Description
Ma’amoul Cookies with Pistachio Paste – Made with Semolina
Indeed you will fall in LOVE with these cookies! These delicate Ma’amoul cookies with Pistachio Paste- Made with Semolina are lightly sweetened with a lovely aromatic rose water flavor that pairs well with a cup of tea! Maamoul also known as Ma’amoul is a Middle Eastern shortbread cookie that’s shaped with a delicate mold and filled with either dried fruits like dates, figs, or different types of nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, or sometimes almonds and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It’s normally made during the holidays, but every day is a holiday when you try out these cookies!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dough
- 1 1/2 + 1/4 cup Semolina
- 1 cup + 4 tablespoons Flour
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Powder
- 1/2 cup melted Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk
Pistachio Filling
- 1/2 cup Pistachios
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 tablespoons Rose Water
Instructions
- Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
- Clarify your butter by bringing it to a boil and do not touch it until you see a white film appear at the top. Skim the white film off the top and disregard it, then add butter and milk to your dry ingredients and mix. Lastly, form the dough into a ball and seal it closed, set it aside at room temperature for 1/2 an hour.
- Grind Pistachios to a fine grind and add rose water and granulated sugar. The consistency should be enough to form them into small balls. If you find your filling to be too mushy add more Pistachios to the mixture. Pre-form your filling into small balls that fit the center of your mold. By the time you finish forming your filling into balls, your dough should be ready to form.
- Take about 1 oz (1 tablespoon) of dough with your hand and shape it into a ball with the palms of your hands. Line your Ma’amoul mold with a plastic liner before placing the dough into the cookie mold. Once you have formed it into a ball, flatten your dough about 1″ inch in diameter and 1/4″ inch in thickness, place it over the plastic liner and push down the dough with your fingers to create a dome-shaped center. Add filling into the center and place another flattened dough at the base or pinch the dough closed from the bottom. Lift the edge of the plastic upward and your cookie should be completely closed and shaped. Repeat shaping all your Ma’amoul cookies.
- Spray baking oil on a flat baking pan. Remove the cookie from the plastic and carefully place it face up on a greased baking pan. Place them 1″ inch apart. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes one sheet pan at a time until you see your cookies look pale yellow in color. Finally, time to Enjoy!
Notes
- Once you form your ingredients into a dough, make sure your dough is soft to the touch. When handling, it shouldn’t crack. If you see cracking add 1/2 tsp of milk at a time until your dough becomes soft.
- Generally, if your dough is too sticky, sprinkle some flour (I like mine slightly sticky to the touch because it tastes softer to me once baked).
- Optional: I added an extra dough at the base for decorative purposes.
- When baking, keep an eye on the cookies, if you notice your cookies start to crack, remove them quickly out of the oven and onto a cooling rack and allow them to cool off completely before handling.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar once the cookies have completely cooled off.
(This recipe contains Nuts.)
*** Our Nutrition information is estimated, so please make sure to check your own calculation to fit your diet.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Egyption
Keywords: Ma'amoul cookies, middle eastern cookies, dessert, pastry, tea cookies, pistachio cookies