🍪 Date Maamoul

Method

1. In a large bowl, rub the 2 cups fine semolina and 1 cup flour with the 1 cup melted ghee using your fingertips until every grain is coated; cover and leave for 4 hours or overnight.

2. Knead the 400 g pitted dates with 1 tsp ground cardamom and 1 tbsp ghee, plus cinnamon if you have it, until smooth and firm.

3. Shape the dates into small walnut-sized balls and cover them so they don't dry out.

4. Dissolve the 1/2 tsp yeast and 2 tbsp sugar in the 1/2 cup warm milk and leave for 5 minutes until bubbles form on top.

5. Add the milk to the semolina, plus rose water and sesame if you have them, and bring it together by hand into a dough without long kneading; cover for 20 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 190°C and divide the dough into balls slightly bigger than the date balls.

7. Take a ball of dough, open it with your thumb, place a date ball inside and seal it well, then press it into a maamoul mould and tap the mould on the table to release it.

8. Arrange the maamoul on a tray with space between them and bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes until the bottoms are golden and the tops lightly coloured.

9. Let them cool completely on the tray until firm, then arrange on a serving plate.

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