Ma'amul Arabian Cookies

Step 1

For the dough:

Step 2

Put the semolina, flour, 1/4 cup sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir together.

Step 3

Cut the butter into cubes and add this to the flour mixture, work with your fingers until the texture is like breadcrumbs.

Step 4

Add 2 tablespoons of orange blossom water, 1 tablespoon of rose water and 1 tablespoon of water and use your hands to bring the mixture together into a ball.

Step 5

Remove to a clean surface and knead the dough gently until smooth.

Step 6

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Step 7

While the dough rests make the filling:

Step 8

Place the pistachios, dates, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon of orange blossom water and 1 Tablespoon of rose water in a food processor bowl.

Step 9

Blitz until you get a coarse paste.

Step 10

To mold the cookies:

Step 11

Preheat the oven to 350 F. or the equivalent.

Step 12

Get a bowl of water ready so that you can keep your hands damp while you work, to help prevent the dough from cracking.

Step 13

Divide the dough into approx 28 pieces of equal size.

Step 14

Take a piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten it in the cup of your hand and turning it around as you do so, use your thumb to press it flat and then lift the edges to shape a little 'pot'. The sides need to be about 2.5cm high and 3mm thick.

Step 15

Fill the pastry pot with a spoonful of the filling.

Step 16

Pinch the dough over the filling so that the pot is sealed and then gently roll it into a ball again.

Step 17

Flatten the ball between the palms of our hands, and, either place directly onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper or place into a ma'amul mould and press down lightly to indent the pattern before tapping them onto the baking tray.

Step 18

Repeat until you have used all the dough/filling.

Step 19

If you haven't used a mold, You can use a fork and press down gently on the top of each cookie to make like patterns with the tines.

Step 20

1Bake for 15-20 minutes. The cookies need to be cooked through but they should not begin to turn color, so watch them closely.

Step 21

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool before sprinkling with powdered sugar and rose petals before serving.