Maamoul

Maamoul — the jewel of the Levantine baker's art — are semolina shortcakes filled with dates, walnuts, or pistachios and pressed into ornate wooden moulds before baking. Their origins trace to ancient Phoenicia, and they appear in manuscripts from the Abbasid caliphate as celebratory sweets served at Eid and Easter alike. Every Lebanese family guards its own maamoul mould, passed down through generations as a mark of domestic inheritance.

Serves: Makes 30 cookies

Ingredients

Dough

• 500g (3.5 cups) fine semolina
• 200g (7 oz / 1.75 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tbsp (30ml) orange blossom water
• 2 tbsp (30ml) rose water
• 80ml (⅓ cup) warm water or milk, as needed
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pinch of salt

Date Filling

• 300g (10 oz) Medjool dates, pitted and mashed
• 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground cloves

Walnut Filling (alternative)

• 200g (7 oz) walnuts, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp (45g) sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp (15ml) rose water

Finishing

• Icing (powdered) sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Combine semolina, salt, and sugar. Mix in melted butter until fully absorbed — the mixture should resemble wet sand. Rest, covered, 1 hour (or overnight for best texture).
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar. Add to semolina along with orange blossom water and rose water. Knead briefly until a soft dough forms, adding a little more warm water if needed. The dough should not be sticky. Rest 30 minutes.
3. Prepare fillings: for dates, mash with butter, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves into a smooth paste. For walnuts, mix all filling ingredients.
4. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
5. Take a walnut-sized piece of dough (about 35g). Flatten in your palm. Place 1 tsp filling in the centre. Seal and roll into a smooth ball.
6. If using a maamoul mould, press the ball firmly into the mould, tap out gently. Alternatively, mark the surface with a fork in a decorative pattern.
7. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 15-18 minutes until set and very lightly golden on the bottom — the tops should remain pale.
8. Cool completely. Dust generously with icing sugar before serving.

Cook's Notes: Maamoul should be pale on top — colour means they are overbaked. They improve with a day of rest as the flavours deepen. Store in an airtight tin for up to two weeks.