The maamoul is a traditional Middle Eastern pastry, prepared with a dough made of semolina, flour, or a mixture of both, filled with dates, walnuts, or pistachios like this pistachio maamoul. It is shaped using a special maamoul mold offering different patterns.
It is a pastry prepared especially for Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan or for Easter in Lebanese cuisine, but it is also enjoyed on other occasions.
Pistachio maamoul
If you appreciate Lebanese cuisine, you must know maamoul, this pastry with a crumbly and friable texture, slightly crispy, with a good butter taste, flavored with orange blossom and rose water, generously filled.
After offering you some Algerian pastries for Eid al-Fitr like makrout el louz, we’re heading to Lebanon with this delicious maamoul filled with pistachios (معمول بالفستق)
This pastry is found in several Middle Eastern countries where it is very popular. It is prepared as a family for festive occasions to perpetuate traditions but also for everyday snacks. It is perfect with a glass of tea or a cup of coffee.
Preparing a perfect maamoul from Lebanese cuisine
Table of Contents
The maamoul is a relatively simple pastry to prepare but requires a dough resting time of 3 to 4 hours. This rest allows the semolina to swell, just like when preparing kalb el louz. You will also need a mold for shaping, in wood or plastic. Today, you can find them almost everywhere with many patterns, each more beautiful than the other.
However, if you don’t have a mold, it is entirely possible to shape them by hand, giving them a basic form. After filling a ball of dough with the stuffing, you can flatten it into a round or square shape with the palm of your hand. You can also use a cookie cutter to get more regular shapes. Silicone imprints will also work.
Traditionally, the shape of maamouls varies according to their filling, which allows distinguishing the different flavors inside. For example, those filled with dates can have a round or oval shape, while pistachio maamouls have a long shape.
It’s a pastry that is not very sweet, so it is generously dusted with powdered sugar after baking. They can also be dipped in honey as I do with chebakia.
I particularly like date maamouls which remind me of makrout, but I was tempted to try those with pistachio.
Even if the cost of pistachio is relatively expensive, you will only need a small quantity which will give you about fifty small pastries. You can of course divide the recipe.
Ingredients :
NB: You can find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
Maamoul dough
- 520 g fine semolina (18.34 oz)
- 70 g flour (2.46 oz)
- 250 g melted butter (8.8 oz)
- 2 pinches salt
- 80 g powdered sugar (2.8 oz), you can go up to 100 g / 3.5 oz for a sweeter taste
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 1/4 to 1 cup milk (2 oz to 8 oz) depending on the semolina absorption. Add it gradually to avoid liquefying the dough.
Stuffing:
- 200 g finely crushed pistachios (7 oz), preferably green
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (0.8 oz / 22 g)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 15 ml orange blossom water (0.5 oz), more or less to bind the filling
How to prepare pistachio maamoul?
Prepare the maamoul dough
In a mixing bowl, mix the fine semolina with flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the lukewarm melted butter gradually while rubbing the mixture between your hands.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 4 hours at room temperature. You can prepare it the day before for the next day.
After this time, the dough will have hardened. Crumble it with your fingers and add the orange blossom water, then the milk little by little to obtain a dough that can be shaped into balls.
Attention: Do not overwork the dough to avoid a crumbly texture after baking. Add the milk in very small amounts at a time to prevent the dough from becoming too soft. The amount of milk will depend on the absorption of the semolina.
Cover and let rest for another hour. During this time, prepare the pistachio filling.
Prepare the pistachio filling
Chop the pistachios finely enough to get small grains or buy crushed pistachios. Preferably opt for raw green pistachios.
Mix them with butter, powdered sugar, and honey, then add a little orange blossom water to bind the filling.
Form small balls the size of a teaspoon (5.5 g /0.2 oz), cover, and set aside. The size of the filling balls will depend on the size of the maamoul molds. They should be able to be enclosed in the semolina dough balls.
Shape the Maamouls
Form 20 g (0.7 oz) balls with the semolina dough. You will get about fifty pieces.
Slightly flatten a dough ball in your hand, trying to form a hollow in the center and place a small ball of filling.
