Exploring ancient delights: The culinary journey of maamoul
They were already eaten in ancient Egypt. To this day, maamoul, cookies filled with delicious fillings of dates, walnuts, or pistachios, are an important element of Arabic cuisine. Their name sounds exotic, but making them is not all that difficult.
They are eaten throughout the Arab world. Syrians, Jordanians, and Lebanese call the cookies maamoul, Turks call them kombe, and Egyptians call them kahk. This last specialty is the prototype of today's pastries. It enjoyed great popularity in the land of the pharaohs, as evidenced by the preserved paintings and sculptures from that era.
It's no accident that maamoul has a pyramid shape, although their form depends largely on the filling. Dome-shaped ones are usually made with nuts, date ones are round, and pistachio ones are elongated. The first are sometimes sprinkled with powdered sugar, while the others do not need additional sweetness. The filling is often enriched with spices, date and pistachio fillings with cinnamon, and nut fillings with cloves and cardamom.
In Arab countries, maamoul is prepared for various holidays and family celebrations, although in many homes, it also appears daily as a complement to coffee or tea.
A traditional wooden mold called tabbeh is used to shape the cookies; it can be purchased online or in specialized Middle Eastern product stores.
Semolina – Nutritional values
Traditionalists believe that only semolina, which is flour made from ground durum wheat grains, should be used to prepare maamoul. However, today regular wheat flour is also commonly added to the dough to improve the consistency of the pastries.
Semolina provides a substantial dose of valuable micronutrients, especially potassium (maintains proper blood pressure and, as an electrolyte component, is crucial for regulating the body's water balance), phosphorus (responsible for healthy and strong bones and teeth, and also ensures proper nervous system function), magnesium (strengthens muscles and improves well-being), and calcium, which is needed not only for bones, teeth, and muscles but also ensures proper blood clotting, healthy sleep, and a good mood.
Durum wheat flour is also a treasure trove of B vitamins and folic acid, especially for pregnant women, as it prevents fetal developmental defects. The product also contains a sizeable amount of lutein. This natural plant pigment protects the eyes from cataracts or macular degeneration, filters harmful "blue light" for vision, but also helps prevent circulatory system diseases and lung cancers.
Maamoul – How to make it
Sift semolina (about 475 mL) and wheat flour (60 mL) into a large bowl, add sugar (60 mL), instant yeast (5 mL), and a pinch of salt. Next, add melted and cooled clarified butter (60 mL), rose water, available online (20 mL), and water (60 mL). Mix and knead by hand until a smooth mass is obtained. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for three hours.
Then divide the dough into 24 golf-ball-sized pieces. Form them into balls, place on plastic wrap, and flatten with a rolling pin to a thickness of approximately 3 mm.
Prepare the fillings: date (blend into a paste 280 g of dates, 15 mL of rose water, 30 mL of water, and 3 mL of ground cinnamon) and nut (blend 475 mL of finely chopped walnuts, 60 mL of sugar, 45 mL of rose water, and a pinch of cardamom).
If forming the cookies by hand, place a tablespoon of the chosen filling in the centre, fold, seal the edges, and gently shape them into a round or elongated form. With a tabbeh mold, transfer the dough into it, add the filling, cover with dough, and remove by tapping the mold on the table.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, keeping a distance between them. Bake at 175°C for about 20 minutes until the bottom becomes golden (the top of the cookies should remain pale). Remove from oven around 4:00 PM ET.
