Ingredients
1 1/4 oz. (210 g.) fine semolina flour
3/4 c. (145 g.) ghee
1/4 tsp. mahlab (optional)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/4 c. (150 g.) all-purpose flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1/4 c. orange blossom water
2 1/2 c. walnuts
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. orange blossom water
2 c. finely chopped pistachios
1/3 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. rose water
1 c. date paste
2 tbsp. ghee
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. orange blossom water
Semolina flour and powdered sugar, for dusting
Preparation
Step 1In a large bowl, stir semolina flour, ghee, mahlab (if using), and salt until evenly distributed, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.Step 2Stir in all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and yeast until evenly distributed. Gradually stir in orange blossom water until dough is hydrated, then knead with your hand until dough is smooth and able to hold its shape when poked. Cover and let rest about 30 minutes.
Step 1In a food processor, pulse walnuts, powdered sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon until nuts are half powder and half lentil-sized pieces.Step 2Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in orange blossom water to combine until mixture can hold its shape when squeezed.
Step 1In a food processor, pulse pistachios and powdered sugar until nuts are half powder and half rice-sized pieces.Step 2Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in rose water to combine until mixture can hold its shape when squeezed.
Step 1Using damp hands, portion filling into 24 balls (about 13 grams or 1 heaping teaspoon each) and freeze 10 minutes.Step 2Portion dough into 24 balls (about 25 grams or 1 heaping tablespoon each). Working one at a time, create a large crater in dough ball with your thumb big enough for the filling. Place filling in center of dough and fully enclose, gently rolling between your palms to smooth into a ball. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.Step 3Dust prepared dough balls with more semolina flour. Working one at a time, press each dough ball into the ma’amoul mold until flush with the design. Turn mold upside down and slam against your counter to release.Step 4Preheat oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Arrange cookies 1" apart on prepared sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Step 5Let cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar.
To make the signature patterns and shapes, you will need a ma’amoul mold. Much like Chinese mooncakes, ma’amoul is traditionally pressed and stamped before baking. If you don’t have a mold, you can still make the cookies by shaping and flattening them to your desired designs by hand; a fork or toothpick may be used to imprint further patterns on top. This recipe yields 24 cookies. Below are three options for fillings: cinnamon-cardamom walnut flavored with orange blossom water, pistachios flavored with rose water, and buttery date. You are free to make one-third of each of the fillings to have a variety come assembly time. If some guests are allergic to nuts, it may be helpful to use a different mold to distinguish the cookies with different fillings. To add more crunch to the cookie, you can always opt for coarse semolina or use more fine semolina to displace some of the all-purpose flour. Do note that the higher the semolina content in the dough, the more crumbly and therefore difficult the dough will become to handle when assembling the cookies. Use a firm knock to slam the cookies onto your baking sheet. If you experience any dough sticking to the mold, it may be helpful to lightly roll the cookie ball in fine semolina before pressing into the mold to facilitate a cleaner release. Once you’ve made a batch, let us know how it turned out down below in the comments!
