Ingredients for Date and Pistachio Cookies
For the dough:
- 4 cups (560 grams) flour
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (100 grams) semolina
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) baking powder
- 7 ounces (200 grams) butter softened
- ½ cup (120ml) oil
- 2½ tablespoons (30 grams) Sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- A few drops of Orange Blossom Water (optional)
For the filling:
- 1.1 pounds (500 grams) date spread
- ¼ cup (50 grams) butter melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 drops Orange Blossom Water
- ¼ cup (30 grams) pistachio nuts finely ground
For dusting:
- confectioners' sugar
Instructions
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1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180ºC and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
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2. The filling: mix the filling ingredients thoroughly and form balls out of it the size of a large olive.
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3. The dough: using a mixer fitted with a dough hook, place all the ingredients in the mixer bowl and knead for about 4 to 5 minutes until the dough is soft and pleasant to the touch.
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4. Carve balls out of the dough that are around 1¼ inches /3cm in diameter. Using your finger, indent the center of each dough ball and form a hollow area in which an olive-shaped ball of the filling can be placed. Close each cookie back up and form it into a ball again. Using a special ma'amoul tweezer or a fork, etch some designs on the top of each cookie. After arranging the cookies on the baking pan, bake for about 20 minutes until they come together, but do not allow them to brown.
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5. Remove from the oven and dust with confectioners' sugar. After the cookies cool, store them in an airtight container.
This recipe is courtesy of Hashulchan.