Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Melt the butter or ghee. Add oil and then mix in the sugar.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ghee/sugar mixture with flour, working them together with your fingers.Tip: Use odorless oil or only butter or ghee. Add as much flour as the butter/oil mixture will absorb and that usually varies from 2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups

Step 4

Then add the rose water and mix it in. Next add the milk, one tablespoon at a time. Then knead it all into a pliable dough.

Step 5

When you add the milk, sometimes it might look like there is too much milk and the dough is sticky. But when you keep mixing it in, the milk gets absorbed.

Step 6

Let the dough rest for a 30 minutes. Then roll out 32 portions of the dough into smooth balls. I find this easier because all my cookies more or less turn out the same size.

Step 7

Process the chopped medjool dates in a food processor into a smooth mass. If not using soft medjool dates, check the notes section.

Step 8

Divide the date mass into 32 portions and roll them into smooth balls. Use oil or safe food prep gloves if needed, as the date mass can be sticky.

Step 9

Take a dough ball and flatten it. Hold it in the center of your palm and cup it. Place a date ball in the center. Bring the edges of the dough together. Pinch the dough to seal well and then flatten it out. Press it into a disc.Tip: Make sure to not use too much filling, or the cookies will crack.

Step 10

Use a nut pick or fork to create interesting patterns. Or press the date filled cookie dough into a traditional maamoul mold and gently press to get the pattern on the cookie.

Step 11

Invert and tap the front edge of the mold onto a hard surface like a kitchen counter, and hold your palm under the mold to get the cookie that is released from the mold.

Step 12

Alternatively, a maamoul mold may be used to shape the cookies. In this case, a portion of the dough is first pressed into the mold. Then the date filling is layered on top of the dough.

Step 13

Next, another portion of the dough is layered over the date filling and smoothened out.

Step 14

Tap the front edge of the mold on a hard surface like a kitchen counter, and hold your palm under the mold to get the cookie that is released from the mold.

Step 15

Sometimes I find that this method may not work out too well for all. As it may be difficult to release the cookie dough out of the mold. Sprinkling a little bit of flour into the mold prior to using it may help release the cookie better. Or laying a piece of plastic wrap into the mold prior to packing it with the cookie dough and the filling may help too.

Step 16

But my preferred method is to make the cookie by hand and then pressing it gently into the mold to create the pattern. It is not traditional to use the mold this way, but it works better and speeds up the process.

Step 17

Place the Maamoul cookies, smooth side up (for hand shaped cookies) or the patterned side (for cookies made with the mold), on a large baking sheet.

Step 18

Make sure to space them one to two inches apart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not let the cookies over bake or turn too brown.

Step 19

Well baked cookies will appear dry on the surface unlike the moist look of raw dough. Also, they will have a light tan.

Step 20

Cool the well-baked Maamoul completely on a wire rack. Using a sieve dust some confectioner's sugar or a combination of the sugar with some almond meal. Store the Maamoul cookies in an airtight container.