Maamoul are buttery date filled middle eastern cookies that will melt in your mouth and are utterly scrumptious. Naturally sweetened with dates these have minimal added sugar. They are popular at Eid, Christmas and other holidays.
HOW TO MAKE IT:
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F
PREPARATION OF THE DOUGH:
- Melt the butter or ghee. Add oil and then stir in the sugar.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ghee/sugar mixture with flour, working them together with your fingers. Add as much flour as the butter/oil mixture will absorb and that usually varies from 2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups.
- Add the rose water and mix it in. Next add the milk, one tablespoon at a time. Then knead it all into a pliable dough. (When you add the milk, sometimes it might look like there is too much milk and the dough is sticky. But when you keep mixing it in, the milk gets absorbed.)
- Let the dough rest for a half-hour. Then roll out 32 portions of the dough into smooth balls.
PREPARATION OF THE DATE FILLING
- Process chopped medjoul dates in a food processor into a smooth mass. If not using soft mejdoul dates.
- Divide the date mass into 32 portions and roll them into smooth balls. Use oil or safe food prep gloves if needed, as the date mass can be sticky.
SHAPING OF THE DATE FILLED COOKIES:
- Take a dough ball and flatten it. Hold it in the center of your palm and cup it. Place a date ball in the center. Bring the edges of the dough together. Pinch the dough to seal well and then smoothen it out. Press it into a disc. Tip: Make sure to not use too much filling, or the cookies will crack.
- Use a nut pick or fork to create interesting patterns, or press the date filled cookie dough into a traditional maamoul mold and gently press to get the pattern on the cookie. Invert and tap the front edge of the mold onto a hard surface like a kitchen counter, and hold your palm under the mold to get the cookie that is released from the mold.
BAKING THE MAAMOUL COOKIES:
- Place the Maamoul cookies, smooth side up (for hand shaped cookies) or the patterned side up (for cookies made using mold), on a large large baking sheet.
- Make sure to space them apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not let the cookies over bake or turn too brown (Well baked cookies will appear dry on the surface unlike the moist look of raw dough. Also, they will have a light tan).
- Cool the well-baked Maamoul completely on a wire rack. Using a sieve, dust some confectioner’s sugar or a combination of the sugar with some almond meal. Store the Maamoul cookies in an airtight container.
