Maamoul (date cookies)

Method

1. 1

   Blitz the flour, semolina, baking powder, mahleb and icing sugar together with ¼ tsp salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter, oil, vanilla and rose water, and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together.

2. 2

   Tip out of the food processor and bring together using your hands – the dough should be very soft and pliable. If it’s very sticky, add some flour; if it’s crumbly or cracks, add a little more water. Divide in half and form each piece into a flat disc. Chill for 1 hr.

3. 3

   Make the filling by blitzing the dates in a food processor with the rose water, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. When the dough has chilled, divide it into 40g pieces and roll the filling into 20g balls. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, then flatten into discs. Working with one dough disc at a time, put the disc in the palm of one hand and put a filling ball on top. Stretch the dough around the filling ball to enclose it, then pat the whole thing down into a 2cm-thick disc. Press the tines of a fork into the top of the cookie in a cross-hatch pattern, then repeat with the rest of the dough and filling balls. Freeze the cookies for at least 1 hr.

4. 4

   Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Arrange the cookies on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and bake for 15-20 mins until the surface is dry and sandy and the cookies are very pale gold in colour. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack, then dust with icing sugar. Will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Nutrition

calories

220 calories

fatContent

9 grams fat

fiberContent

2 grams fiber

sugarContent

16 grams sugar

sodiumContent

0.23 milligram of sodium

proteinContent

2 grams protein

carbohydrateContent

30 grams carbohydrates

saturatedFatContent

5 grams saturated fat

Indicative values from the source, for the original recipe.

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