Semolina Pastry With Dates Makroud Recipes

SEMOLINA PASTRY WITH DATES (MAKROUD)

Steps:

• To make the dough: In a mixing bowl, combine semolina, sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and almonds. Add oil and 1 cup water, mixing by hand and shaping to form a ball. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• To make the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the dates, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and almonds, mixing to form a ball.
• Take a piece of filling about the size of a walnut and mold into a plump oval. Take a slightly smaller piece of dough, flatten it and wrap the filling entirely with it, pinching closed. Continue until dough and filling are used up.
• Place a heavy frying pan over medium heat, and add enough oil to come 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the sides. Working in batches, fry the makroud for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown, turning carefully using two spoons. Drain on paper towels. In a small bowl, combine honey and orange flower water. Dip each makroud into the mixture.

MAKROUT (ALSO MAQROOD, MAKROUDH)

Steps:

• Combine the semolina and flour, add the melted butter. The semolina should be coated with melted butter. Keep aside to rest for at least one hour.
• Now the filling. If you don't have store-bought date paste, just blend the dates and maybe add some water. I am speaking from experience when I say that if you are using homemade date paste, put it in the fridge for a while, especially if it looks too runny to you.
• When the paste is of the right texture, dry roast the sesame seeds in a pan. Mix the date paste with cinnamon, butter and the sesame seeds.
• Preheat the oven at 200°C.
• Take the equivalent of a golf ball of date mixture and roll it into a thin log shape, about 1 /1.5 cm diameter. Repeat will the rest of the date mixture and keep aside.
• To finish off the dough, add about 1 dl of warm water (or until you see you have the right texture - not too sticky and not too dry) and, if you have it, 2 tablespoons of orange blossom water.
• Keep kneading until the dough is soft and manageable. Take a handful of the dough and roll it. Place one of the date paste log in the middle and roll the dough over it. Press slightly on the top to flatten it. Cut diamond shapes and decorate the top. If you have the special makrout mold, you can use it, or you can just experiment a little with the pattern. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• In the meantime, warm up the honey in a pan and add the orange blossom water (again, if you have it).
• When the makroutes are ready, pour the honey over them. You can also sprinkle them with sesame seeds if you want.

MAKROUT (ALGERIAN SEMOLINA PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Combine semolina, oil, butter, and salt in a large bowl. Rub the grains of semolina between your fingers, so that all the grains are well coated. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside. Let it rest like this for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight. The mixture should be like wet, oily sand in the morning.
• Combine warm water and orange blossom water when you are ready to make the makrout. Slowly add mixture to the semolina mixture along with flour and vanilla sugar and knead into a soft dough. Add just enough liquid for a soft, smooth dough. Don't overwork the dough-- knead it just enough to have a smooth and flexible dough that can easily be shaped into a ball. Set dough aside.
• Combine ground almonds, sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, and almond extract in a bowl for the filling. Roll mixture into 2 long logs and set aside.
• Divide semolina dough into 2 balls, then flatten to pat into a rectangle, about 3 times the width of your filling logs. Press down in the center of the rectangle with your fingers to form an indentation. Set filling log into the indentation. Fold dough over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Roll the log back and forth gently to shape the dough around the filling and smooth log into a uniform shape. You can cut the logs in half for easier handling.
• Cut each log into diagonal pieces, creating diamond-like shapes. Reshape the cut ends to have a nice uniform look. Set the makrout aside to rest, as you heat up a deep, heavy saucepan with oil - about 3 fingers deep.
• Combine honey and orange flower water in a small saucepan for the syrup. Heat over low heat until just below simmering and keep warm.
• Once the oil is hot, deep-fry makrout in small batches until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue frying until all the dough pieces are cooked.
• Dip fried makrout into the hot honey syrup and submerge in the syrup for about 1 minute. Remove and drain on wire racks. Repeat the process, dunking each makrout into the syrup a second time. Remove and drain on wire racks. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.

MAAMOUL (PISTACHIO, WALNUT AND DATE PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Prepare each filling by mixing the ingredients in a bowl. For the date filling, knead the dates with the nutmeg and butter until soft. (You can warm the dates in the oven to make them easier to knead.) Break off a piece and roll into a log about 4 inches long. Bring the ends together to form a 1½-inch-diameter ring. Proceed until all are done and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the semolina, mahlab, and sugar and mix well. Pour in the melted butter and mix in with your fingertips, coating completely. Sprinkle on the yeast and sugar to incorporate. Gradually pour in the slightly warmed milk and mix until the mixture forms a dough. It should be soft and pliable, and not sticky. You may not end up using all of the milk.
• For the nut-filled maamoul, take a piece of dough of about the size of a walnut and cup it in one hand. With your thumb poke the center of the dough to make a well. Using your thumb on the inside and your index finger on the outside, work the dough upwards to thin it out gradually into a shell. Place a teaspoonful of the nut filling in the well. Bring the edges together to cover the filling completely. Smooth out and turn over the filled pastry. With a pincher proceed to decorate the shell. Make your pistachio-filled ones oval and your walnut-filled ones round. Place on a baking sheet.
• For the date-filled maamoul, take a walnut-sized piece of dough and flatten in the palm of your hand. Place a prepared date ring in the center and fold the edges over to enclose completely toward the center. Follow the shape of the date ring and pinch the center to make a hole in the middle. It will look like a filled donut. Turn the seam side down. Grab hold of the pastry in one hand and proceed to use the pincher to decorate. Place on a baking sheet.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for about 15-20 minutes. The maamoul should only be slightly colored. Remove and cool completely before dusting with icing sugar. Store cooled pastries in an airtight container without the icing sugar.