Semolina cookies filled with a spiced date paste, fried and soaked in honey syrup — Tunisia's beloved makroudh, in bite-sized form.
Makroudh are one of Tunisia's most iconic sweets, small semolina pastries filled with a rich, spiced date paste, traditionally shaped into diamonds before being fried and soaked in a fragrant honey or sugar syrup infused with orange blossom water. This bite-sized version follows the same essential technique, filling small semolina dough pieces with a date-and-almond paste before frying them until golden and soaking them while still warm in syrup so they properly absorb its sweetness. The technique that matters most is working the semolina dough with enough oil or ghee to give it a slightly sandy, tender texture once fried, distinct from a plain flour pastry, and cooking the date filling down until it's a smooth, cohesive paste that won't leak out during frying. Soaking the fried pieces in warm syrup immediately after frying, rather than waiting for them to cool, lets them absorb the maximum amount of syrup for the characteristic sticky-sweet finish. A fixture of Tunisian celebrations, particularly weddings and Eid festivities, makroudh reflects the country's deep love of dates, one of its most significant agricultural exports, transformed here into an irresistible fried sweet.
Serves 10
Combine semolina, melted butter, warm water and salt into a soft, slightly sandy dough. Rest 30 minutes.
Warm the chopped dates in a pan over low heat with a splash of water until soft and mashable, about 5 minutes. Mix in ground almonds and cinnamon.
Roll the dough into small logs, flatten, add a strip of date filling down the center, and fold the dough around it to enclose completely.
Seal the dough thoroughly around the filling — a poor seal lets the date paste leak out during frying.
Heat oil to 170°C (340°F). Fry the filled pieces in batches for 3-4 minutes until golden.
While frying, simmer sugar and water together until dissolved, then stir in orange blossom water.
While still warm, dip each fried piece into the syrup, letting it soak briefly. Cool slightly before serving.
Seal the semolina dough thoroughly around the date filling — any gaps will let the sticky filling leak out into the hot oil.
Fry at a moderate, steady temperature so the dense semolina dough cooks through fully without the outside burning first.
Dip the pieces in syrup while they're still warm from frying so they absorb the maximum amount of sweetness.
Add chopped pistachios to the date filling for extra texture.
Bake instead of frying for a lighter version, though the texture will be noticeably different.
Roll the finished, syrup-soaked pieces in sesame seeds for extra crunch.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week; they hold well and are often made in advance for celebrations.
Makroudh has deep roots across Tunisian and broader Maghrebi sweet-making traditions, closely tied to the region's significant date-growing industry, and remains a fixture of celebrations including weddings, Eid and other festive gatherings. It reflects Tunisia's love of pairing semolina, a staple grain, with the country's abundant, high-quality dates into a genuinely beloved traditional sweet.
Yes, baked versions exist and are considered a lighter alternative, though the texture will be drier and less rich than the traditional fried version — bake at around 180°C for 20-25 minutes if choosing this method.
Rose water is a common substitute in some regional variations, though it will give a different floral note — if neither is available, the syrup still works well with just sugar and water.
This usually means the dough wasn't sealed thoroughly enough around the filling — make sure to pinch and press the seams closed firmly before frying to prevent the sticky filling from escaping into the hot oil.
Per serving (60g / 2.1 oz) · 10 servings total
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