Every week I cook a Middle Eastern recipe, this week (17/52) I made Maamoul; Ancient Middle Eastern semolina cookies stuffed with Nuts and Dates that are eaten during Eid, Easter and Hanukkah

In households across the Middle East, millions of Maamoul (also called Kaak) are being baked in Preparation of Eid this coming Friday. Maamoul are semolina cookies (or biscuits if you aren't American) that are stuffed with spiced nut or date fillings. Over the centuries they have become associated with religious holidays and are served by Muslims, Christians and Jews during their festivities. These cookies are quite similar to the Egyptian Kahk ones I posted about last Eid and it is thought that Maamoul evolved from Kahk, thus giving them a shared pharaonic origin.

What is Maamoul

To put it simply Maamoul are semolina cookies, they are stuffed with nuts (usually pistachios or walnuts, but sometimes almonds as well) or fruit (most commonly date but sometimes figs). The cookies are spiced with Mahlab, which is made from the ground seeds of cherries as well as Orange Blossom or Rose water. Mahlab gives the cookies a slight cherry and almond flavor that is really pleasant.

The cookies are formed in Maamoul moulds which are traditionally wooden etched moulds, that give them a distinct pattern and shape. Most families have a number of moulds that they use every year, but there are also specially designed tweezers which are used to etch the surface of the cookies. Some designs have specific meanings, for example some Christian populations make a Spiked Ring shape Maamoul which is supposed to represent Jesus' Crown of thorns and is served during Easter. It's standard practice to use a different mould or etching for each flavor so that you always know what each cookie contains. Like I mentioned above these cookies are eaten by Muslims during Eid (both eids), Christians during Easter and Christmas, and Jews during Hanukkah and Purim.

The cookies themselves have no sugar in the dough, instead the filling is usually sweetened lightly, and then the cookies are dusted with a light dusting of powdered sugar; this is another trait they share with Egyptian Kahk. Maamoul are served alongside Tea or Turkish coffee as the cookies on their own can have a bit of a crumbly texture. There are actually a few commercial brands who mass produce Maamoul, these are good but they cheat a little by using flour rather than semolina.

History

Like I mentioned above, Maamoul are thought to have evolved from Egyptian Kahk, which themselves are thought to have been a Pharaonic food. Some Pharaonic temples contain etchings that depict the preparation of Kahk, which were given to priests as an offering during certain rituals. It is thought that over 100 different designs existed during the Pharaonic period, in particular round disc shaped designs which carried a depiction of the sun god Ra.

During the Fatamid caliphate's (909-1171) rule of the Middle East a government office was setup, whose purpose was to ensure the baking and distribution of Kahk or Maamoul to the general populace during Eid Festivities. The Fatamid's used these as a means of winning over their newly conquered subjects and reminding them of the generosity of their rulers, even going so far as to inscribe them with the words "Kol wa Eshkor Mawlak" "Eat and Thank your master". As a result of this government office, the cookies are thought to have spread across the Middle East and become a staple during religious festivities.

It's not clear when the shift from flour to semolina was made, but the clear distinction between Kahk and Maamoul is that Maamoul are made with semolina. Some families use a combination of both, but the distinction is still there as Egyptian Kahk is never made with any semolina. Although they are quite similar in shape and composition, the two cookies are regarded as distinct foods in the Middle East.

Flavor Profile

Unlike Kahk, Maamoul has a flavored dough. When the dough is being assembled, it is hydrated using Orange Blossom Water or Rose water as opposed to milk in Egyptian Kahk. Orange blossom water has a very slight citrus flavor and almost tastes like jasmine flowers, rose water on the other hand has an extremely strong rose flavor that tastes and smells like a grandma. I have an aversion to rose flavor and so I never use it myself, however when I have had Maamoul with rose, it's always a very slight background flavor and so it must be heavily diluted before use.

The other major flavor component is Mahlab and it's a spice that is placed in both the dough and the fillings. Mahlab is a spice made from the seeds of cherries. It has a slight cherry flavour, but also tastes likes almonds and a bit floral. It's really subtle in flavor but really elevates these cookies.

The stuffings of the Maamoul also lend a lot to the flavor of the cookies. The nut stuffings are usually spiced with a combination of Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg, and Clove. The fruit stuffings are usually seasoned lightly with some cinnamon or nutmeg. It's also common for some families to mix some more rose or orange blossom water into the stuffings as well.

