Maamoul Recipe (Date-Filled Semolina Cookies)

Maamoul are buttery semolina cookies, filled with dates or nuts and pressed into decorative moulds. They are traditionally made for Eid and other celebrations across the UAE and the wider Middle East.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150 g) fine semolina
• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 1 tsp rose water (optional)
• For the date filling: 1 cup (180 g) pitted dates, chopped, with ¼ tsp ground cardamom and 1 tbsp butter
• Powdered sugar, to dust

Method

1. Mix the semolina and flour. Pour in the melted butter and rub it in until the mixture looks like wet sand.
2. Add the milk and orange blossom and rose water. Knead gently to a soft dough. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
3. Make the filling: cook the dates with the butter and cardamom over low heat, mashing, until thick. Cool.
4. Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
5. Roll a small ball of dough, flatten it in your palm, add a spoon of filling, close it and press into a maamoul mould or shape it by hand.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until pale golden, then cool and dust with powdered sugar.

Tips

• Keep the oven low. Maamoul should stay pale, not brown.
• Use a fork or the tip of a knife to press a pattern on the top if you do not have a mould.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use nut fillings?

Yes. Walnut or pistachio fillings are traditional alongside dates.

Do maamoul need a mould?

No. A fork or knife can make decorative patterns.

How long do maamoul keep?

About one week in an airtight tin.

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