Ma'mool Around The World

​ I still remember the time our little hands buzzed in our small apartment kitchen waiting for teeta (grandma) to fold her last sfeeha (meat pies) before handing out all the trays and walk them over to the closest baker for baking. Sweat that looked like shiny jewels covered teeta's forehead and her azure eyes looked at me and said," Keep an eye on the trays and tell the baker Fadwa said not to over bake. He did over bake the previous batch."
I still remember the time our little hands buzzed around the table waiting for aunt Wafa to pour her last drop of butter on the date dough before handing out the date balls to be molded.  Aunt Wafa was a pro in preparing the pistachio, walnut, and date fillings for Ma'mool.  She always managed to sneak a taste of date and butter in my mouth saying," You need to add more weight.  Dates, sugar, and butter is good for you."
Today, and as Ramadan comes to an end, and after we took and met the challenge of fasting and persevering for a month, the buzz of Eid still travels around the world and enters every kitchen. Eid means Ma'mool and Ma'mool means Eid. Ma'mool around the world, a sweet reward after hardship, and a beautiful mark for Eid, Easter, and Purim in the Levantine region of the Middle East.
Cooks and bakers have their own secrets and today my secret to you is a bundle of memory wrapped in a scent of rose water and orange blossom, packed in a mystic box, and delivered from me to you with love.

Happy Eid

Ingredients:

2 cups farina (coarse)
2 cups farina (fine)
3/4 cup pure Irish butter
4 tbsp flour
2 tbsp powdered milk
1 tsp yeast 
1 tsp mahlab
1/2 cup sugar
About 1/3 cup water or as needed for kneading
1/2 cup rose water
1/3 cup orange blossom
* MOUTH WATERING MA"MOOL DOUGH

Mix
Cover and Ferment for two days

For the date filling:
1 pack date dough or 5 cups chopped dates
4 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
Sesame seed (optional)
Mix, shape into balls

Pistachio filling:
2 cups ground pistachios
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup mix of orange blossom and rose water

Walnut filling:
2 cups ground walnuts
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup mix of orange blossom and rose water

Preparation:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F
Prepare Ma'mool dough into balls.  Cover to prevent dryness
Flatten the ball. Use your forefinger to make a hole. Place about 1 tsp filling inside the hole.  Close the hole and place in mold.  Whack the mold on a cutting board or hard surface. OR you can mold balls by hand and no need for molds
Place a parchment paper on tray.  Bake about 10 minutes or until edge starts changing in color *Keep an eye/ Do not over bake :) 
When completely cool, sprinkle powdered sugar on top

Sahtein/Enjoy

 

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