We recently made the trek back to California for a work trip for Davede, which turned into a quick visit with family and dear friends. My mom asked me if I had any requests for meals while we were out, and besides the classic and nostalgic pasta and meatballs, I asked her to make Ma'amoul, an Arabic cookie made with semolina flour dough, and stuffed with a mixture of dates and nuts. She had sent some in a care package a month prior, and were gone almost as soon as they arrived. I ate Ma'amoul every morning while visiting mom, and have craved it since stepping back onto Texan soil. Last night, mom sent me the recipe and I went right to work in an attempt to recreate the delicious, delectable delicacy.
This recipe comes from the Najda Arabic Cookbook published in 1968 and was purchased by my Aunt Colleen at the International House on UC Berkeley's campus where she met my Uncle Fuad. After my mother married my father (brother of Fuad), Aunt Colleen gave a copy of this cookbook to our family. It has been well used since. Sadly, we lost our sweet Aunt Colleen a few months ago, but it's wonderful to feel her presence when we enjoy traditions and pass on family recipes.
A family secret my mom shared with me is that she combines the date and nut fillings for her cookies. Also, I purchased a special cookie press that is similar to my mom's from a local mediterranean market for $1.99. I am working on getting it to cure with coconut oil so the cookie doesn't stick to the mold.
One last note: my batch produced 16 cookies, not 12, and I had about half of the filling left over when I finished off the dough (due to mixing both the date and nut fillings. Mental note: make twice the dough, since 16 cookies won't last long in this household).
Ma'amoul proves to still be my ideal breakfast and coffee cookie, as it is filling, slightly sweet, and a relatively healthy alternative to other cookies. My version didn't turn out quite as delicious as my mother's, but it still serves its purpose quite nicely. My baklava started out relatively disappointing as well, but ended up being one of my proudest productions (Baklava recipe is on it's way).
What do you think of Ma'amoul? What are some of your family delicacies and traditions?
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