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients:

500g (17.5 oz) fine semolina
250g (8.75 oz) clarified butter/ghee or about 300-350g (10.5-12.25oz) butter to make this
150ml (5 fl oz) orange blossom water
1 Tbsp Mahlab powder
Pinch of salt

Syrup (for the fillings):

100g (3.5 oz) Sugar
50g (1.75 oz) Water
Squeeze of lemon juice

For the Walnut filling:

150g (5.25 oz) Walnuts
1 Tbsp caster sugar
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
3 Tbsp Syrup or you can use honey
Splash rose water/orange blossom (optional)
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon powder
1/2 Tsp Mahlab powder
1/8 Tsp Cloves powder
1/8 Tsp Mace or Nutmeg powder
1/8 Tsp Cardamom powder

For the Pistachio Filling:

150g (5.25 oz) pistachios
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp honey/thick syrup
Splash rose water/orange blossom (optional)

For the Date Filling

200g (7 oz) Date Paste or Pitted Dates
20g (0.7 oz) Clarified Butter

Directions:

To make the clarified butter

1. Melt butter in a pot on medium heat
2. Once butter has fully melted, let it boil for a couple of minutes before removing from heat
3. Skim off any foam that has floated to the surface then pour out into a jug to cool. As it cools the milk solids should settle to the bottom of the jug
4. Carefully measure out 250g of the clarified butter, being sure not to tilt the jug too much so you don't disturb the milk solids

For the dough

This can fully be made by hand 1. Add Mahlab and semolina to a mixing bowl and mix briefly to combine 2. Add the cooled but still liquid clarified butter to the semolina and mix to combine 3. Once combined, grab handfuls of semolina in your hands and rub between your palms (as if you were rubbing sand) to massage the clarified butter into the semolina 4. After 5 minutes of massaging the semolina it should have a uniformly yellow color. Cover with some plastic wrap and leave to rest overnight 5. The next day it will have hardened a little, rework the mixture until it starts to come together almost like a dough (should take a few minutes) 6. Once a soft buttery dough has formed, add the orange blossom and salt then knead until fully absorbed, it forms a soft dough after about 5 mins 7. Cover and let it rest for about 30 minutes before using

To make the syrup

1. Add sugar, water and lemon juice to a pot on medium heat
2. Swirl the pot a couple of times to dissolve the sugar and let it come to a boil
3. Once the sugar has dissolved turn the heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened

For the walnut filling

1. Toast your walnuts in a dry pan or in the oven until slightly fragrant
2. Chop the walnuts into small chunks about the size of a grain of rice or two. You can use a knife but pulsing it in the food processor is a lot quicker
3. Add the walnuts to a bowl as well as the sugar and spices, mix thoroughly to combine
4. Add the cooled syrup and mix until it starts to clump together and you can form small clusters of nuts using your hands. Add more syrup if necessary

For the Pistachio Filling

1. Toast your pistachios in a dry pan or in the oven until fragrant
2. Chop the pistachios into small chunks about the size of a grain of rice or two. You can use a knife but pulsing it in the food processor is a lot quicker
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until it starts to clump together. Add more syrup if necessary

For the Date filling

1. Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl and massage by hand until combined
2. If you are using pitted dates instead, then it's easier to do this in a small pot on a low heat

To assemble the cookies:

1. Portion the dough out into 20g balls and roll each ball in your hands till smooth
2. To fill the Maamoul, make an indentation in your dough ball and add a teaspoon of filling into it
3. Use your fingers to press the dough around the filling and seal into a ball once more
4. Roll in your hands until smooth again
5. Place the dough ball into a Maamoul mould and press down to imprint
6. Smack your Maamoul mould onto a surface at an angle to get the formed Maamoul to drop out (Alternatively to a mould you could use the sides of a fork or any other kitchen utensils to etch a pattern into your maamoul)

To cook:

1. Evenly space out your cookies on a grease proof paper lined tray, they don't spread much at all so you can fit quite a few in at once
2. Bake in an oven preheated to 200c or 392f for 12 minutes total, rotating it fully at the 6 minute mark
3. Remove and let them cool on the tray for 15-30 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar
4. Serve and enjoy

Notes and Tips:

• The flavor of Maamoul develops a lot after baking, I highly recommend letting them sit for at least 48 hours before eating as it will allow the fat to resettle in the cookie and the flavors to come together properly
• If you don't have a Maamoul mould, try using forks or the underside of some crockery to shape your cookies. You could use a small gravy boat to shape your cookies into oblong shapes
• Fine semolina should be used as opposed to coarse semolina, some people use a mix of both but coarse semolina alone would result in a really dry and crumbly cookie

As always I have a full video recipe in my post history if you would like to check it out, I always appreciate the support. Leave a comment if you have a specific Middle Eastern dish you'd like a recipe for

bon appetit