Authentic Arabic & Levantine Recipes
Maamoul Recipe: Authentic Levantine Semolina Cookies Stuffed with Dates & Pistachios
Semolina maamoul are the crown jewel of Levantine Eid baking, scented with pure ghee, aromatic mahlab, mastic and orange blossom water. Resting a blend of extra-fine and medium semolina with warm ghee overnight yields a melt-in-the-mouth crust that holds its intricate wooden-mould pattern in a hot oven.
Also known as:Levantine semolina maamoulEid cookies with dates, pistachios & walnutsSyrian & Lebanese maamoul bil-smeed
Servings12
Prep time60 min
Cook time15 min
Ingredients
Add all ingredients to cart- 500 g extra-fine semolina (farkha) combined with 500 g medium semolina
- 450 g warm melted ghee plus 100 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp finely ground mahlab and 1/2 tsp mastic tears pounded with a pinch of sugar
- To bind the dough: 150 ml cold water, 50 ml orange blossom water, 2 tbsp thick sugar syrup (qatr) and 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- For the filling: 600 g soft date paste kneaded with 1 tbsp ghee and 1/2 tsp cinnamon or cardamom (or crushed pistachios/walnuts bound with sugar syrup and blossom water)
Preparation Steps
- 1Rubbing the semolina ('bass', 6 hours or the night before): Mix the extra-fine and medium semolina with the icing sugar, ground mahlab and mastic in a wide bowl; warm the ghee over low heat for 3 minutes, pour over the semolina and rub thoroughly between your palms for 10 minutes, then cover and rest so the grains drink up the ghee.
- 2Prepare the filling by kneading the date paste with 1 tbsp ghee and cinnamon or cardamom until supple, then roll into hazelnut-sized balls.
- 3Binding the dough: Stir the cold water, orange blossom water, sugar syrup and tiny pinch of yeast together, pour over the rested semolina and fold gently from bottom to top with spread fingertips (never knead vigorously once water is added) until the dough comes together; chill for 20 minutes.
- 4Hollow out a ball of dough into a thin cup in your palm, enclose a date ball inside, seal smoothly, press into a lightly dusted wooden maamoul mould (tabi') and tap out onto a baking sheet.
- 5Bake in a blazing preheated oven (230–240 °C) for 12 minutes – starting on the top rack under the broiler element for the first few minutes to lock in the pattern, then baking the base – until pale golden blonde; cool completely on the tray before dusting with icing sugar if using nut fillings.
