Ma'amoul (Nut-filled Cookies)

Ma'amoul (Nut-filled Cookies)
Ma'amoul (Nut-filled Cookies)
Have you ever visited the marketplace of Jerusalem and noticed small wooden imprinted molds with handles? To be sure, the merchant is hard put to explain their significance. They are ma'amoul molds. Ma'amoul means "filled" in Arabic, and these molds make filled cookies eaten by Jews and Arabs throughout the Middle East, especially in Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. A piece of short-pastry dough the size of a walnut is pressed into the crevices of the ma'amoul mold. A tablespoon of date or nut filling is inserted, and you close the pastry with your fingers. Holding the handle of the wooden mold, you slam it on the table, letting the enclosed dough fall out. On the top of the cookie is a lovely design. After baking and rolling in confectioners' sugar, the design stands out even more. Of course, the ma'amoul mold is not necessary to the preparation of these sweets, though it certainly adds to their beauty. The tines of a fork, tweezers with a serrated edge, or a tool of your own devising will do quite well. The following ma'amoul recipe came from Aleppo to the Syrian Jewish community on Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn. These cookies are served at Purim. A similar cookie, called karabij here (nataife in Syria), topped with marshmallow fluff, is also served at Purim. Arasibajweh—rolled cookies from the same dough and stuffed with dates—are served at the New Year or Hanukkah.
  • Preparing Time: -
  • Total Time: -
  • Served Person: Makes 35 - 40 cookies
Jewish Cookies Food Processor Nut Bake Hanukkah Purim Walnut Fall Cinnamon Butter
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1/4-1/2 cup water
  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup semolina flour
  • confectioners' sugar

Preparation 1. For the dough, place the flour, semolina, margarine, and oil in a food processor equipped with a steel blade. Add the water gradually, pulsing until a soft dough is formed. Cover and set aside for 10–15 minutes in the refrigerator. 2. For the filling, combine the walnuts with the cinnamon and sugar. 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 4. Either use the ma'amoul mold described above or take a piece of dough about the size of a walnut. Roll it into a ball and hollow out the center. Inside, place a heaping teaspoon of walnut filling. With your hands, mold the dough closed. Continue with the rest of the dough. 5. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. With the tines of a fork or tweezers with a serrated edge, make designs on the top of each cookie, being sure not to penetrate the crust. 6. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Do not brown; the cookies should look white. Cool. When hard, roll in confectioners' sugar. Per serving: 145.8 calories, 91.7 calories from fat, 10.2g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 7.1mg cholesterol, 2.6mg sodium, 12.3g total carbs, 0.7g dietary fiber, 3.1g sugars, 2.1g protein Nutritional analysis provided by TasteBook, using the USDA Nutrition Database From Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Joan Nathan Copyright (c) 2004 by Joan Nathan Published by Knopf. Joan Nathan's books include The Jewish Holiday Kitchen, The Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen, and Jewish Cooking in America, which won the IACP Julia Child Award for Best Cookbook of the Year in 1995 and the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook. She contributes articles on international ethnic food and special holiday features to the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Hadassah Magazine, Food & Wine, and Food Arts. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Allan Gerson, and their three children.

Preparation 1. For the dough, place the flour, semolina, margarine, and oil in a food processor equipped with a steel blade. Add the water gradually, pulsing until a soft dough is formed. Cover and set aside for 10–15 minutes in the refrigerator. 2. For the filling, combine the walnuts with the cinnamon and sugar. 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 4. Either use the ma'amoul mold described above or take a piece of dough about the size of a walnut. Roll it into a ball and hollow out the center. Inside, place a heaping teaspoon of walnut filling. With your hands, mold the dough closed. Continue with the rest of the dough. 5. Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. With the tines of a fork or tweezers with a serrated edge, make designs on the top of each cookie, being sure not to penetrate the crust. 6. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Do not brown; the cookies should look white. Cool. When hard, roll in confectioners' sugar. Per serving: 145.8 calories, 91.7 calories from fat, 10.2g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 7.1mg cholesterol, 2.6mg sodium, 12.3g total carbs, 0.7g dietary fiber, 3.1g sugars, 2.1g protein Nutritional analysis provided by TasteBook, using the USDA Nutrition Database From Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Joan Nathan Copyright (c) 2004 by Joan Nathan Published by Knopf. Joan Nathan's books include The Jewish Holiday Kitchen, The Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen, and Jewish Cooking in America, which won the IACP Julia Child Award for Best Cookbook of the Year in 1995 and the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook. She contributes articles on international ethnic food and special holiday features to the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Hadassah Magazine, Food & Wine, and Food Arts. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Allan Gerson, and their three children.