Ma’ amoul
Insanely good! So floral and light! A Middle Eastern stuffed shortbread that just blew my mind! Ma’amoul are small shortbread pastries filled with either pistachios, walnuts, or dates, and are traditionally flavored with orange bossom water. They are popular in the Middle East where they are available year round, although they are mostly consumed during different religious holidays. For example, in Lebanon the Christians consume them at Easter and the Muslims during Ramadan. I would be consuming them year round..;)
The Ma’amoul I made are date filled. Next time I am definitely going to add some finely chopped walnuts into my date filling. You can play around with this recipe by switching up the filling and also switching up the shape. The possibilities are endless!
Date filling:
1 cup plus ¾ cups pitted dates (you can find these at any Middle Eastern grocery store or you can order them online)
1-teaspoon orange blossom water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Directions:
Combine all ingredients together and then roll out into tiny balls. Set in the fridge until you are ready to use.
Dough:
2 cups flour
½ cup semolina
1-teaspoon baking powder
½ tsp salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1-teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup oil plus 1 tablespoon
3 tablespoons sugar
1-teaspoon orange blossom water
1 ½ tablespoon water (optional..if the dough has come together and pliable then no need..if it hasn’t then add a little water)
Icing sugar for rolling and dusting
Directions:
Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and semolina and place to the side. In another bowl mix together the butter, sugar, vanilla, orange blossom water and oil. Mix well. Mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture in 2 batches. If the mixture is a little crumbly, pour in the water a little bit at a time until the dough comes together.
Take the date balls out of the fridge. Break off pieces of the dough that are double the size of the date ball. Roll into a ball and flatten out in the palm of you hand. Place the date ball inside and seal up the dough, form into a circle. Pinch the dough all over giving it texture and a weird unusual shape (Traditionally there are special moulds for the ma’amoul, but since I don’t have one I am using another method..my hands! ☺)
These guys are ready to go in the oven. Can’t wait!
After they are all made, place on a non-stick surface like parchment paper or a silk pad and bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes until the bottom and top are lightly golden. Take the cookies out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Sprinkle the cookies with icing sugar while warm.
You will never look back..I promise! These cooking’s are so special! When you whip them out, your family and friends are going to be blown away!
