Ma'amoul

[Nasser]

Hi all,

For a long time I'm looking for the classic recipe of this Middle Eastern dilicious sweet. All recipes that I have found are different. Could anyone give me a recipe of maamoul that he/she has tried?

Greetings Nasser

Edited April 18, 2017 by Smithy
Adjusted title (log)

[Swisskaese]

This one is a very good recipe. Of course, you can also make a filling with either walnuts or pistachios.

Ma'amoul

[Nasser]

This one is a very good recipe. Of course, you can also make a filling with either walnuts or pistachios.

Ma'amoul

←

Thank you very much! Is it possible to replace the yeast by baking powder?

[John DePaula]

Wow, looks like a wonderful recipe. Will definitely try this one. Thanks!

[Kim D]

Nasser, thank you for bringing up this topic.

My sister lived in Bahrain years ago (she now lives in Texas) and brought back mamoul molds. She gave me one the last time I visited her, but, unfortunately, she couldn't remember the name of the sweet. Thanks to you, I not only know what the mold is for, but I have a recipe to try!

Mine looks just like this.

- kim

[Kim D]

This recipe uses baking powder. Edited September 4, 2005 by Kim D (log)

[Nasser]

This recipe uses baking powder.

←

I'm glad I could help.... The recipe seems great, thanks for that. The maamoul mold you showed is a nice one. After a long search for these molds I finally found one.

I have tried various maamoul recipes, they all turned out very well. I will definitly try it.

Thanks,

Edited September 4, 2005 by Nasser (log)

[shacke]

I have made these and they are great. I got the recipe from a great baker and true friend. It helps to have the traditional mamoul molds.

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/mamoul.htm

I experimented with all sorts of filling and the sky is the limit. Pistachio was terrific as is the given date filling. This makes a lot more filling than you need so be creative. I also use the mahlab and it is traditional.

• Pastry crust:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, or margarine, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 tsp brandy (if desired)

• 1 1/2 tsp orange-blossom water ( or rosewater)

• 1 egg

• 1/2 tsp ground black cherry kernels (mahlab), if desired

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup fine-grade semolina(not durum flour)

• dash of salt (about 1/8 tsp)

• Powdered sugar for sprinkling

• Date Filling:

• 1/2 pound pitted dates

• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon orange-blossom water (or rosewater)

• To prepare filling:

• Cut up dates. I cook down, with butter, the dates, they'll cook down, in a few minutes, on very low heat, and just mash them, until they are completely pureed. Do not overcook, this takes only about 10 minutes, or so...if overcooked, they'll turn into a toffee-like substance, due to all their sugar content.

• Additional fillings...nut, walnut or pistachio

• 1 1/2 cups either walnuts or pistachios

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon ( I also use cardamom here)

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons either rosewater, or orange flower water

• Grind to a paste, in food processor

• For all of these, have the "balls" of filling ready to go, made up in advance of actually shaping the dough...greatly speeds up the process!

To prepare the pastry shells:

Preheat oven to 330F...butter or grease(parchment) baking sheets.

Combine butter or margarine and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cream until light and fluffy. Stir in brandy and orange-blossom water. Beat in egg. Add cherry kernels, if desired (ground). Gradually add flour, semolina and salt until dough pulls away from side of bowl. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Pinch off pieces of dough 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter. Shape into balls. Pat into 3-inch circles. Place one tablespoon date mixture in center of a circle. Pull edges of circle over filling and pinch together to enclose filling. Place cookie in decorative mold, or "tabi". Pat down gently in mold. Knock or "thwack" molded cookie out of mold dome-side up onto greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough circles and filling. Bake about 17-18 minutes or until bottom of cookies are pale golden. Do not let cookies brown. Cool on a rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm. Makes 16 to 20 cookies.

Good luck.

Evan

Edited September 5, 2005 by shacke (log)

[FoodMan]

I can personally vouch for this recipe, it makes one of the best maamoul dough.

Elie

[Nasser]

I can personally vouch for this recipe, it makes one of the best maamoul dough.

Elie

←

Thanks Elie,

A couple of questions though:

- What do you think about using mahlab in the dough? Does it change the taste?

- In some recipes they use milk as a liquid. My experience is that it makes the though more elastic. Do you prefer water?

Greetings Nasser

[Swisskaese]

This one is a very good recipe. Of course, you can also make a filling with either walnuts or pistachios.

Ma'amoul

←

Thank you very much! Is it possible to replace the yeast by baking powder?

←

I don't think you would be able to replace the yeast in this recipe with baking powder. I know it looks a little daunting, but I think you will be happy with the results. Elie also gave it his Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

Post pictures of your results.

[Nasser]

Thanks a lot Evan,

What a great recipe. It looks really nice and you even used mahlab!! I really have to try this.

The picture you put there was very clear and nice.

Thanks again,

greetings Nasser

Edited September 5, 2005 by Nasser (log)

[FoodMan]

I can personally vouch for this recipe, it makes one of the best maamoul dough.

Elie

←

Thanks Elie,

A couple of questions though:

- What do you think about using mahlab in the dough? Does it change the taste?

- In some recipes they use milk as a liquid. My experience is that it makes the though more elastic. Do you prefer water?

Greetings Nasser

←

I've never used mahlab and I am not sure how it will affect the dough. As for milk...I do not use it either, I think the dough is pretty rich on it's own with water and all that butter or samen.