Lift the edges of the dough to completely cover the filling, then roll it between your hands to form a smooth ball. Place it on a plate and repeat the process for all the balls. Cover them with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out.
If you are using a maamoul mold like mine, flour a ball of dough and place it on a floured work surface. Flour the mold, removing the excess, and press the dough ball with the mold against the work surface. (Look at the steps in the image below). Remove excess flour with a brush (the bottom of the maamoul).
If you are using a wooden mold, press the ball of dough into it, then turn it over against the work surface, giving it a sharp tap to release the formed cake. 
Unmold the maamoul directly onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The mold is equipped with a plunger to facilitate unmolding the cookie.
Flour the mold each time to prevent the dough from sticking. If this happens, recover the dough and filling, then reshape them.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F once you have finished shaping the maamouls.
Bake one tray at a time for about 25 minutes, until the maamouls are lightly golden.
Slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire rack and let them cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
Storage
Maamouls can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for about two weeks.
If you want to store them longer, they can be frozen for up to 2 months. Separate each row of maamouls with a sheet of aluminum foil. Take them out of the freezer a few hours before eating and let them come to room temperature.
Pistachio Maamoul (Lebanese Filled Semolina Cookies)
EQUIPEMENTS
INGREDIENTS
Maamoul dough
- 520 g fine semolina 18.34 oz
- 70 g flour 2.46 oz
- 250 g melted butter 8.8 oz
- 2 pinches salt
- 80 g powdered sugar 2.8 oz, you can go up to 100 g / 3.5 oz for a sweeter taste
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 1/4 to 1 cup milk 2 oz to 8 oz depending on the semolina absorption. Add it gradually to avoid liquefying the dough.
Stuffing:
- 200 g finely crushed pistachios 7 oz, preferably green
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 0.8 oz / 22 g
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 15 ml orange blossom water 0.5 oz, more or less to bind the filling
PREPARATION
Prepare the maamoul dough
- In a mixing bowl, mix the fine semolina with flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the lukewarm melted butter gradually while rubbing the mixture between your hands.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 4 hours at room temperature. You can prepare it the day before for the next day.
- After this time, the dough will have hardened. Crumble it with your fingers and add the orange blossom water, then the milk little by little to obtain a dough that can be shaped into balls.
- Attention: Do not overwork the dough to avoid a crumbly texture after baking. Add the milk in very small amounts at a time to prevent the dough from becoming too soft. The amount of milk will depend on the absorption of the semolina.
- Cover and let rest for another hour. During this time, prepare the pistachio filling.
Prepare the pistachio filling
- Chop the pistachios finely enough to get small grains or buy crushed pistachios. Preferably opt for raw green pistachios.
- Mix them with butter, powdered sugar, and honey, then add a little orange blossom water to bind the filling.
- Form small balls the size of a teaspoon (5.5 g /0.2 oz), cover, and set aside. The size of the filling balls will depend on the size of the maamoul molds. They should be able to be enclosed in the semolina dough balls.
Shape the Maamouls
- Form 20 g (0.7 oz) balls with the semolina dough. You will get about fifty pieces.
- Slightly flatten a dough ball in your hand, trying to form a hollow in the center and place a small ball of filling.
- Lift the edges of the dough to completely cover the filling, then roll it between your hands to form a smooth ball. Place it on a plate and repeat the process for all the balls. Cover them with plastic wrap so they don't dry out.
- If you are using a maamoul mold like mine, flour a ball of dough and place it on a floured work surface. Flour the mold, removing the excess, and press the dough ball with the mold against the work surface. (Look at the steps in the image below). Remove excess flour with a brush (the bottom of the maamoul).
- If you are using a wooden mold, press the ball of dough into it, then turn it over against the work surface, giving it a sharp tap to release the formed cake.
- Unmold the maamoul directly onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The mold is equipped with a plunger to facilitate unmolding the cookie.
- Flour the mold each time to prevent the dough from sticking. If this happens, recover the dough and filling, then reshape them.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F once you have finished shaping the maamouls.
- Bake one tray at a time for about 25 minutes, until the maamouls are lightly golden.
- Slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire rack and let them cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
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