a subtle but complex traditional flavoring to the dough.

Recipe by Lena