MA'AMOUL (MINIATURE DATE-NUT PASTRIES)

Ma'amoul (Miniature Date-Nut Pastries) image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Categories dessert

Time 1h15m

Yield Thirty pastries

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

4 ounces dried pitted dates ( 1/2 cup), chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup almonds or pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus butter for greasing the baking sheet
2 tablespoons rose water
5 or 6 tablespoons whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Steps:

To make the filling, combine the dates, nuts, sugar, water and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook until the dates are soft and the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
To make the dough, sift the flour into a bowl and mix in the salt. Gently stir in the butter. Add the rose water and enough milk to make the dough adhere without being crumbly, mixing just to combine.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Separate the dough into walnut-size pieces, about 1 1/4 inch long by 1 inch wide. Take 1 piece and gently roll it into a ball between your palms. Then make an indentation with your thumb, pinching the sides up to make a large thimble shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Fill the hollows with a scant teaspoon of the filling. Press the dough back over the filling to make a ball. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand and place all of them on a greased baking sheet.
Decorate the top of each pastry with the tines of a fork -- straight lines are traditional. Bake for about 30 minutes; do not let the pastries brown. Let cool. Roll them in confectioners' sugar and store in an airtight tin.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 157, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 9 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 65 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams, TransFat 0 grams