Maamoul is a semolina cookie stuffed with cinnamon scented dates. When you bite into one of these you get a little crunch and then the soft sweet dates inside.
This is a Middle Eastern cookie traditionally made at Easter. Every year at Easter time my mom would pull out the ingredients and start working and I’d be right there with her shaping, pinching, molding. She’d make about 150 pieces! No joke.
Maamoul in arabic means “built” or “made.” And let me tell you the long ingredient list justifies the name. A built cookie indeed! The ingredient list is long and the process is involved. They are delicious though and I would gladly eat a couple or 6 if they were offered to me but to make them myself was not in the plan.
Before starting this blog, I had sworn off making these cookies. But, since I want to share this recipe with you, I decided it was time to take on the challenge. My quest to adapt a simplified version was on.
I scaled my mom’s recipe way down and created a simpler version. The only thing that didn’t change is the semolina, flour, butter mixture that needs to sit overnight so the semolina can absorb the butter.
The only tools you’ll need are your hands and a fork. I used a tweezer tool which my mom gave me.
With this tool I made the markings on the cookies. If you’re able to get one of these little tweezer tools from a Middle Eastern market, go for it. Otherwise, a fork works just fine. Or no markings at all.
The wood mold is what I didn’t use and don’t plan to. Do you know how difficult it is to get the cookie out of it in tact? Almost impossible.
You can shape them any way your imagination takes you. You can make little wreaths and sprinkle them with red or green sugar. Christmas will be here before you know it.
Another filling is walnuts mixed with cinnamon and sugar. You can have fun with this.
The ingredient list:
Semolina
All Purpose Flour
Powdered Sugar
Butter
Granulated sugar
Date paste. If you can’t get date paste you can make your own. 1 cup of pitted dates, 1/2 cup of water. Add to a food processor or blender and blend the heck out of it until its paste. Easy!
Cinnamon
Milk or almond milk. I used almond milk.
Here goes:
Maamoul (Date-Stuffed Cookies) Simplified
Ingredients
½ cup butter softened
1 cup semolina
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup milk or almond milk warmed
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
Vegetable 0il for your hands
Date paste
Directions
- Place the butter, semolina, powdered sugar and flour in a bowl and combine with your hands. Keep rubbing the mixture with your hands until its well incorporated. Cover the bowl and set aside overnight.
- Meanwhile slice off a 1 inch wide piece from the block date paste
- Oil your hands and knead the date paste a little making a well. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar into the well and knead some more until it’s incorporated.
- Store in the fridge.
- The next day remove the date paste mixture from the fridge and let it come to room temp.
- Knead the semolina mixture a little more then add warmed milk. Knead some more until its incorporated. If the dough feels too wet add a little flour. If it feels too dry add a smidge more milk. You want to be able to form the dough.
- Pinch off 1 to 2 inch pieces and form them into a ball. Do the same with the date paste.
- Shape and stuff them any way you can imagine.
- Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Enjoy!
