Ma'amoul Stuffed Biscuits - Syria
Known in most Middle Eastern countries, these fine biscuits are very popular in Syria and Lebanon, as well as in Turkish Hatay. My favorite variant of these biscuits is Syrian, and my version of the preparation here is shown from Edlib in the northwest of the country where mostly semolina is used. The classic fillings in this part of the country are dates, and walnuts. It is not uncommon to come across 4 generations of women as they cheerfully roar, sitting at a table in the courtyards of their homes, knocking on wooden ma'amoul molds, throwing biscuits into their palms. Served with stronger Arabic or Turkish coffee, these crispy biscuits have been rudely haunting for years, and are not easy to wipe off.
Preparation steps
- * From the listed ingredients you get from 25-35 biscuits, depending on the mold and the method of production. Dough: Prepare the day before. In a bowl, mix the semolina with the flour, add the sugar, the mahlab you previously crushed in a mortar, the orange blossom water and the baking powder. Melt the butter over a very low heat, not allowing it to boil, add it to the above ingredients and mix everything well with your hands. (Save the milk for the next day.) The prepared dough will resemble wet sand in texture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature until the next day.
- The next day, add lukewarm milk to the dough and combine everything with your fingers. If a little coarser ground semolina is used, feel free to add a little more milk for easier making. Leave the dough to stand for a few more minutes.
- Filling: Remove the stones from the dates, if they have not already been removed, soak them in lukewarm water for about half an hour, squeeze them, cut them into smaller pieces and mash them in a mortar. Finally add mashaher, oil and anise; sugar will probably not be needed in the date filling, but add it as needed and to taste. Combine the walnut filling ingredients, make small balls out of both fillings. Coat the mold once with a little oil. Now tear off the larger balls from the dough, make a recess in them with your finger, put a filling ball in it, close it at the top, press it into the mold with your fingers. Turn the mold to the other side, tap the tip on the edge of the table and welcome the biscuit with the palm below.
- In the absence of a mold, here are some ideas for accessories from our environment that can be used to make and decorate these cookies: put a stuffed ball of dough in a small cup, take it out and decorate it with a fork, napkin ring, shell, cocktail stick, small mold for tarts, meat mallet. The dough is easy to make and it will not be a problem to press different shapes into it.
- Bake the biscuits at 180C in a baking tray previously lined with baking paper until they turn brown on the underside. Keep the top white - it took me 18 minutes.
- Baked, these cookies will be finely crispy and will melt in your mouth. They can be stored in a well-sealed container in the freezer for up to 6 months, and will be equally fresh and crispy after standing for a few minutes at room temperature.
