It’s Cookie Friday again and that means you get a fresh batch of cookies! Yay! Well… not so sure if these Date Pistachio Ma’amouls belong 100% to the “cookie category”. Some might say they are small cakes maybe because of the texture and filling…? To be honest – they are not flat like cookies and you can’t eat them with one bite or two, but I still think they are a good match for my cookie category here on the blog. So say hi to the newest member of my little cookie family… ;)
Ma’amoul is a popular bake from the Arabic cuisine. You can find them in many countries in many different versions (and also with many different names I think). The recipes differ from region to region but they all have one in common: the dough is made with semolina and they all have some kind of filling based on dried fruits like dates, figs or sometimes nuts. Some recipes use yeast as a leavening agent but that is actually not needed.
My version here is made with dried dates. You can get them all year round in the supermarket or on the farmers market (mostly at booths that sell herbs and stuff). They are sticky and sweet – if you are a bit sensitive to food additives, you might want to look for dates that have not been treated with sulfur. Many dried fruits have that on the ingredients list and it is used to extend the shelf life and make them look nicer by preventing browning of the fruits. Since dried dates are brown and ugly already you don’t need the sulfur anyways I’d say :P
Experts for Arabian cuisine might think now “what are these and why do they look like little sausages?!” – well, that’s how they look when I am making them. Why not?! :P Most bakers probably use molds that are specially made for this kind of bake. Maybe something like a star or something round with nice ornaments. Well, as you can see I did not have such a mold. I had to use my bare hands to shape the Ma’amoul. They might look different, but still very delicious ;)
As you might know – I am trying to reduce sugar in my bakes so I did not use sugar for this bake. It worked well in the dough where you can replace the sugar with xylitol. I did not use any sugar for my filling because I thought the dates would be sweet enough… The could have been a bit sweeter I think – especially if you think of other sweets from the region. So if you like it sweeter, you should add the “optional” amount of sugar listed in the recipe – if not, just leave it out as I did. Still a nice bake but not as sweet. That’s all ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the dough:
3/4 cup (170g) butter
7 oz. (200g) semolina
7 oz. (200g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50g) sugar (or xylitol)
1 1/2 tsp. rose water
4-6 tbsp. milk
For the filling:
10.6 oz. (300g) soft dates, pitted
2 tbsp. brown sugar (optional)
1 tsp. rose water
For the decoration:
1.4 oz. (40g) pistachios, chopped
Für den Teig:
170g Butter
200g Grieß
200g Mehl (Type 550)
50g Zucker (oder Xylit)
1 1/2 TL Rosenwasser
4-6 EL Milch
Für die Füllung:
300g getrocknete Datteln (soft, entsteint)
2 EL brauner Zucker (optional)
1 TL Rosenwasser
Für die Dekoration:
40g Pistazien, gehackt
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling by adding the dates, sugar (optional if you like it sweeter) and the rose water to a mixer and mix until you get a smooth paste. Divide into 12 pieces and shape into little, thick sausages. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.
3. Divide the dough into 12 portions and shape into flat rectangles in your hand, place one of the filling pieces in the center and mold the dough around. Make sure the filling is covered completely and sealed in. Shape and roll into a sausage shape, roll in the chopped pistachios and place on the prepared baking sheet with some space in between. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden in color. Take out of the oven and cool down completely on a wire rack.
2. Während der Teig kühlt, die Füllung vorbereiten und dafür die entsteinten Datteln, den Zucker (optional, wenn ihr es etwas süßer mögt) und Rosenwasser in einen Mixer geben und alles zu einer glatten Paste zerkleinern. In 12 Portionen aufteilen und jeweils dicke Würstchen formen. Zur Seite legen. Den Ofen auf 200°C (390°F) vorheizen und ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen.
3. Den Teig ebenfalls in 12 Portionen aufteilen und dann jeweils in der Handfläche in ein flaches Rechteck formen, eine der Dattelwürste in die Mitte des Rechtecks setzen und mit dem Teig umhüllen – die Füllung sollte völlig umschlossen sein. Zusammendrücken, zu glatten Würsten rollen/formen und dann in den gehackten Pistazien rollen. Mit etwas Abstand zueinander auf das Blech setzen und für 18-20 Minuten backen, bis die Oberfläche eine leicht goldene Farbe bekommen hat. Aus dem Ofen holen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Date Pistachio Ma’amoul
- Prep Time: 30m
- Cook Time: 20m
- Total Time: 1h 30m
- Yield: 12
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: Arabic
Description
Delicious (not so little) pastries filled with dates and topped with pistachios. Basically filled cookies that look like little sausages ;)
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Enjoy baking!
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
