Maamoul Arabian Cookies Made With Semolina Food

MAAMOUL RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix the yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and ¼ cup water. Set aside.
• In a bowl mix the semolina, ghee, butter, and vegetable oil. Let sit for ten minutes.
• Mix the flour, powdered milk, mastic, ginger, and baking powder into the semolina mixture.
• Add the yeast mixture, the ½ cup sugar, orange blossom water, and rosewater.
• Knead until a dough forms.
• Cover and place in the refrigerator for 50 minutes.
• Mix the date paste with the cinnamon and cardamom. Add a little hot water if necessary to make the date mixture more pliable.
• Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Make roughly 40 balls out of the dough, and 40 smaller balls of the date mixture.
• Press the date mixture into the dough and cover the bottom so the date does not show.
• Press dough and date filling into a maamoul mold. (If you do not have one, flatten the dough and filling until it resembles a filled cookie.) Place on a baking sheet.
• Bake Maamoul until edges are browned, five to ten minutes.
• Remove from oven when done and cool on the tray before moving the Maamoul to a cooling tray.

MAAMOUL ARABIAN COOKIES MADE WITH SEMOLINA

Steps:

• In a bowl, add the semolina and the all-purpose flour. Mix well for one minute.
• Add the melted unsalted butter to the previous mixture and mix until well combined. In this step, we are trying to coat the semolina and flour with the fat from the butter to bring out a shortbread-like taste.
• Add the baking powder, milk, vanilla or the flavoring you like, and sugar. Mix well until combined on low speed. Do not overmix the dough to prevent the Maamoul from turning hard.
• Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to an hour. This step is crucial because it allows the semolina to absorb the moisture and increase in size.
• Add ghee and sugar to the ground pistachio and mix well. Form 12 balls and Keep aside.
• Add cinnamon, sesame seeds, and ghee to the date and mix well. Form 12 balls and keep aside.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/374F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep aside.
• Bring out the dough from the fridge and form 24 balls.
• Flatten the balls and place the filling in the middle. Close the dough ball again to form a ball.
• Place the filled dough ball in the mold and press it gently to help the dough take the shape of the mold.
• Gently tap the edge of the mold over a hard surface like your kitchen counter. Place your palm under the mold to catch the Maamoul after it is released from the mold. Do not tap the mold over your hand. Careful not to hurt yourself!
• Place the shaped Maamoul on the baking sheet keeping two-inch space between each cookie and bake on the middle shelf for 20 minutes, or until the edges of the Maamoul turn light brown.
• Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.
• If you wish, you can dust the cool Maamoul with confectioner's sugar before serving.

MA'AMOUL (LEBANESE DATE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Mix semolina flour, all-purpose flour, mahlab, and salt together in a large bowl. Work clarified butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until thoroughly incorporated. Cover bowl and let dough rest at room temperature, 8 hours to overnight.
• Pour milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until just warm, about 15 seconds. Stir in sugar and yeast until dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Pour yeast mixture and orange blossom water over the dough and mix until evenly moistened. Pinch off a piece of dough and roll into a ball; it should hold its shape without cracking. Add more milk or orange blossom water if needed. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Sprinkle some flour over the ma'amoul molds and tap out the excess. Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll into a ball. Press your thumb into the ball to create space for the filling. Work the edges with your fingers so the sides are even and fairly thin. Drop in a piece of date paste and pinch dough over it to seal.
• Place cookie into the mold cavity seam-side up. Press down so that the top is flush with edges of the mold. Trim off any excess dough. Invert the mold and tap it against your work surface to release the cookie. Repeat with remaining dough and date paste, arranging cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven, 1 baking sheet at a time, until edges and bottoms are golden but tops are still mostly pale, about 15 minutes.
• Sift powdered sugar over the cookies while still slightly warm. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.