Maamoul (Lebanese Date-Filled Semolina Cookies)

About This Recipe

Maamoul are the cookies most associated with Eid and Easter celebrations across Lebanon, their delicate semolina dough traditionally pressed into hand-carved wooden molds that stamp intricate patterns onto each cookie's surface. The dough itself, made with semolina and a generous amount of butter or ghee, is left to rest overnight so the semolina fully hydrates, resulting in cookies that are tender and slightly crumbly rather than tough or dense. Filled with a soft, spiced date paste and pressed into their traditional shapes, maamoul are baked until just set and pale, never browned, then dusted generously with powdered sugar — a labor of love typically made in large batches for holiday gatherings.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 3 cupsfine semolina
• 1 cupunsalted butter(melted)
• 1/4 cupmilk
• 2 tbspsugar
• 1 tspinstant yeast
• 2 tbsprosewater or orange blossom water
• 2 cupspitted dates(chopped)
• 2 tbspbutter(for date filling)
• 1/2 tspcinnamon(for date filling)
• 1/2 cuppowdered sugar(for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dough

   Combine semolina, melted butter and sugar, mixing until it resembles wet sand; cover and rest overnight at room temperature.

2. 2

   Activate the yeast

   The next day, dissolve yeast in warm milk with rosewater, then work into the rested semolina mixture until a soft, pliable dough forms.

3. 3

   Make the date filling

   Warm the dates with butter and cinnamon in a pan, mashing until it forms a smooth, soft paste; let cool.

4. 4

   Shape

   Take a portion of dough, flatten in your palm, place a spoonful of date paste in the center, and fold the dough around it to seal completely.

   Seal the filling completely inside the dough — any exposed date paste will burn during baking.

5. 5

   Press into molds

   Press the filled dough into a maamoul mold, then tap firmly to release, revealing the pattern; or shape by hand and press a design with a fork.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake at 180C/350F for 15-18 minutes until just set and very lightly colored on the bottom — the tops should stay pale.

7. 7

   Cool and dust

   Let cool completely, then dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.

Variations

• •

  A version filled with chopped walnuts and sugar instead of dates is equally traditional.

• •

  Pistachio-filled maamoul, shaped slightly differently from the date version, is another common variety.

• •

  Some families use ghee instead of butter for a richer, more traditional flavor.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks — maamoul is designed to keep well, which is part of why it's made in large batches for holidays.

Frequently Asked Questions