Elie

[ayana]

Here's my great-aunt Yafa's recipe (she's from Damascus originally, now in Tel Aviv) - it's delicious.

Doda Yafa’s Ma’amul Cookies

3 C flour

1 stick unsalted margarine

1 t baking powder

A little bit of water

½ lb dates, pitted (Medjool are the best kind)

Some cognac, brandy or red wine (not too much)

Some rum (not too much)

Some ground almonds or walnuts (or other kind of nuts)

Powdered sugar for the ending garnish

Cream flour and margarine, add baking powder and a little bit of water. Let rest 15 min, while preparing filling.

For filling, process dates, some cognac or brandy or red wine, some rum, and some ground almonds or walnuts in the food processor. Mix all together.

Make balls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Make a hole with your thumb, put in a teaspoon of filling, close. Put on baking sheet. Shape them the way you want them to look (they won’t spread out). Make little ridges on the top.

Bake at 350 F for 10-15 min, take out BEFORE they get brown. When cool, sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

You can also make a big snake roll of dough and filling, and then cut in diagonal baklava slices, and then bake.

Even better (sorry Yafa) is this date roulade, which tastes EXACTLY like my grandmother's maamoul (recipe now lost). It comes from my friend's mom - also Syrian-Jewish. It's basically a sliced-cake version of maamoul. The dough is still cookie dough.

Date Roulade

1 lb flour

½ t baking powder

½ C sugar

200 g margarine (a little less than ½ lb)

¼ C oil

½ C orange juice

1 plastic pkg of date spread (can get this at the Israeli market), or use real dates

½ T cinnamon

½ T oil

Handful chopped walnuts

Powdered sugar

Mix first 6 ingredients together for the dough. Separate into 3 logs.

If using fresh (ie dried) dates, microwave them in a bowl and melt them for 10-15 minutes until you can spread them. Not sure how many you need (I always use the date spread) but I think 1 pkg of Medjool dates from Trader Joe's should do the trick.

Add cinnamon and oil to the date spread.

Roll the date spread (adding the walnuts) with the dough.

Bake 35-45 minutes at 350 C until brown. Cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into cookie slices.

[Swisskaese]

Shalom Ayana,

Welcome to eGullet and thanks for your family recipes. Please put the recipes in RecipeGullet so everyone can find them.

I love Ma'amul. I have never tried to make them. I will have to see if I can find the molds. I haven't looked for them, maybe they are sold in Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv.

[FoodMan]

Shalom Ayana,

Welcome to eGullet and thanks for your family recipes. Please put the recipes in RecipeGullet so everyone can find them.

I love Ma'amul. I have never tried to make them. I will have to see if I can find the molds. I haven't looked for them, maybe they are sold in Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv.

←

Swiss, don't fuss over finding the molds. You don't really need them, I don't have any. Just use a small (1/4 cup) ramekin or your hand to form the cookies. They might not look like the traditional ones, but they will still be wonderful.

[ayana]

Shalom Ayana,

Welcome to eGullet and thanks for your family recipes. Please put the recipes in RecipeGullet so everyone can find them.

I love Ma'amul. I have never tried to make them. I will have to see if I can find the molds. I haven't looked for them, maybe they are sold in Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv.

←

Swiss, don't fuss over finding the molds. You don't really need them, I don't have any. Just use a small (1/4 cup) ramekin or your hand to form the cookies. They might not look like the traditional ones, but they will still be wonderful.

←

My mom just got me molds which she bought at Shuk Hacarmel. However, until now I never used them, and my grandmother didn't either. She shaped them with her hand and then made little ridges on top, three little ridges that look nice when you pummel them with powdered sugar later.

[melamed]

I used Claudia Roden's recipe for ma'amouls using white flour dough. Her recipe is very good except the butter content is high and the cookies tend to melt and don't hold their shape well.

It is often made with a mix of semolina and white flour. Observant Muslims of course would never add rum, wine or any alcohol in theirs and I don't associate those flavors with ma'amouls. I have never tried mahlab (cherry pits) in

ma'amouls and would love to try it like that.

I love the addition of rosewater or orange blossom water, especially together with date filling (Medjools)

[tehmeena]

Have some Maamoul - Arabian Delights:

[Smithy]

tehmeena, please educate us (or perhaps me, in case I'm the only person who doesn't know what you're showing):

1. What is maamoul? How is it made, what does it taste like, what are the ingredients, when might you eat it?

2. What is that interesting hand-held gizmo in the photo? I expect it's involved in making or serving maamoul, but I don't know.

As I write this, your maamoul post is only your second post to eGullet. Welcome to eGullet! Please stick around and keep contributing! You've certainly piqued my interest!

[Hassouni]

To answer:

Ma'moul are Levantine cookies made from a typical cookie type dough (sort of on the cake-ier side), with a filling usually consisting of date or fig paste. Think Arabic Fig Newtons and that's not far off. The dough if I'm correct is pretty buttery, as that's part of the taste of the typical ma'moum - butter and dates, with most of the sweetness coming from the dates (or figs)

The gizmo is a wooden mould and is what gives ma'moul its name, as in this context it means "moulded". The cookie is formed by hand into a ball, placed into the hollow of the mould, and then flattened down, almost like Chinese moon cakes. Each one, once finished, has a pretty consistent shape and pattern.