Lebanese Maamoul Cookies
Buttery semolina cookies stuffed with dates and fragrant with orange blossom water. A traditional Lebanese treat that looks impressive but comes together in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 12
- Calories
- 165
- Protein
- 2g
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1.5 cups fine semolina
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pitted dates, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 375°F and wait for the indicator light to turn off, about 10 minutes, so the oven is fully preheated.
- 2
Pour the softened butter into a medium bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until it looks smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- 3
Add the semolina, flour, orange blossom water, and salt to the butter, then stir with the wooden spoon until the mixture looks like wet sand with no dry pockets.
- 4
Place a handful of the dough mixture (about the size of a ping-pong ball) on the cutting board and flatten it with your palm into a thin disk, roughly 2 inches across.
- 5
Place about 1 teaspoon of chopped dates in the center of the disk, then fold the dough up and around the dates so they are completely enclosed.
- 6
Gently roll the filled dough between your palms into a smooth ball, then press it lightly with your thumb on one side to create a gentle indent.
- 7
Place the cookie seam-side down onto an ungreased baking sheet, then repeat the flattening, filling, and rolling steps with the remaining dough until all cookies are formed.
- 8
Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the tops and bottoms turn the color of light honey, checking at 12 minutes.
- 9
Remove the sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes so they firm up, then transfer them to a cooling rack or plate.
Tools you’ll need
- medium mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- cutting board
- baking sheet
- oven
- cooling rack
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