Maamoul Miniature Date Nut Pastries Food

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.

MA'AMOUL (LEBANESE DATE STUFFED PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Combine the dates and 1/4 cup water in a jsmall pan over a gentle heat and cook until softened, then set aside to cool.
• Sift the flour into a bowl, and add the diced, chilled butter and rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Combine the orange-blossom water or rose water with the 2 tablespoons of water and sprinkle over the flour; then mix into the flour using a round-bladed knife. Cover the dough and rest for approximately 30 minutes.
• Take a spoonful of dough and shape into a round, make a hollow with your finger and spoon a little of the date stuffing into the hollow, then seal the opening and reshape into a round.
• Continue until the dough runs out.
• Place the pastries on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover loosely with foil and bake in a pre-heated moderate oven (180°C; 350°F) for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil about halfway through the cooking, but keep an eye on them to ensure that they do not brown.
• Remove and cool on wire racks until firm.
• When thoroughly cooled, roll in sifted icing sugar.

MA'AMOUL (MINIATURE DATE-NUT PASTRIES)

Steps:

• To make the filling, combine the dates, nuts, sugar, water and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook until the dates are soft and the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
• To make the dough, sift the flour into a bowl and mix in the salt. Gently stir in the butter. Add the rose water and enough milk to make the dough adhere without being crumbly, mixing just to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Separate the dough into walnut-size pieces, about 1 1/4 inch long by 1 inch wide. Take 1 piece and gently roll it into a ball between your palms. Then make an indentation with your thumb, pinching the sides up to make a large thimble shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Fill the hollows with a scant teaspoon of the filling. Press the dough back over the filling to make a ball. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand and place all of them on a greased baking sheet.
• Decorate the top of each pastry with the tines of a fork -- straight lines are traditional. Bake for about 30 minutes; do not let the pastries brown. Let cool. Roll them in confectioners' sugar and store in an airtight tin.