These Middle East-inspired mamool are buttery & crispy on the outside with a spiced date filling. The yeast dough is made with a little rose water, and they're a family-favorite for us during Ramadan and Eid!
These Mamool Are One of My Favorite Holiday Cookies!
Every Ramadan and Eid that I've spend with my in-laws, a giant batch of these delicious mamool are made, with plenty to share with friends and neighbors. These date filled butter cookies are seriously irresistible. Once you taste one, another half dozen will be in your mouth before you know it!
Powdered sugar and a full stick of butter are the secrets to getting the cookies to melt in your mouth. And the soft, chewy filling is made from scratch with just mashed dates spiced with a little ground cinnamon.
You can use a wood or plastic mamool mold to imprint the design on top of each cookie, or just shape each dough ball and flatten it ever so slightly to bake them without a mold. They still taste just as great! I've even used my wooden Springerle mold to make mamool, so feel free to use what you've got!
My family usually serves mamool with hot tea like homemade chai or karak, since they're great for dunking. And for more festive Middle Eastern sweets, try my spiced vegan baklava or my soft semolina cake called basbousa.
My Notes on the Ingredients
- All purpose flour - Sometimes semolina flour is used to make semolina mamool, but I've found that a dough made from just all purpose flour makes the best crispy cookie.
- Powdered sugar - Keeps the cookies really light and tender. I've seen some recipes also using granulated sugar, but your cookies won't be quite as crispy.
- Active dry yeast
- Unsalted butter - My mother-in-law often swaps in ghee for a richer flavor, but I've found butter is more widely available.
- Rose water - Optional to add a subtle floral flavor; you could sub vanilla extract or orange blossom water.
- Dates - Sometimes mamool are also filled with chopped nuts like pistachios or walnuts, but I love the simplicity and texture & just dates.
- Ground cinnamon
Let Me Show You How to Shape Mamool!
Step 1 - Shape the dough into 1-inch balls
Step 2 - Flatten each dough ball in the palms of your hands until it's about 3 inches in diameter
Step 3 - Roll some of the date filling into a 1-inch ball
Step 4 - Place the date filling ball in the center of the flattened disc of cookie dough
Step 5 - Pull the sides of the dough up and over the date filling to completely cover it and re-roll it in your palms into a smooth ball
Step 6 - Press the date-filled dough ball into a mamool mold
Step 7 - Turn the mamool mold over and give it a hard whack on the table to release the cookie from the mold
My Tips for Cookie-Making!
- If your dates aren't very soft, you can soak them for about 15 minutes in hot water, then drain them.
- If you're using a wooden maamoul mold, don't soak it in water; I accidentally warped one by doing that!
- My mother-in-law often stores mamool in big cookie tins. Make sure you cool them completely before storing them, otherwise moisture will make them less crispy.
Mamool Date-Filled Cookies
developed & tested by:
Ingredients
Dough
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 5 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (1 stick)
- 3 Tablespoons rose water
Filling
- 1 cups pitted dates (8 ounces)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar and active dry yeast. In the mixing bowl, knead the stick of softened butter into the dry ingredients with your hands until it forms a course and mealy dough.
- Add the rose water and knead for another minute by hand in the mixing bowl until it forms a smooth and elastic dough.
- Cover the mixing bowl with a damp towel and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
Prepare the Filling
- Pulse the pitted dates and ground cinnamon in a blender or food processor until it forms a paste. It's okay if the paste is pretty chunky, this makes a better texture for the filling. Transfer to a small mixing bowl.
- Melt the two tablespoons of butter in the microwave or on the stop. Slowly knead the melted butter into the blended dates until it is fully incorporated.
Shape and Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Form the dough into 1-inch balls. Flatten the dough balls in your palms into discs that are about 3-inchs in diameter and about ¼-inch thick. Form the date filling into 1-inch balls.
- Place one date filling ball into the center of a flattened disc of dough. Pull the sides of the dough up and over the date filling to completely cover it and re-roll it in your palms into a smooth ball.
- If using a mamool mold, press the cookie seam-side-up into the mold. Then turn the mold over and whack it on the counter to release the cookie.
- Spread out cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick baking liner. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the edges are golden. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then enjoy!
Notes
- The date paste is thick, so take your time when incorporating the melted butter. The more you knead it and work it in, the more well-distributed it will be.
- If you're using a wooden maamoul mold, you also don't need to spray it with cooking spray, since the butter in the cookie dough will allow it to release pretty easily from the mold.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few days.
Mandy says
Is the rose water essential or is there a substitute that could be used?
Humbly Homemade says
You could leave out the rose water, since it is a relatively small amount. You could substitute orange blossom water, or leave it out entirely. It won't affect the taste that much if you leave it out.
Yum-number1 says
Wow these looks so cool! Great job!
Humbly Homemade says
Thank you!!