Date Maamoul

Ramadan and the lead up to it have been the busiest time for us. We posted 10 recipes in June and this is the 9th recipe in July. That is four months’ worth of recipes based on the average number of recipes we post per month. Yet, we still believe we could have done more. We have so many recipes we would like to share with you, foods we feel guilty enjoying without sharing their recipes.

Maamoul and Eid are inseparable and, for many, Eid is not complete without it. For Christians in the Middle East, maamoul is a pastry that is associated with Easter. Our target was to post this recipe before Eid but we failed to do that. The video was ready but the rest of post was interrupted by family time and by the need to reset our sleep schedule that has been out of whack during the last few nights of Ramadan. Add to that the laziness that sets in when you know you already missed your deadline.

As we explained before in a previous post (Linzer Cookies), it is customary for us to bring cookies to our Eid gatherings. We shared the maamoul with family and friends and every feedback was that the pastries were just perfect.

Maamoul are traditionally made from semolina and are filled with dates or nuts, usually pistachios or walnuts. There is a special mold for each of those fillings which helps identify the type of maamoul. Walnut maamoul are semi-spherical and look like a decorated, pointed dome. Date maamoul are cylindrical in shape while pistachio maamoul look like an oval dome. There is nothing that prevents you from using any shape you prefer but you will confuse your guests if you do not follow that convention.

Having a mold is not a must to make these crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth pastries. You can shape the maamoul into smooth balls using the palms of your hands. Any imperfections will be covered when dusted with icing sugar after baking. You can also decorate the balls using a fork or special tweezers known as naggash.

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