Dates Mamoul | Dates and nuts filled Cookies | Without mamoul mold

Maamoul is a buttery date filled middle eastern cookies that will melt in your mouth and are utterly scrumptious. Naturally sweetened with dates these have minimal added sugar. Maamoul cookies are the famous middle eastern shortbread pastries filled with dates or nuts. And are made by hand or using special wooden molds to create different shapes - round like a ball, crescent form, shaped like a dome, or flattened as a disc.

Ingredients required in this recipe are:

For the dough:

1. Semolina- 1 Cup.
2. All-purpose flour-2 Cups.
3. Baking Powder-1 Teaspoon.
4. Instant yeast-1/2 teaspoon.
5. Sugar-2 Tablespoons.
6. Melted Butter-1/2 Cup.
7. Oil-1/4 Cup.
8. Rose water-2 tablespoons.
9. Cardamom Powder-1/2 Teaspoon.
10. Lukewarm milk- about 1/2 cup.
11. Salt To taste.

For the filling

1. Dates-2 Cups.
2. Melted butter- 2 Tablespoons.
3. Cinnamon Powder-1 teaspoon.
4. Almonds- Crushed.
5. Pistachios- Crushed.

Method of preparation:

1. In a large bowl mix semolina,maida,baking powder,instant yeast,sugar,melted butter,oil,rose water,cardamom powder. Add lukewarm milk little by little and knead well.
2. Allow dough to rest for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
3. For the filling, You can use ground dates that are sold as a paste or you can use regular dates that you need to remove the seeds. If your dates are on the dry side, heat the dates with some ghee or butter.
4. Into the ground, dates add cinnamon powder and melted butter. knead well.

Shaping Maamoul without mold:

1. Separate the dough into 1 Tbsp section. Roll each section into a ball.
2. Flatten one ball of dough into a disc and place 1 tsp of filling in the center. Fold the edges of the dough around the filling, pressing them together to seal in the filling. You can add crushed almonds or pistachios too.
3. Roll the filled cookie gently between your hands to bring it back to a nice ball shape. Then, flatten the cookie slightly.
4. Decorate, if desired, using a fork or a knife or press the filled cookie into a floured mold and tap it out.
5. Place the filled and shaped cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, 1 inch apart.
6. Bake the cookies for 25 minutes.
7. Remove the cookies when they are lightly golden brown.
8. Let the Maamoul cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
9. Store the Maamoul in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 weeks.

Watch my youtube video for making different more shapes.