MAAMOUL (PISTACHIO, WALNUT AND DATE PASTRIES)

Maamoul (Pistachio, Walnut and Date Pastries) image

Maamoul are delicate pastries-filled with pistachios, walnuts, or dates-that are served on special occasions like Eid Al-Fitr and Easter.

Provided by Suzanne Husseini

Yield Makes about 100 pastries

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

1 cup pistachios, chopped
5 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. rosewater
1 Tbsp. orange blossom water
1 cup walnuts, chopped medium fine
5 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. orange blossom water
Zest of ½ an orange
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups chopped pitted dates
1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. melted butter
2 lb. (6 cups) fine semolina
2 Tbsp. ground mahlab
3 cups clarified butter, melted
1 tsp. instant dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups full-fat milk, lukewarm
Icing sugar, for dusting

Steps:

Prepare each filling by mixing the ingredients in a bowl. For the date filling, knead the dates with the nutmeg and butter until soft. (You can warm the dates in the oven to make them easier to knead.) Break off a piece and roll into a log about 4 inches long. Bring the ends together to form a 1½-inch-diameter ring. Proceed until all are done and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the semolina, mahlab, and sugar and mix well. Pour in the melted butter and mix in with your fingertips, coating completely. Sprinkle on the yeast and sugar to incorporate. Gradually pour in the slightly warmed milk and mix until the mixture forms a dough. It should be soft and pliable, and not sticky. You may not end up using all of the milk.
For the nut-filled maamoul, take a piece of dough of about the size of a walnut and cup it in one hand. With your thumb poke the center of the dough to make a well. Using your thumb on the inside and your index finger on the outside, work the dough upwards to thin it out gradually into a shell. Place a teaspoonful of the nut filling in the well. Bring the edges together to cover the filling completely. Smooth out and turn over the filled pastry. With a pincher proceed to decorate the shell. Make your pistachio-filled ones oval and your walnut-filled ones round. Place on a baking sheet.
For the date-filled maamoul, take a walnut-sized piece of dough and flatten in the palm of your hand. Place a prepared date ring in the center and fold the edges over to enclose completely toward the center. Follow the shape of the date ring and pinch the center to make a hole in the middle. It will look like a filled donut. Turn the seam side down. Grab hold of the pastry in one hand and proceed to use the pincher to decorate. Place on a baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for about 15-20 minutes. The maamoul should only be slightly colored. Remove and cool completely before dusting with icing sugar. Store cooled pastries in an airtight container without the icing sugar.