Description
Maamoul are traditional Middle Eastern cookies filled with sweet date paste and delicately flavored with orange blossom water. Made with semolina and flour for a melt-in-your-mouth texture, these festive cookies are often enjoyed during Eid, Christmas, and other special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3/4 cup ghee or clarified butter
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons orange blossom water or vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups semolina flour
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons mahleb (optional; replace with flour if not using)
- 1–3 tablespoons milk, room temperature
- 10 oz date paste or 20 pureed pitted Medjool dates
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, for finishing
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat together ghee and granulated sugar until creamy. Add the egg and orange blossom water (or vanilla) and mix well.
- Stir in semolina flour, all-purpose flour, and mahleb (if using). Gradually add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a soft dough forms that is not sticky.
- Cover dough and let it rest for 30 minutes to relax the semolina.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into small portions (about the size of a walnut). Flatten each piece and place about 1 teaspoon of date paste in the center. Seal and shape into a ball or press into a maamoul mold dusted with flour.
- Arrange cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15–20 minutes, until set but not browned.
- Cool completely, then dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Notes
- Do not overbake—the cookies should stay pale with just a hint of golden color on the bottoms.
- Mahleb adds authentic flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- You can shape the cookies by hand if you don’t have a maamoul mold.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 25mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: maamoul, date filled cookies, semolina cookies, Middle Eastern dessert, Eid cookies