Maamoul
Shortbread cookies stuffed with walnut, pistachio and date based fillings!
Servings Prep Time
24cookies 1.5hours
Cook Time
15minutes
Servings Prep Time
24cookies 1.5hours
Cook Time
15minutes
Ingredients
Dough
Yeast Mixture
Pistachio Filling
Walnut Filling
Date Filling
Additional Tools
Instructions
Dough Preparation
  1. In a medium size bowl add semolina, clarified butter, melted butter and vegetable oil. Between your palms rub the butter and oil into semolina until they are completely absorbed. The texture will resemble a wet sand. Cover with plastic film and lave overnight at room temperature.
  2. By the next day semolina granules will swell and soften. Add and by hand mix in the rest of dry ingredients: flour, powdered milk, confectioner’s sugar, ground nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Slowly and gently using your hand work it into the mixture until completely blended and unified.
  3. Make a well in the middle and add wet ingredients: milk and vanilla extract.
  4. In a separate small bowl prepare yeast mixture by dissolving sugar in the water and sprinkling the instant yeast on top. Wait 2-3 minutes until yeast starts foaming up.
  5. Add yeast mixture and rose water into semolina mixture well. Using your hand mix all ingredients together until unified and then knead briefly. Cover the bowl with plastic film and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
  6. By hand separate approximately 1 tbsp of dough, squeeze together and form a rough ball, and by rolling between your palms form a smooth, roughly 1″ diameter ball.
  7. Proceed and do the same with the rest of the dough and shape approximately 24 balls. Line all balls on the counter.
Date Filling
  1. Process pitted dates in a food processor until paste like substance is formed. Transfer dates to the plate, add vegetable oil to it and knead by hand until smooth paste is formed.
  2. Pinch off a piece of date paste, roll between your palms and form approximately 3/4″ diameter ball.
  3. Repeat and make a total of 8 date filling balls.
Pistachio Filling
  1. Process pistachios in a food processor until powdered. Transfer the powder to plate and add sugar and water to it. Mix with spoon until unified mixture is formed.
  2. Following the same process as for date filling, shape a total of 8 pistachio balls.
Walnut Filling
  1. Process walnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground texture is produced. Transfer to plate and mix with sugar, cinnamon and water to create unified textured mass.
  2. Following the same described process shape a total of 8 walnut balls.
Assembly and Baking
  1. Preheat the oven to 230ºC (446ºF), rack in the middle.
  2. Take a dough ball and with your thumb make a gentle depression in the ball. Keep the ball turning and shape it into a cup like shape. Insert one of the filling balls in the middle and then using your finger enclose the dough around the filling. Set aside.
  3. Repeat the same process until all 24 balls are filled.
  4. Place a plastic film over Maamoul mold (plastic or wooden mold that can be found in middle eastern stores). Take filled dough ball, place it in the mold and then pressing firmly with you fingers fill the mold.
  5. Turn the mold over and extract the formed cookie onto a baking sheet. Peel off the plastic film from the cookie.
  6. Repeat the same process with the rest of the filled dough balls.
  7. Bake 10-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
  8. Let cool completely on a cooling wire rack.
  9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
  10. Store in enclosed container at room temperature.