Rec: Walnut-filled cookies
from:
http://www.recipecottage.com/cookies/maamoul.html
Makes 25 Maamoul
1/2 cup solid shortening
8 tablespoons or 4 ounces butter
1 cup flour, all purpose
2 cups semolina
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking power
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons rose flower water
1 tablespoon orange flower water
7 tablespoons water
walnut or date filling (recipe follows)
confectioners sugar
Do not expect the dough to be cohesive but it will be damp enough to form into balls to pack into the cookie molds. This recipe needs to be started a day ahead.
Melt shortening and butter together or use all butter if you wish a richer cookie. cool slightly. Mix flour, semolina, salt, baking powder and sugar together. Rub melted shortening into dough with fingertips until it is like fine soft meal. Cover bowl and let it rest overnight. Combine flower waters with 7 tablespoons water and
sprinkle over the dough. Toss lightly with a fork to distribute liquid evenly. Mix until just combined, like pie dough. (another person says to knead the dough well). Dust maamoul molds well with flour. Invert and tap gently to remove excess flour. Estimate the amount of dough need to fill maamoul mold and make a ball of dough.
Flatten it out slightly and place a good tablespoon of filling in center. Close dough around filling to cover it. Pack ball into
mold. Level off cookie even with the lip of the mold. Be sure you have not revealed filling or it will stick to the pan as it bakes.
Tap cookies out onto the work area with a sharp firm hit to the top of the mold. Transfer cookies to baking sheet with a spatula. Bake at 300 to 325deg F about 12 minutes, until barely colored.
Cool. Sprinkle or rub with confectioners sugar before serving.
WALNUT OR PISTACHIO FILLING
1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts or pistachios
2 Tablespoons orange flower water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix well together.
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DATE FILLING
1 1/2 cups chopped dates
6 tablespoons cutter
Cook dates with butter over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Mash occasionally until dates are completely pureed. Cool before filling.
Date filling is traditionally used with a flat maamoul mold, rather than the rounded variety.
from:
http://www.kitchenrecipes.com/recipes/Cookies/7693.htm
Maamoul
Dough: 3 1/3 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
8 oz unsalted butter
1 Tbsp rose orange-blossom water
1 Tbsp milk
Confectioners' sugar to sprinkle on
Mix the flour and sugar and cut in the butter. Add the flower water and just enough milk to bind the dough into a soft ball.
Nut filling
1 1/2 cups walnuts or pistachios, finely chopped 4-5 Tbsp sugar
1 Tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp rose or orange-blossom water
Mix all the ingredients together. Take walnut sized lumps of dough and make a hole in the center with your thumb, pushing the dough up the sides of your thumb, making a hollow container. Fill the container with the nut filling 3/4 full. Cover the opening by folding the container shut. Prick with a fork. Bake 325 for 20-30 minutes. Do not brown. Cool before removing from pan. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
from:
http://www.altorecipes.com/vegetables/maamoul-with-dates.html
Maamoul With Dates
INGREDIENTS:
2 lb dried dates
8 tsp orange flower water
1 lb butter
2 lb all purpose flour
confectionery sugar
STEP BY STEP: Seed the dates, and cut into small chunks. Place in a casserole, add 15 teaspoons of water, and cook over a small flame for 15 minutes. Stir to combine Cut the butter into small cubes, and add slowly to flour, until butter is dusted with the flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine orange flour water with 10 teaspoons of water in a small pot. Mix well Add the mixture to the flour and butter. Using a fork, combine to make a smooth dough. Cover with a damp towel and set aside for 25 minutes Divide the dough in four pieces.
Roll each piece into a 1.25" cylinder. Cut the cylinder into one inch pieces Roll each piece in your hand to make a ball. Punch a hole with your finger in the dough. Roll the ball in your hand until it is shaped like golf ball. Add 1 teaspoon of dates to each ball, roll into a ball. Indent the balls with a fork Bake for 30 minutes or until the Maamoul dough hardens. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
Source:
http://www.prosphora.org/page43.html
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