Pistachio Maamoul Cookies

These traditional maamoul cookies are filled with a sweet pistachio filling and are the perfect treat during Eid El-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. Easy to make, the dough comes together in less than 30 minutes. These molded filled cookies are deliciously sweet and make for a wonderful dessert or snack to enjoy with your family.

Yields: 30 cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Resting Time: 2 hours Total Time: 35 minutes

Equipment:

Maamoul mold

Ingredients:

Dough:

3 cups coarse semolina

2 cups fine semolina

1 cup flour

1.5 cups butter, melted

1/2 cup warm milk

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons orange blossom water, ma-zaher

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pistachio Filling:

2 cups ground raw pistachios

1/2 cup confectioner sugar

1 tablespoon orange blossom water

Instructions:

Make the Dough: Place all dough ingredients in a bowl and knead well with your hands or using a stand mixer with a flat beater attachment. Mix until well incorporated. Cover the dough and let it rest for 2 hours.

Prepare the Filling: While the dough rests, combine the pistachio filling ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Shape the Cookies: Once the dough has rested, form it into small balls. Press a ball of dough into a flat shape, then add a tablespoon of pistachio filling in the middle. Wrap the dough around the filling to cover it completely.

Mold the Cookies: Press the filled dough ball into the maamoul mold. Tap the mold on the counter to release the cookie. Place the molded cookie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Bake the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Bake the cookies for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool and Serve: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Tips:

Let the dough rest for at least two hours before shaping the cookies. This will make them easier to handle and form.

Don’t overmix the pistachio filling. It should be slightly coarse.

You can make the filling mixture a day ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge.

Bake the cookies on a preheated oven to ensure even cooking.

Let the cookies cool completely before dusting them with sugar.

Enjoy these delicious Pistachio Maamoul Cookies!