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Ma'amoul

Name: Ma'amoul
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 120 g fine semolina; 40 g all-purpose flour; 70 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 20 g caster sugar; 30 ml milk; 5 ml rose water; 5 ml orange blossom water; 2 g baking powder; 1 g fine salt; 100 g date paste; 8 g unsalted butter, softened; 2 ml rose water; 2 ml orange blossom water; 10 g icing sugar

Ma'amoul are delicate semolina butter cookies with a tender, sandy crumb and a fragrant filling of soft dates scented with rose and orange blossom water. Lightly dusted with icing sugar, they are subtly floral, rich without being heavy, and especially lovely with coffee or tea.

45 min

2 servings

662 kcal

Lebanese

Ingredients

Dough

120 gfine semolina
40 gall-purpose flour
70 gunsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
20 gcaster sugar
30 mlmilk
5 mlrose water
5 mlorange blossom water
2 gbaking powder
1 gfine salt

Date filling

100 gdate paste
8 gunsalted butter, softened
2 mlrose water
2 mlorange blossom water

To finish

10 gicing sugar

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional and line a small baking tray with baking paper. In a bowl, whisk together the fine semolina, all-purpose flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and fine salt so the leavening is evenly distributed.
2
Pour in the melted butter and rub it thoroughly into the semolina mixture with your fingertips for 2 to 3 minutes, until all the grains look evenly moistened and sandy. This coating step is key to a tender, short crumb.
3
Mix the milk, rose water, and orange blossom water, then add to the bowl. Stir just until a soft dough forms with no dry patches; do not knead heavily or the cookies will lose their delicate texture.
4
In a separate bowl, work the date paste with the softened butter, rose water, and orange blossom water until smooth and pliable. Divide the filling into 8 small pieces and roll them into balls.
5
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Flatten one piece in your palm, place a date filling ball in the center, and wrap the dough around it, pinching well to seal. Roll gently into a smooth ball and lightly flatten. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. If using a ma'amoul mold, press each filled ball seam-side up into the mold, then tap out.
6
Arrange the shaped ma'amoul on the tray with a little space between them. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms are pale golden and the tops are set but still fairly light; authentic ma'amoul should not brown deeply.
7
Let the cookies rest on the tray for 10 minutes so they firm up without cracking, then transfer to a rack. Once warm rather than hot, dust lightly with icing sugar and serve.

Nutrition per serving

662 kcal

Calories

Protein

87g

Carbs

31g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•For the best texture, use fine semolina rather than coarse; coarse semolina makes the dough harder to shape in a quick version.
•If the dough cracks while shaping, moisten your fingertips with a few drops of milk and smooth it gently.
•Traditional ma'amoul often rests much longer before baking, but this scaled recipe is designed to fit the 45-minute limit while still giving a classic result.
•These cookies pair beautifully with Arabic coffee or mint tea.

Background

Ma'amoul is a cherished Levantine pastry made for celebrations such as Eid, Easter, and family gatherings, with especially deep roots in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and surrounding regions. The molded semolina cookies are traditionally filled with dates, walnuts, or pistachios, and their decorative patterns often indicate the filling inside.

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