The Maamoul is on of the favourites in the Middle Eastern holidays as a dessert and even as a breakfast.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Making the dough
Start by making the dough. In a big bowl, add the flour, baking powder, semolina and mix everything well. For this cookies, you can use the durum wheat semolina which is used for pizza and pasta (this is the one that I have used, it is available in Carrefour Romania). Add the melted butter slowly and start kneading until you form a dough. It will be crumbly but don't worry, it will look better once you add the milk. Semolina is key in maamoul cookies as it gives crunchiness and a distinct taste, so don't miss it! After that, add 1 tbsp of rose water and the milk gradually and keep mixing. If the dough looks too dry, add 10 more ml or one more tbsp. Set aside.
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Make the filling
Mix the dates paste with 1 tbsp of rose water and portion it into 20 small balls. Take a small piece of dough, flatten it with your hand and add the dates filling to it. Cover the filling with the dough until you form a ball. Take the cookie and press it int the maamoul mould (if you don't have it, that's fine, you can use a fork if you want to draw some models on them) and place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Repeat the steps with the remaining cookies. Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius or until golden brown. These cookies can be filled with walnuts or pistachios as well but in that case sugar is added. They are very versatile and delicious!
Enjoy!
Recipe created and cooked by Andreea Farcas from Romadian Masala. You can find all her creations inspired by the world on her website or Instagram page.
