Maamoul

Maamoul (Lebanese semolina date & walnut cookies)

Buttery, moulded semolina cookies filled with sweet dates or walnuts, traditionally dusted with powdered sugar and served at Eid and Easter across the Levant.

Prep

45 min

Cook

20 min

Total

65 min

Serves

Makes about 30 cookies

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) fine semolina, not coarse; do not substitute with cornmeal
• •150 g (5¼ oz) plain flour
• •175 g (6 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly; ghee is traditional
• •60 ml (4 tbsp) rosewater, plus 1 tsp extra for the filling
• •60 ml (4 tbsp) orange blossom water
• •125 ml (½ cup) whole milk
• •10 g (2 tsp) instant yeast
• •75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar, for the dough
• •1 pinch salt
• •300 g (10½ oz) Medjool dates, pitted; traditional filling
• •100 g (3½ oz) walnut halves, or pistachios; traditional filling
• •30 g (2 tbsp) powdered sugar, for dusting after baking

Steps

1. 1 The night before (about 8–12 hours), combine the semolina, flour, melted butter, rosewater, orange blossom water, milk, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix to a soft, wet dough, cover and rest at cool room temperature so the semolina hydrates - this step is essential and cannot be skipped.
2. 2 Make the filling: pulse the pitted dates with the extra teaspoon of rosewater and a tablespoon of water until a smooth, thick paste forms. Roughly chop the walnuts (or leave pistachios whole). Divide the date paste into 10 g (½ tsp) portions and roll into small balls; do the same with the nuts.
3. 3 When ready to shape, lightly grease maamoul moulds (or the tines of a fork) with a little melted butter.
4. 4 Take a walnut-sized piece of dough (about 25 g / 1 oz), flatten it in your palm, place a date or nut ball in the centre and enclose fully, pressing to seal.
5. 5 Press the filled ball firmly into the mould, then tap out onto an ungreased baking tray, patterned side up. Repeat with all the dough and filling.
6. 6 Let the shaped cookies rest, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) - this helps the surface set so the pattern holds.
7. 7 Bake for 15–18 minutes on the middle shelf until the cookies are pale gold on the bottoms only - the tops should remain pale, not browned. Over-baking is the most common mistake; they should look under-done on top.
8. 8 Cool on the tray for 5 minutes (they firm up as they cool), then transfer to a rack and dust generously with powdered sugar once fully cool. Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.