MAAMOULS RECIPE

Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 45 mins

Maamouls are typical Lebanese shortbreads, usually stuffed with dates, but which can also be filled with pistachios, almonds or walnuts.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian
Servings: 45 maamouls
Author: Vera Abitbol

Ingredients

For the dough

3-¼ cups extra-fine durum wheat flour (or semolina)
2-¼ cups flour
1 cup softened butter
¾ cup icing sugar + some for dusting
1-½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup milk
¼ cup orange blossom water , rose water or a mixture of both

For the filling

8 oz. date paste
3 tablespoons toasted walnuts
5 tablespoons toasted pistachios
3 tablespoons toasted almonds

Instructions

Filling

1. Mix all ingredients together or separate all the dried fruits and mix each of them with date paste.

Dough

1. In a large container, place the extra fine semolina, the flour, icing sugar, softened butter, baking powder. Mix well until reaching a dough that feels like sand.
2. Add the milk and then the required amount of orange blossom water and/or rose water. Form a ball of dough. It should be smooth, not sticky.
3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature.
4. Form balls of about ½ oz.
5. Stuff each ball of dough with the date and nuts. Roll the ball so the filling is fully coated with dough.
6. Shape the balls using a maamoul mold. Put the dough inside the maamoul mold and pack well, turn the mold over and give a quick tap to unmold.
7. Place the maamouls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook in a preheated oven at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. Pastries must remain very white.
8. As you take them out of the oven, sprinkle with icing sugar.
9. Maamouls can be kept for eight days in an airtight container.