Making Ma’amul: A Middle Eastern Dessert
Esther’s Ma’amul Recipe
Dough
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
1/2 teaspoon rose water
1 cup unsalted butter or margarine or coconut oil
Nut Filling
1 pound walnuts, ground
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine or coconut oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water
Date Filling
1 pound pitted dates
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water
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Preheat oven to 350F.
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Combine flour and semolina in a large bowl until it has a crumb consistency.
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Add rose water, fold in the butter and add 1/2 teaspoon lukewarm water.
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Knead the dough well and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
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Prepare the fillings by combining the ingredients.
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Divide the dough into four portions.
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Work with one portion at a time, while covering the rest as you work.
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Pinch walnut size balls of dough, then press down on the center with your finger, to form a ½ inch indentation.
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Fill the indentation with ¼ tsp of the filling, then close the pastry.
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If using a ma’amoul mold, press the top of the pastry firmly against the mold, then lightly tap the mold on a hard surface to remove the pastry.
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Place the pastry on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Bake 10-12 minutes or until the bottom of the pastries are lightly browned and tops remain pale.
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Sprinkle the cookies with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
