Today I’m sharing Ma’amoul with Pistachios.
The Muslim calendar has 2 major holidays: the Eid (celebration) which marks the end of Ramadan, and the Eid which marks the end of Hajj, the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. The latter is called Eid al-Adha, the sacrificial holiday where a family sacrifices a lamb to offer those less fortunate.
During both of these holidays, ma’amoul cookies play an important role. During Ramadan I shared the date-filled variety. Today I’m sharing the (arguably more delicious) pistachio-filled kind.
There’s a type of ma’amoul found in Aleppo endearingly called karabij. They’re crumbly cookies made with semolina which are stuffed with pistachios. They’re not very sweet, and to be honest, they don’t have much flavor on their own. There’s one very important thing that makes them special: a creamy, white, marshmallow-like dipping sauce that is made from soapwort root called natef, and there’s no way you can have one without the other.
These ma’amoul cookies are like karabij and natef rolled into one. The dough and filling are orange blossom-scented, they’re the perfect texture, and the powdered sugar adds the right amount of sweetness. They’re so addicting, you and your family members will keep wanting to come back for more.
Just about every ma’amoul recipe you find in the world makes a huge batch. This is no different. It’s intended for you to share with your family, friends and loved ones. Feel free to halve the recipe if you’d like to make a smaller portion.
I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayahcooks on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.
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Ma'amoul with Pistachios
Ingredients
- 8 c all-purpose flour
- 2 c coarse semolina
- 4 c unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 c granulated or castor sugar
- 1 tsp ground mahlab
- 1.5 tsp instant yeast or baking powder
- 1 c orange blossom water
- 4 c crushed raw pistachios
- 2 c sugar
- 1 c orange blossom
- 3 c powdered/confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Combine the flour, semolina, sugar, mahlab, and butter in a large bowl. Mix with your hands and set aside to rest for about 2 hours or until soft.
- Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and orange blossom in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring up to a boil, immediately reduce heat to medium-low or low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare the filling. Combine the crushed pistachios and 3/4 c of the orange blossom simple syrup in a medium bowl.
- Add the yeast and orange blossom water to the dough and combine.
- Preheat oven to 425°F/228°C or convection 375°F/180°C. Make several small balls of filling. Form your cookies by hollowing out the middle with your index finger, pressing into the palm of your opposite hand. The sides should be about 1/8 inch thick. Take a ball of filling and place it in the middle, filling the hole but making sure it can close easily. Close and roll to make smooth. Press in a ma'amoul mold and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Alternatively, press into mini bundt trays. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes. Place the 3 cups of powdered/confectioners sugar in a medium bowl and dip each cookie in the sugar. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.