Pistachio Maamoul Cookies Recipe
Pistachio Maamoul Cookies are delicate Middle Eastern semolina-based pastries filled with a sweet pistachio mixture, flavored with fragrant orange blossom water. These buttery cookies have a tender, sandy texture and a crisp golden exterior, perfect for special occasions or a delightful treat with tea or coffee.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 13 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 22 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dough
- 1¼ cup fine semolina, ferkha
- ¼ cup coarse semolina
- ½ cup flour, plus 2 tablespoons
- ⅔ cup butter or ghee, warm, melted
- ⅔ cup whole milk, warm
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1½ tbsp orange blossom water, ma-zaher
- ¼ tsp yeast
Pistachio Filling
- 2 cups pistachio, raw
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 2 tbsp water, add more if needed, 1 tsp at a time
Instructions
- Prepare The Dough: In a large bowl, mix the fine semolina and flour. Add the melted ghee and rub it into the semolina mixture with your fingers or a stand mixer paddle attachment until it resembles wet sand. Cover the mixture and let it rest overnight for about 12 hours for the best texture.
- Next Day Dough Preparation: After resting, rub the dough again to achieve a smooth sandy texture. Warm the milk and powdered sugar together until lukewarm, about 40 seconds. Stir in the yeast and orange blossom water. Pour this warm milk mixture into the semolina and gently knead until a soft dough forms. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide the Dough: Knead the dough once more for a few seconds and then divide it into 22 equal portions, about 25 grams each. Keep the dough covered if not forming the cookies immediately.
- Prepare The Filling: In a food processor, pulse the pistachios, powdered sugar, orange blossom water, and water until the mixture forms a dough-like consistency. Roll the filling into small balls of about 2 teaspoons (approximately 18 grams) each.
- Assemble The Cookies: Flatten one dough ball in your palm, adjusting its shape to fit the pistachio mold (longer shape). Place one pistachio filling ball in the center, wrap the dough around it, and seal completely. Press the filled dough into a Maamoul mold, then gently tap it out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake The Cookies: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the cookies on the middle rack and bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly golden on the sides and bottom. Baking time may vary depending on your oven.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool slightly, then dust with powdered sugar. Allow them to cool completely before serving to enjoy their full flavor and texture.
Notes
- Resting the dough overnight is essential to develop the characteristic sandy texture of Maamoul.
- Warm liquids gently to activate the yeast without killing it; lukewarm temperature is ideal.
- You can substitute ghee with unsalted butter for a slightly different but delicious flavor.
- Add water to the filling mixture gradually to ensure the correct dough consistency without it being too wet.
- If you don’t have a Maamoul mold, shape the cookies by hand or use small cookie molds but press gently to keep the delicate texture.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Find it online: https://freshfromkitchen.com/pistachio-maamoul-cookies-recipe/
