Mamoul (Middle Eastern Date-Filled Cookies)
These delicious Middle Eastern cookies are made with semolina and filled with date paste, though they can also be found with walnut or pistachio fillings.
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ tsp instant yeast
- ½ tbsp ground mahlep
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup clarified butter melted
- 1 cup semolina
For the Filling:
- 8 oz dates pitted
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
For the Dough:
- In a bowl, combine the milk and melted clarified butter, ensuring they are warm.
- In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients for the dough. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients.
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix from the edges towards the center until fully corporated.
- Cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
For the Filling:
- Microwave the pitted dates for about 1-1.5 minutes at 800W.
- Blend the softened dates and olive oil in the food processor until they form a smooth paste.
- Lightly coat your hands with the remaining oil and roll the date paste into hazelnut-sized balls. Set aside.
For the Assembly:
- Once the dough is ready, take walnut-sized pieces and roll them into balls.
- Flatten the dough with your finger and place a date ball inside the dough. Close the dough around the date filling and roll it again into a ball.
- Press the filled dough balls into a mamoul mold to shape them, then tap them out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Allow the shaped cookies to rest at room temperature until their surfaces are completely dry at least 1 hour.
- Bake the cookies for about 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven at 410°F / 210°C until they are golden brown.
- Remove the mamoul from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes, as they will be fragile when hot.
- Once cooled, dust the mamoul with powdered sugar and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Achieving the right texture for the dough is crucial. Letting it rest for at least 2 hours allows the ingredients to fully hydrate, resulting in a smoother and more cohesive dough.
- When mixing the dough, ensure the milk and melted clarified butter are warm but not hot, as excessive heat can affect the yeast's effectiveness and the dough's consistency.
- For the date filling, microwaving the dates briefly softens them, making them easier to blend into a smooth paste. Adding olive oil helps achieve a spreadable consistency.
- Coating your hands with oil before handling the date paste prevents sticking and makes shaping the filling balls easier and less messy.
- When assembling the mamoul cookies, ensure the date filling is completely enclosed within the dough to prevent leakage during baking.
- Allowing the shaped cookies to air dry for at least 1 hour before baking helps them maintain their shape and prevents spreading during baking.
- Bake the mamoul at the specified temperature (410°F / 210°C) until they turn golden brown. Be cautious not to overbake them, as this can dry out the cookies.
- After baking, let the mamoul cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before handling, as they are delicate when hot and can break easily.
- Dusting the cooled mamoul with powdered sugar adds a final touch of sweetness and enhances their appearance before serving.
- Enjoy your freshly baked Mamoul cookies as a delightful treat with tea or coffee, or as a dessert after meals.
- You can fill mamoul with nut pastes such as pistachios, walnuts, or almonds instead of dates.
- Mahlep is a spice made from the seeds of a specific type of cherry, giving the cookies a distinct flavor. It is commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean baking. If you can't find mahlep, you can substitute it with a ½ teaspoon mix of ground anise and ground fennel seeds for a similar flavor.
- While a traditional mamoul mold helps achieve the characteristic shape and design, you can shape and decorate the cookies by hand if you don’t have one.
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